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Frequently Asked Questions
Transportation Planning in South Carolina
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| Why do we plan? |
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| Who is responsible for planning? |
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What is a MPO and what is its role? |
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What is a COG and what is its role? |
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Who establishes the criteria for becoming
an MPO and who makes the designation? |
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Who defines the MPO Study Area
Boundary? |
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How is funding determined and at what
level? |
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Who provides the local match for
Guideshares and Planning Funds? |
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Who selects the projects for programming
and development? |
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Who is responsible for the Transportation
Improvement Program? |
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| Who is responsible for the STIP? |
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Who is responsible for public involvement
in the planning process? |
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| How does SCDOT prioritize interstate needs? |
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| How are non-interstate needs prioritized? |
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Why do we plan?
Transportation planning supports the economlc
vitality for the state by increasing available options
and enhancing the integration and connectivity of the
transportation system, across and between modes,
for people and freight. Transportation planning is
more than merely listing highway and transit capital
investments. It requires developing strategies for
operating, managing, maintaining, and financing the
area's transportation system to advance the area's
long-term goals. An efficient transportation system
can improve the economy, shape development
patterns, and influence quality of life and the natural
environment.
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Who is responsible for planning?
The South Carolina Department of Transportation
(SCDOT) is responsible for transportation planning
and the allocation of federal funds. The federal
transportation planning process is a cooperative effort
between SCDOT, Metropolitan Planning Organizations
(MPO), Council Of Governments (COG), and transit
providers.
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What is a MPO and what is its role?
A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is a
transportation policy-making organization made up of
representatives from local government and
transportation authorities. MPOs were created in
order to ensure that existing and future expenditures
for transportation projects and programs were based
on a comprehensive, cooperative, and continuing (3-C) planning process. The role of the MPO includes:
establishing a local forum for transportation decision
making; evaluating transportation alternatives;
developing and updating a long-range transportation
plan; developing a Transportation lmprovement
Program (TIP); and getting the public involved.
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What is a COG and what is its role?
Council of Governments (COG) is a regional forum
to allow local governments to come together to
address common challenges, such as; infrastructure,
community and economic development, and other
general regional governmental issues. In 1997, the
SCDOT began coordinating with South Carolina's ten
COGs to plan rural road improvements. Their role is
very similar to the MPO, to allow a public forum for
transportation decision making and analyzing the
area's long-range transportation needs. The COG'S
flve-year program is approved by the SCDOT
Commission and appears in the SCDOT bi-annual
Statewide Transportation lmprovement Program
(STIP).
COGs
Appalachian Council of Governments
Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments
Catawba Regional Planning Council
Central Midlands Regional Planning Council
Lowcountry Council of Governments
Lower Savannah Council of Governments
Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments
Santee-Lynches Council of Governments
Upper Savannah Council of Governments
Waccamaw Regional Planning and Development Council |
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Who establishes the criteria for becoming
an MPO and who makes the designation?
A MPO must be designated for each "urbanized
area" with a population of more than 50,000, as
defined by the Bureau of Census, to carry out the
federal planning requirements. A MPO is designated
by an agreement between the Governor, the cities,
and other local governments representing at least
75% of the affected population.
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Who defines the MPO Study Area
Boundary?
The Study Area Boundary represents the planning
boundary of the MPO. The study area encompasses
the existing census-defined urbanized area and the
contiguous areas expected to become urban over the
next 20-year period. Federal guidelines do not
include expliclt requirements for setting or adjusting
study areas. The MPO and the Governor approve the
Study Area Boundary.
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How is funding determined and at what
level?
In South Carolina, the SCDOT Commission
determines the funding priorities for the federal-aid
program following each new federal highway bill and
annual appropriations act. This includes the funding
level allocated to MPOs and COGs. Since the mid 1990s, the allocation between urban and rural
federal-aid funds for MPOs and COGs, called
Guideshare, has been based on study area
population.
Under federal law, large MPOs wlth urbanized area
populations over 200,000 are called Transportation
Management Areas (TMAs). Only TMAs are entitled to
specific allocations of federal funds called Urban
Attributable Funds. In South Carolina, the five TMAs
are Augusta Richmond Transportation Study (ARTS),
Charleston Area Transportation Study (CHATS),
Columbia Area Transportation Study (COATS),
Greenville Pickens Area Transportation Study (GPATS),
and Rock Hill Fort Mill Area Transportation Study
(RFATS). The 2003 Attributable funds for the TMAs in
South Carolina was $18,977,021.
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Who provides the local match for
Guideshares and Planning Funds?
Project matching funds can be provided by state,
local or private entities.
Each MPO also receives federal planning (PL) funds
to subsidize local planning activities. SCDOT
allocates PL funds based on a formula developed in
cooperation with the MPOs. The urban planning
funds have historically been matched by the MPO.
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Who selects the projects for programming
and development?
TEA-PI states: For TMAs (areas over 200,000),
projects are selected by the MPO (excluding
National Highway System (NHS), bridge, and
federal lands) in consultation with the state. For
MPOs not designated as TMAs, projects shall be
selected by the State, in cooperation with the
MPO. Outside of MPOs, projects shall be selected
by the State, in cooperation with affected local
officials.
In South Carolina, project selection for the
Guideshares has been based on recommendations
made jointly by MPOs, COGs and SCDOT. Rural
project selection is subject to SCDOT Commission
approval.
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Who is responsible for the Transportation
Improvement Program?
The MPO, in cooperation with the State and its
public transit operators, must develop a fiscally
constrained priority list of federally-funded projects
for a minimum three-year period. The TIP must be
updated at least every two years. In South Carolina,
TIPS reflect the required three program years, plus
two additional planning years and are jointly
approved by the MPO and SCDOT. The rural COG
programs are formatted in the same manner as the
MPO TIPs.
TIPS are submitted to SCDOT for approval and
inclusion in the Statewide Transportation
lmprovement Program (STIP).
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Who is responsible for the STIP?
The SCDOT Commission is responsible for
developing a transportation improvement program for
the state. With respect to the metropolitan areas, the
program must be developed jointly between the
SCDOT and MPO. With respect to the nonmetropolitan
areas, the program is developed in
cooperation between the SCDOT and affected local
officials with responsibility for transportation. The
STIP must be a fiscally constrained priority list of
federally funded projects (including the 10 MPO TIPs)
for a minimum three-year period. The STIP must be
updated at least every two years and approved by
the SCDOT Commission. In South Carolina, the 5-year
STIP reflects the required three program years, plus
two additional planning years.
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Who is responsible for public involvement
in the planning process?
Each MPO must have an adopted public
involvement plan that specifies the method and
process to receive public comment on TIPs, Unified
Planning Work Program, and long-range plans. COGS
conduct public involvement on behalf of the SCDO1
for the STIP and the Statewide Multi-Modal
Transportation Plan.
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How does SCDOT prioritize interstate needs?
The Office of Planning analyzes capacity needs for the interstate system, including mainlines and interchanges. Mainline capacity needs are based primarily on forecasted volume-to-capacity ratios. Interchanges are evaluated using the Interactive Interchange Management System, which considers roadway and bridge characteristics, geometric design, capacity analysis, safety, and benefit-cost analysis.
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How are non-interstate needs prioritized?
Non-interstate capacity needs are determined cooperatively between SCDOT, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), and Councils of Government (COG). Project needs are identified and included in urban and regional long-range plans and prioritized using criteria, such as: current lane volume, forecasted volume, historical traffic growth rate, accident rate, economic development, and environmental and cultural considerations.
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