Page:MPO Regional Transit Advisory Committee · Lawrence-Douglas County 2012-2015-TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM-Revision-2.pdf/31

 =VI.LOCATION OF TIP PROJECTS =

This section includes a map showing the location of TIP projects. This map makes it easy to see that projects throughout the Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA – that is all of Douglas County) are programmed in this TIP. Showing the geographic spread of TIP projects allows the MPO to show the public that there are transportation improvement needs of all kinds all around the region. This map shows the location of projects in relation to major roads and political boundaries.

A quick look at the map shows that the projects programmed in this TIP are located along state, county and city roads. The project selection processes both at the local government and the MPO levels stress the need to pick projects for funding based on objective factors such as the condition of pavements, deterioration of bridges, need for greater connectivity in the system, and other factors related to transportation planning and engineering. Projects programmed for funding through the MPO process should directly address a transportation system needs and relate to the goals and objectives in the MTP. This is not to say that there is no political influence in project selection and the development of the MTP or the TIP. That would be naïve. However, there are several rules in place from federal regulations to engineering standards and planning best practices that encourage the planning and programming for projects to ultimately put the money where the transportation system improvement needs are the greatest. The map shows a good healthy spread of project locations and projects along different classes of roads (i.e., interstate, other freeways and expressways, principal arterials, minor arterials, collectors, minor collectors). These roadway functional classifications are displayed on the MPO and FHWA approved Roadway Functional Classification Maps for Lawrence and Douglas County. These classifications are also used later in Chapter IX of this document that defines the regional significance of roadways. The next chapter of this document presents an Environmental Justice (EJ) analysis of TIP project locations. Page 27 of 57