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Through an interlocal agreement signed by the Florida Department of Transportation, Alachua County and the City of Gainesville, the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization (MTPO) was formed to conduct transportation planning activities in the Gainesville urbanized area. This program is required in order to receive federal funds for transportation projects. The Council serves as the staff providing technical and administrative assistance in developing transportation plans and programs.
Another major transportation planning activity is the transportation disadvantaged program. This program is required in order to receive state funds to increase transportation services to low-income individuals, elderly individuals, persons with disabilities and children-at-risk.
In 1995, the MTPO conducted a number of transportation planning activities.
In December, the MTPO adopted its Year 2020 Long Range Transportation Plan for the Gainesville Metropolitan Area. Developed as an integrated, multi-modal transportation system, this plan includes proposed improvements for highway, transit, bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
High priority road construction projects in this plan include widening SW 20th Avenue and Depot Avenue to four lanes, widening the overpass at Interstate 75 and NW 39th Avenue to four lanes, and implementing a one-way pair system on W. University Avenue and SW 2nd Avenue.
The Year 2020 Plan also calls for increased transit service, especially in and around the University of Florida. An expanded transit system is expected to be needed to relieve traffic congestion on major roads serving the University and downtown Gainesville.
Also in 1995, the MTPO reviewed and commented on the University of Florida Comprehensive Master Plan. During this review process, the MTPO developed recommendations concerning ways to coordinate better the community's transportation plan with plans being developed at the University.
Regular transportation planning activities include staff support for the MTPO and advisory committee meetings, overall project administration, and responding to numerous requests by the public regarding transportation plans and programs.
Each year, the MTPO approves the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP includes highway, bicycle, mass transit and airport improvement projects programmed for the next five years. The MTPO must approve federal and state transportation projects contained in the TIP in order for these projects to be funded in the Gainesville urbanized area.
The transportation planning activities described in this section are part of a continuous, ongoing transportation planning program. Through this process, the MTPO attempts to ensure that adequate transportation facilities are provided to meet future needs.
During the year, the Council continued to serve as the designated official planning agency for nine counties in the region under the Transportation Disadvantaged Program. The Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization (MTPO) for the Gainesville urbanized area served as the planning agency for Alachua County. As the designated official planning agency, the Council is responsible for conducting planning studies needed to increase transportation services to low-income individuals, elderly individuals, persons with disabilities and children-at-risk.
The Council and the MTPO also appoint and staff 10 individual county transportation disadvantaged coordinating boards. The coordinating boards provide advice and direction to their respective transportation coordinators on the provision of transportation disadvantaged services. Some of the duties of the coordinating boards include: identifying of local service needs; approving the coordinator’s Service Plan; annually evaluating the coordinator; and reviewing all applications for local, state and federal transportation disadvantaged funds.
In addition, Council staff assisted local coordinators during the year in applying for funds through the State Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund. These funds were used to purchase trips for transportation disadvantaged persons who were not sponsored by social service agencies. A few of the local coordinators in the region used a portion of their funds to purchase capital equipment to improve the provision of transportation services. In 1995, the Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Funds for the 10 counties totalled more than $1,000,000.
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