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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem A - Prioritizing Trans.$$EUGENE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Work Session: Prioritizing and Allocating State and Federal Transportation Funds Meeting Date: June 9, 2004 Agenda Item Number: A Department: Public Works Staff Contact: Kurt Corey www. cl. eugene, or. us Contact Telephone Number: 682-5241 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY This is a work session requested by the City Council on the process used to prioritize and allocate state and federal transportation funds. BACKGROUND The prioritization and allocation of state and federal funds for area transportation projects is a complex and competitive process coordinated regionally by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and guided locally by a variety of transportation plans and policies. The City of Eugene, through its City Council representatives, participates in decisions made by the MPO and its decision-making body, the Metropolitan Policy Committee (MPC). According to its by-laws, MPC is "an intergovernmental committee created to promote problem solving and to resolve intergovernmental disagreements among the two cities and the county." MPC is recognized as an official, decision-making body by the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area Plan. The MPO fulfills a federal requirement that a Transportation Management Area (TMA) with a population in excess of 200,000 have a designated body to coordinate the disbursement of federal Surface Transportation Planning Urban (STP-U) funds. The Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) and the MPC traditionally have facilitated regional transportation decision-making. With the recent designation of central Lane County as a federal TMA, LCOG' s board of directors designated an expanded MPC to serve as the federally required MPO for the region. The voting members of the MPO include the six elected officials who serve on the MPC (two each from Eugene, Springfield and Lane County), plus two appointed officials from Lane Transit District (LTD), an elected official from the City of Coburg, and a senior representative from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). The MPO's responsibilities include: · Providing policy guidance for regional transportation planning; · Adopting the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program to meet federal requirements; · Adopting an annual Unified Planning Work Program; and · Fulfilling other MPO/TMA responsibilities as set forth by federal or state statute or rule. L:\CMO\2004 Council Agendas\M040609\S040609A. doc The MPO is staffed by LCOG and receives technical information from the Transportation Planning Committee, which is made up of senior staff members from the two cities, the county, ODOT, LTD, and Coburg. The members of MPC make decisions on regional transportation issues, including prioritization and allocation of federal transportation funds, using an informed political process. In determining priorities and allocations, MPC must consider federal requirements. For example, to be eligible for federal STP-U funds, projects must be included in the RTP and categorized as capital improvements (including capital preservation), planning, or transportation demand management projects. Typically, the Transportation Planning Committee (TPC), a staff group of transportation professionals representing the various jurisdictions, prepares project proposals that meet federal requirements, and the MPC factors in available resources, the relative significance of various projects, and other political factors in making its final decisions. Local guidance on transportation policies is provided through City Council review and adoption of transportation planning documents such as TransPlan (a state planning requirement) and refinement plans such as the Central Area Transportation Study (CATS) and the Downtown Plan. The council also reviews and approves the financial underpinnings for major transportation projects through the Capital Improvement Program and the annual capital budget, taking into account applicable state and federal laws. Assessable transportation projects such as Garden Way come before the council for review and approval of the formation of local improvement districts and the levying of assessments. Council Action History On July 28, 2003, the Eugene City Council approved a motion directing staff to use any TMA funds for capital preservation. MPC subsequently adopted the final methodology for prioritizing and appropriating TMA funding at its regular meeting on September 11, 2003. The methodology included the four funding categories mentioned above for STP-U applications and did not limit the TMA funds to capital preservation. The City Council on September 24, 2003, then approved a motion "to direct the city manager and city TPC representatives to work with LCOG and the MPO to modify the STP-U programming and evaluation criteria in order to enable jurisdictions to facilitate and prioritize the funding of operations, maintenance and preservation of the road system, if they so choose." On October 9, 2003, the MPC elected not to amend the previously adopted funding methodology. The council adopted the Six-Year CIP on February 24, 2003, and the FY04 Annual Budget on June 23, 2003. Both documents identify specific transportation projects. Policy Issues None; this is an informational item only. Council Goal Action Priority Fair, Stable and Adequate Financial Resources - A local government whose ongoing financial resources are based on a fair and equitable system of taxation and are adequate to maintain and deliver municipal services. L:\CMO\2004 Council Agendas\M040609\S040609A. doc Financial and/or Resource Considerations None; this is an informational item only. Timing The MPC meets monthly. The next update of Eugene's CIP is scheduled for February 2005. OPTIONS None; this is an informational item only. STAFF RECOMMENDATION There is no staff recommendation on this item. SUGGESTED MOTION None; this item is presented for information purposes. ATTACHMENTS None; a PowerPoint presentation will be provided at the work session. FOR MORE INFORMATION Staff Contact: Kurt Corey Telephone: 682-5241 Staff E-Mail: kurt. a. corey~ci, eugene, or. us L:\CMO\2004 Council Agendas\M040609\S040609A. doc