| OCR Text |
Show Status of Implementing the New Planning Process This section reports on progress of steps taken to implement the new planning process as agreed to by MDOT and TCRPC in 1998. During FY 1999 TCRPC continued to make substantial progress in implementing the new planning process in cooperation with MDOT. As indicated in our timeline, we continued to focus on expanding the draft Process Redesign Roadmap as developed by a CARTS Task Force. These materials were provided to the full technical and policy committee for review and comment in early 1999 as planned. A substantial effort was also made by TCRPC in early FY 1999 to develop a draft financial plan based on revenue estimation efforts as agreed to in FY 1998. This draft was submitted to MDOT and FHWA for review and comment as scheduled. In round numbers, TCRPC staff estimate over five full time staff work weeks were devoted exclusively to this activity in our continuing effort to pilot and serve as a model for implementation to other areas around the state. This extensive previous work was further extended in FY 2000 by applying the lessons learned and the data collected in earlier years to completing updated long range financial forecasts which were used by TCRPC and MDOT to develop the Interim 2020 Regional Transportation Plan and its financial plan. In FY 1999, TCRPC also initiated preparation of revised project selection criteria which were based on plan goals and objectives and draft five year and 20 year investment strategies developed by the Task Force. These supplemental criteria were tested and applied to the project selection process during development of the 2000-2002 TIP as planned. However, due to the extreme time constraints associated with the accelerated TIP development schedule resulting from MDOT's re-engineered TIP development process and schedule, testing and integration of the new criteria was not as thorough or comprehensive as TCRPC staff had intended when the schedule was originally developed. TCRPC evaluated results of these initial testing efforts, and incorporated more comprehensive approaches to develop new project selection criteria in FY 2001 in conjunction with otherworkto develop the 2002-2004 TIP. Significantly, during preparation of the Interim 2020 Regional Transportation Plan, adopted in June of FY 2000, the new process was further refined and actually applied to develop agreed upon revenue forecasts and prioritized project categories. Draft investment strategies previously identified by TCRPC and MDOT were used to guide project prioritization and to identify a more detailed plan for the first five year period and a 20 year program of projects. The process generally worked well and has been further refined in conjunction with TCRPC's "Regional Growth: Choices for Our Future" project as discussed earlier and was used to prepare the Regional 2025 Transportation Plan . Further, throughout FY 2002, TCRPC staff continued to serve on a task force of MPO and MDOT staff which has been working to refine and improve the cooperative revenue forecasting process. MDOT provided state level revenue forecasts to TCRPC in FY 2000 for use in the Interim Update and in FY 2001 for preparation of the 2002-2004 TIP. In general, the MPO, MDOT and FHWA staff reached agreement on use of this approach in FY 2001. Similar efforts are under way in 2003 to estimate revenues for the Long Range Plan and the 2004-2006 TIP. 1-10 |
