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29 <br />Attactiraeit~6- - <br />funding for these areas is already dependent upon the planning decisions made by the <br />DCHC MPO and CAMPO and vice versa. <br />The DCHC MPO is investigating expansion at this time because the MPO is beginning <br />the process ofcreating a 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP}. The 2035 LRTP _ -. <br />will list the highway, transit, fixed-guideway, bicycle, and other transportation services <br />and facilities that are planned in the DCHC MPO through the year 2035. The creation of <br />the LRTP will take approximately three years to complete. In order to ensure that we <br />have a comprehensive plan that has coverage over the entire MPO area for many years to <br />come, we are currently considering MAB expansion. <br />8) What are the financial consequences for local governments of joining the <br />DCHC MPO? <br />The MPO's staff and planning activities are currently funded by the federal government. <br />There are no fees for member governments. Some MPOs charge member governments <br />fees. Many of the federal funding sources used for MPO activities require 20% local <br />matches for use of the funds. The Local matches are typically provided by the member <br />government(s) that requested the project. <br />Currently, federal iaw apportions federal funds to MPOs for transportation planning and <br />transportation improvements based on the MPO's current Urbanized Area (UZA} <br />population. Since the UZA has not changed, expanding the coverage of the MPO does <br />not result in increased federal funding. The current NCDOT policy for distributing <br />federal transportation planning funds to MPOs is partially based on the latest census <br />defined UZA population. Thus, MPO expansion also does not result in increased funding <br />from the state. Planning funds for RPOs currently come from state funds, not federal <br />funds for which they are currently ineligible. <br />In 1989, the North Carolina Legislature passed the Highway Trust Fund Act which <br />established additional state transportation funding resources. As a part of that legislation, <br />an equity formula was established to ensure that each are of the state received equitable <br />amounts of state and federal transportation funding. The equity formula applies to <br />geographic areas that are defined by combinations of NCDOT's 14 current highway <br />divisions. MPO or RPO boundaries currently have no impact on the equity formula <br />funding distribution process used by NCDOT. <br />4) Are local governments required to join the DCHC NiPO? <br />No. Federal legislation requires that an MPO's metropolitan area boundary {MAB} <br />contain, at a minimum, the entire Urbanized Area (UZA), as defined by the U.S. Census. <br />The legislation. also.. states. that the MA$ should contain the area beyond the UZA that is <br />__ .. <br />expected to be urbanized within the next twenty"years or that is affected by urban policies..... _ , <br />and influence. The DCHC MPO's UZA has not changed recently, but may be expanded <br />by future censuses (see the attached map). Inclusion of the area that is expected to be <br />