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Approved 9/27/08 2 feasibility analysis and then environmental studies, right-of-way acquisition, engineering plans follow prior to 53 construction. Nothing can be in the TIP without first being in the LRTP. 54 55 He explained the steps taken by the MPO in the LRTP development process: 56 1. Establish the goals and objectives; 57 2. Obtain the base socioeconomic data (population and employment); 58 3. Forecast the socioeconomic data for the horizon year; 59 4. Model traffic for the future year based on location of population and employment to produce the deficiency 60 analysis; 61 5. Develop alternatives (transportation projects) to alleviate future congestion and model; 62 6. Analyze model results (this the current step, public comment on results will be received until early October); and 63 7. Develop the preferred option (projects perceived to provide the best mobility for future traffic). 64 That (the referred option) is the draft plan that will be released in October. There will be a 2-month public review and 65 comment period. 66 67 The plan must be updated every four years to comply with air quality requirements. 68 69 The TAC will approve the draft of the LRTP in December and then it will go through air quality conformity analysis. 70 There is an emissions budget for each county, and the results of the transportation demand model for the regions is 71 run through an emissions model to make sure the plan, if implemented, will meet ambient air quality standards 72 established by the Environmental Protection Act. The entire process must be completed by June 15, 2009 (the air 73 quality conformity analysis, MPO approval it, and approval by the federal oversight agencies). He also mentioned 74 that products of each step are made available for public review/comment, including review/comment by each 75 jurisdiction, which involves review by agencies such as planning boards, elected boards, transportation boards, 76 public workshops, etc. They try to get a lot of feedback on the alternatives analysis. Input from the public comment 77 for the alternatives will be used in developing the preferred option, which will be brought back (to this board) in a 78 couple of months for review/comment. 79 80 Andy explained the five transportation alternatives: Comprehensive Transportation System, Intensive Highway, 81 Fixed Guideway, Bus Intensive Transit, and the Moderate Multi-Modal. The transportation alternatives are paired 82 with different land use scenarios (distribution of population and employment) to see how land use may affect traffic 83 patterns. For example, some of the population and employment was redistributed from some TAZs to TAZs 84 containing future transit stations to see how it might help the fixed guideway alternative. 85 86 Questions asked included: 87 88 Paul asked about the funding for a road to the new airport, being considered by the University of North Carolina at 89 Chapel Hill as this may have a major impact on transportation routes. When does it fit in the process when it is not 90 included in the original plan? In other words, what is the process when there is a new major actor that comes on the 91 scene? 92 93 Andy answered that it would go through the development process and at that time the plan would include 94 improvement to existing roads or the possible need of new roads. Also, since it would not be a federal or state road 95 it could still be built. In the example of the Streets at Southpoint, it came about pretty quickly and no real problems 96 occurred with getting access. Bryn pointed out that it was paid for by private funding. When a lot of subdivisions are 97 constructed they also build the roads and then the municipality or state takes over the roads. 98 99 Paul asked if the proposed sets of projects were staff developed and the answer was yes. 100 101 Jan asked if moderate multi-modal is always going to be the preferred option. That none of the other extremes would 102 ever be the preferred option. 103 104