Orange County NC Website
3 <br /> MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING <br /> FOR <br /> COOPERATIVE,COMPREHENSIVE AND CONTINUING <br /> TRANSPORTATION PLANNING <br /> AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF <br /> A RURAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGANIZATION <br /> FOR . <br /> The Counties of Chatham,Lee,Moore,and Orange and the participating municipalities contained therein <br /> and the North Carolina Department of Transportation. <br /> WITNESSETH <br /> Whereas, section 135 of Title 23,United States Code,declares that it is in the national interest to <br /> encourage and promote the development of transportation systems embracing various modes of <br /> transportation in a manner that will serve all areas of the State efficiently and effectively;and <br /> Whereas,North Carolina General Statute 136-18 was amended by the North Carolina General <br /> Assembly by ratification of Senate Bill 1195 on July 6,2000, and this same bill was signed by the <br /> Governor on July 14,2000,and subsequently Chaptered,and which Chaptered statute provides for the <br /> establishment of Rural Transportation Planning Organizations(RPOs), similar in concept to Metropolitan <br /> Planning Organizations (MPOs)for transportation planning in North Carolina's urban areas; and <br /> Whereas,the establishment of a Rural Transportation Planning Organization(RPO), similar in <br /> concept to the Urban Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organizations (MPOs),would provide rural <br /> areas the opportunity to work in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation toward <br /> development of sound,short and long-range transportation planning for rural areas; and <br /> Whereas,the establishment of a Rural Transportation Planning Organization for the Research <br /> Triangle Rural Transportation planning area would assist the North Carolina Department of <br /> Transportation in complying with the provisions of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21 c Century <br /> (TEA 21),enacted June 9, 1998,relative to the participation of local officials and the public in the <br /> transportation planning process; and <br /> Whereas,It is the desire of these local governments and agencies to establish a Continuing, <br /> Comprehensive,Cooperative Transportation Planning Process with the establishment of a Rural <br /> Transportation Planning Organization for the Research Triangle Rural Transportation Planning Area; <br /> Now,therefore,the following memorandum of understanding is made. <br /> Section 1. Establishment of Rural_Transportation-PI annln�0 amization. It is hereby agreed, that <br /> the Counties of Chatham,Lee,Moore,and Orange and the participating municipalities contained therein, <br /> and the North Carolina Department of Transportation intend to establish and participate in a Rural <br /> Transportation Planning Organization created for the general purposes and responsibilities outlined in the <br /> following: <br /> 1. Develop long-range local and regional multimodal transportation plans in cooperation with the North <br /> Carolina Department of Transportation. <br /> 2. Provide a forum for public participation in the transportation planning process. <br /> 3. Develop and prioritize suggestions for transportation projects the Rural Transportation Planning <br /> Organization believes should be included in the State's Transportation Improvement Program. <br /> 4. Provide transportation-related information to local governments and other interested organizations <br /> and persons. <br />