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ATTACHMENT A 7 Rural Transportation Planning Organization Objectives, Features & Benefits Triangle J Council of Governments October 2001 What is a Rural Transportation Planning Organization (RPO)? An RPO is a voluntary association of local governments to plan rural transportation systems and advise the NCDOT on rural transportation policy. The 1999 Board of Transportation Reform Bill(House Bill 1304) required NCDOT to develop a plan to establish RPOs. RPOs were authorized by Senate Bill 1195 in 2000. What are the objectives of an RPO? The law authorizing RPOs outlined four core objectives: 1. Developing long-range local and regional multi-modal transportation plans,in cooperation with the NCDOT. 2. Providing a forum for public participation in the transportation planning process. 3. Developing and prioritizing suggestions for projects that the RPO believes should be included in the State's Transportation Improvement Program(TIP). 4. Providing transportation-related information to local governments and other interested organizations and persons. What features might a Triangle Area RPO have? A Triangle Area RPO must include at least 3 counties,but could include up to 5 counties. The RPO can span its urban transportation counterparts: the Metropolitan Planning Organizations(MPOs)that undertake transport planning in Wake,Durham and parts of Orange and Chatham Counties. The RPO would be administered through the Triangle J Council of Governments(TJCOG). Dedicated staff would be hired to undertake RPO tasks, supplemented by existing TJCOG planning and geographic information systems staff. Up to 80%of RPO funding would be provided by NCDOT,based on a funding formula involving the population and number of counties in the RPO. At least 20%of RPO funding must be provided by the local RPO members. What benefits might a Triangle Area RPO provide? A Triangle Area RPO administered through Triangle J COG can provide local governments with: • an effective voice in advocating the transportation interests of rural counties and their towns, • technical assistance for transportation planning and economic and demographic projections, • a local center of contact for working with different divisions within the NCDOT, • a single source for information on state and federal transportation activities, • established links to the two Metropolitan Planning Organizations in the region and other transportation providers such as the Triangle Transit Authority and the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority • a sophisticated geographic information system with skilled staff and numerous data sources,and • experienced administrators of coordinated regional efforts.