2007 Counts

The Federal Highway Administration requires Metropolitan Planning Organizations to publish a list of projects that were authorized in the previous fiscal year and involved federal highway or transit funds. A project is considered authorized when a funding contract has been completed. The authorized project list includes those projects from the Tuscaloosa area funded in fiscal year 2011, which ran from October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan serves as a guide for improving bicycle and pedestrian activity in Tuscaloosa County. The plan includes construction, education, promotion, and policy projects intended to integrate bicycle and pedestrian travel into the existing transportation environment.

The plan was initiated by the MPO in order to facilitate the development of their transportation plans and programs. However, due to the fact that many of the proposed projects fall outside of the authority of the MPO, the MPO intended other agencies and governments to use the plan. The current plan was adopted in 2007.

The public can comment on the draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan at any MPO committee meeting, by mail (P.O. Box 509, Northport, AL 35476-0509), by e-mail (david.norris@adss.alabama.gov), by telephone (205-333-2990, x 213), or by fax (205-333-2713). Paper or digital copies of the plan can be obtained at the West Alabama Regional Commission. Public comments regarding the draft plan will be accepted until August 10, 2012.

The purpose of a long-range transportation plan is to budget transportation funds over a 20-year plus time period so that future transportation demand can be met. The Tuscaloosa Area MPO is required to update the long-range transportation plan every five years. The MPO is required to balance proposed projects against expected revenue. The focus of the MPO's plan is on federally funded highway and transit projects. However all modes of transportation are considered, regardless of funding source.

The MPO Bylaws outline how the transportation planning process works by listing the responsibilities of the committees and the process coordinator, establishing the limitations of each committee, detailing the membership of each committee, and by outlining the organization and meeting structure.

The Planning Agency Consultation Process for the Tuscaloosa Area Metropolitan Planning Organization documents how the MPO consults with other government agencies. The document is intended to prevent conflicts and promote coordination between the plans, programs, and processes developed by the MPO and other agencies.

The Prospectus is a brief summary of the Tuscaloosa Area transportation planning process. The document attempts to provide a basic understanding of the process. The Prospectus is intended to serve as an educational and reference tool for government officials and interested individuals.

This document describes the public participation goals and strategies of the MPO. The document also outlines performance measures that the MPO uses to grade its public involvement efforts.

The Record of Public Involvement documents the public involvement activities of the Tuscaloosa Area MPO for a given fiscal year. The document includes news releases, legal ads, newspaper articles, the minutes of the MPO's Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee, and other items related to public participation.

The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a short-range plan composed of a prioritized list of transportation projects. The TIP covers a four-year period. Generally projects on the TIP are taken from the current long-range transportation plan.  The TIP is redeveloped every four years and is financially constrained. 

This document delineates the policy and procedures that guide the transportation planning process in the Tuscaloosa Area on matters concerning private enterprise involvement in mass transportation.

The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) represents the budget and work tasks necessary to accomplish and maintain the transportation planning process within the Tuscaloosa study area. The UPWP is developed to coordinate transportation and related planning activities for a cooperative, continuing, and comprehensive planning process.

The primary objective of the UPWP is the development of an integrated planning program which considers the planning activities of each modal group and coordinates these activities to produce a total transportation plan serving all segments of the population. The MPO updates the UPWP annually.

The public can comment on the draft UPWP at any MPO committee meeting, by mail (P.O. Box 509, Northport, AL 35476-0509), by e-mail (david.norris@adss.alabama.gov), by telephone (205-333-2990, x 213), or by fax (205-333-2713). Public comments regarding the UPWP will be accepted until April 12, 2012.

The purpose of this plan is (1) to determine transit gaps and coordination opportunities among publicly funded, human services transportation programs in west Alabama and (2) to develop strategies to address the identified gaps and coordination issues. This plan did not evaluate transit service provided by the different agencies. Instead it examined transit deficiencies and coordination issues for each county and the entire region.