PUBLIC HEARING ITEM

CC Staff Report

03/4/08

Transportation 2030: Long-Range Transportation Plan Update (DCM)

SUMMARY

The Lawrence-Douglas County current LRTP, Transportation 2025 (T2025) has reached its five-year threshold and is required to be updated. The new LRTP, Transportation T2030 (T2030), has been drafted and is ready for its 30-day comment period.

RECOMMENDATION: Receive a presentation on T2030 during the 30-day public comment period.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Federal law requires that Metropolitan Planning Organization adopts and updates a Long-Range Transportation Plans (LRTP) at least every five years. The LRTP typically covers 20 year span that outlines future transportation investments for all modes of transportation for the MPO area.

Transportation T2030 (T2030) updates and replaces the T2025 Long Range Transportation Plan. T2030 is the long range transportation plan for the urbanized region that includes the City of Lawrence and surrounding area of Douglas County. T2030 identifies future transportation investments for all modes of transportation, outlines the goals and objectives for the region, and establishes action items to improve the transportation system.

The Lawrence/Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Department has been in the process of constructing Transportation 2030 approximately for one year. Staff, along with KDOT, T2030 committee and consultants from Parson Brinkerhoff Inc. of Lenexa, Kansas, have worked to evaluate the existing transportation plan, conduct three public involvement meetings, refine the traffic demand model, evaluate deficiencies in the existing transportation system, and develop a draft of the new long-range transportation plan for Lawrence and Douglas County – Transportation 2030.

PROCESS

Transportation 2030 began its kickoff June 25, 2007. Public Open House meetings were held in Eudora on September 18, 2007, Lawrence on September 20, 2007, and Baldwin City on September 25, 2007. The document began its official 30-day comment period January 30, 2008 by approval from the MPO releasing it to the public.

It is essential to maximize the opportunities for public input for T2030. Therefore, T2030 is being presented to receive comments from concerned citizens and other decision making bodies, such as the City Commission.

Final approval of the T2030 by the MPO is scheduled for the end of March 2008. T2030 is available for review online through the Lawrence Planning website: www.lawrenceplanning.org/t2030/.