Transportation Improvement Programs
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Housatonic Valley Transportation Improvement Program
South Western Region Transportation Improvement Program
Executive Summary
SWRMPO & HVMPO Transportation Improvement Programs (TIP)
Overview
The 2025-2028 Housatonic Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (HVMPO) and the South Western Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (SWRMPO) Transportation Improvement Program, commonly referred to as the TIP, is a financially-constrained listing of all federally funded transportation projects in the HVMPO and the SWRMPO. The projects in the TIP are expected to receive federal transportation funds or require federal approval within the next four years. The TIP is a living document, amended as needed to adjust for project changes. The HVMPO and SWRMPO TIPs are comprised as part of a larger Statewide TIP (STIP), which is administered by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and is the amalgamation of all regional TIPs in the state.
The TIP has been developed in accordance with federal regulations, the terms and provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The TIP has been prepared through a collaborative planning process involving a variety of stakeholders, including CTDOT and public transit providers. Endorsement of a TIP is a multi-step process requiring public involvement, consistency with the MPO’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), and conformity with air quality regulations.
The TIP includes highway and transit projects in specific municipalities as well as larger projects of regional significance within the MPO. In addition to these MPO-specific projects, the TIP also includes statewide highway and transit projects.
HVMPO & SWRMPO Overview
The HVMPO and the SWRMPO are federally designated transportation planning and policy-making organizations in the Housatonic Valley and southwestern Connecticut, respectively and is hosted by the Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG). MPO’s were created in 1962 by the Federal-Aid Highway Act to ensure that existing and future expenditures of
government funds for transportation projects and programs are based on a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive process, also known as “3C” planning. MPOs are required in any urbanized area with a population greater than 50,000.
Financial Plan
SWRMPO’s and HVMPO’s TI for FY2025-2028 are financially constrained to the congressionally authorized amounts for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) programs.
HVMPO
Over the next four years, the HVMPO TIP is expected to require approximately $706,159,179 to implement. Non-federal matching funds for projects will be provided by the State of Connecticut and the municipalities in the MPO. This level of funding also includes projects of regional and statewide significance. Approximately $328,833,940 (47%) of funding will be required to implement highway projects through funding from FHWA, and approximately $377,325,239 (53%) will be required to implement transit projects through FTA.
SWRMPO
Over the next four years, the SWRMPO TIP is expected to require approximately $1,147,460,950 to implement. Non-federal matching funds for projects will be provided by the State of Connecticut and the municipalities in the MPO. This level of funding also includes projects of regional and statewide significance. Approximately $551,938,031 (48%) of funding will be required to implement highway projects through funding from FHWA, and approximately $595,522,919 (52%) will be required to implement transit projects through FTA.
Air Quality Conformity
The Clean Air Act of 1970, as amended in 1990, requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which seek to improve air quality and reduce transportation-related emissions by outlining a path towards attainment. The path towards attainment with NAAQS is known as the State Implementation Plan (SIP), which establishes a “budget” that pollutant emissions may not exceed.
HVMPO
The Housatonic Valley MPO is currently included within the Attainment and Attainment/Maintenance Area for PM2.5. For Ozone, HVMPO is in the New York – Northern New Jersey – Long Island (NY-NJ-LI) Moderate Ozone Area and the Greater CT Moderate Ozone Non-Attainment Areas. As a result of these designations, HVMPO TIP projects must demonstrate conformity with NAAQS standards and goals for the area.
SWRMPO
The South Western Region MPO is currently included within the Attainment/Maintenance Area for PM2.5 and the New York – Northern New Jersey – Long Island (NY-NJ-LI) Moderate Ozone Non-Attainment Area. As a result of these designations, SWRMPO TIP projects must demonstrate conformity with NAAQS standards and goals for the area.
Conformity Analysis
In Connecticut, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is responsible for conducting detailed transportation and air quality modeling, issuing conformity determinations relative to NAAQS and the SIP. Transportation emissions in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut require that, for the NY-NJ-LI ozone nonattainment area and Greater Connecticut, VOC and NOx from Action Scenarios must stay below 2017 budgets from 2017 onward. In the NY-NJ-LI PM2.5 maintenance area, emissions must be below 2017 budgets for 2017–2024 and below 2025 budgets thereafter. No CO tests are needed due to completed Limited Maintenance Plans, and all MPOs’ TIPs meet the required conformity tests.
CTDOT has determined that the 2025-2028 TIPs are in compliance with applicable air quality requirements.
Performance-Based Planning and Programming
Per federal requirements, Performance Measures use system information to support investment and policy decisions that help achieve these goals. Performance Measures support 3C planning and facilitates quantitative planning approaches. The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration regulations governing federal transportation assistance require MPOs to integrate data-driven performance targets into their planning documents. As per 23 CFR 450.324 and 23 CFR 450.326, MPO’s are required to incorporate performance targets and performance-based plans into their Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs) and Metropolitan Transportation Plans.
Highway Safety
The Federal Highway Administration’s Safety Performance Measures aim to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. HVMPO and SWMRPO have supported targets establish by CTDOT regarding fatalities, serious injuries, and non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries.
Highway Asset Management
Federal guidance focuses the Pavement Condition Performance Measures on the National Highway System (NHS) Infrastructure Management on the network of strategic highways, including interstates and other roads that serve major airports, rail or truck terminals, and other strategic transport facilities. The Performance Measure tracks the percent of the Interstate and National Highway System (NHS) in “Good” and “Poor” condition. Pavement condition is determined by measuring roughness, cracking, rutting, and faulting.
Federal Highway Administration published a Final Rule to establish Bridge Condition Performance Measures for the National Highway Performance Program. This target measures the percent of National Highway System (NHS) Infrastructure Management bridges in “Good” and “Poor” condition. Bridge condition is calculated using National Bridge Inventory condition ratings for bridge decks, superstructures, substructures, and culverts. Bridges located on off- & on- ramps connected to the NHS are included in the rule.
As of April 2024, HVMPO has 53 projects and SWRMPO has 63 projects that will support highway asset management and work towards achieving the pavement and bridge condition performance measures targets endorsed by the MPOs.
System Performance
Reliability – The performance of the NHS target measures the percent of Interstate and National Highway System (NHS) person-miles that are “reliable” for the National Highway Performance Program (NHPP). Reliability is defined as the ratio of the 80th percentile travel time of a reporting segment to the 50th percentile travel time.
PHED – The PHED measure calculates the amount of person-time spent in excessive delay. The calculation compares actual travel speed to the official speed limit, and excessive delay is defined as when the travel speed was below 60% of the speed limit or 20mph.
Non-SOV – The Non-SOV measure is calculated to assess the use of other transportation modes besides single occupancy vehicle travel. Other modes include transit, working from home, bicycle, or pedestrian travel.
As of April 2024, HVMPO has 20 projects and SWRMPO has 23 projects that will support system reliability and work towards achieving the reliability, PHED, and non-SOV performance measure targets.
Freight Movement
The Freight Movement on the Interstate target for the National Highway Freight Program (NHFP) is assessed using the truck travel time reliability index (TTTR), which compares worst and average congestion, with reliable conditions defined as a TTTR below 1.5.
As of April 2024, HVMPO has 10 and SWRMPO has 15 projects that will support freight movement and works toward achieving the performance measure targets.
On-Road Mobile Source Emissions
The Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) measures on-road mobile source emissions by assessing cumulative daily pollutant reductions from CMAQ-funded projects, focusing on pollutants like Nitrogen Dioxide (NOx), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Particulate Matter (PM10 andPM2.5), Ozone (O3), and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
As of April 2024, HVMPO has 43 projects and SWRMPU has 44 projects that will support air quality and work towards achieving the On-Road Mobile Source Emissions performance targets.
Transit Asset Management
FTA’s Transit Asset Management (TAM) Performance Measure sets targets for achieving a State of Good Repair (SGR) for public transportation assets, including rolling stock, equipment, and facilities. CTDOT’s Transit Asset Management Plan outlines strategies for maintaining these assets.
As of April 2024, HVMPO has 46 projects and SWRMPO has 62 projects that will support Transit Asset Management and work towards achieving the performance measure targets.
Transit Safety
The Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) regulation, at 49 C.F.R. Part 673, requires covered public transportation providers, State Departments of Transportation (DOT) and MPOs to establish transit Safety Performance Targets to address Safety Performance Measures (SPMs) identified in the National Public Transportation Safety Plan (49 C.F.R. § 673.11(a)(3)). Transit authorities and regional transit authorities are required to establish a total of seven targets pertaining to the following four safety performance management measures: fatalities, serious injuries, safety events, and system reliability.
As of April 2024, HVMPO has 24 projects and SWRMPO 43 projects that will support Transit Safety and work towards achieving the performance measure targets.
Public Involvement
The public outreach process for the TIP included a mix of engagement activities. This includes providing opportunities for access and review of the HVMPO and SWRMPO draft 2025-2028 TIP and related documents. The public comment period was announced in accordance with HVMPO’s and SWRMPO’s Public Involvement Plan and legally noticed in the Danbury News Times, La Tribuna, Norwalk Hour, Stamford Advocate, and La Voz Hispana. The public comment period began at noon March 1, 2024 and concluded at noon on April 1, 2024. Additional announcements were issued through media releases, social media, the WestCOG website and newsletter. Also considered for endorsement were the CT Department of Transportation (CTDOT) draft Air Quality Conformity Determinations for Ozone and Particulates. The draft TIP and draft Air Quality Conformity Determination documents were available for inspection at WestCOG’s website. Persons with limited internet access could contact WestCOG via telephone.
Public information meetings were held on March 12th at the Stamford Ferguson Library, March 14th via Zoom, and March 19th at the Danbury Library. The purpose of the public information meetings and comment period was to present and provide information regarding the process and program details, as well as to receive draft TIP comments. Comments received during the public comment period were documented as part of the public record and the TIP documents were updated accordingly.
Title VI, Limited English Proficiency, And Environmental Justice
Although Environmental Justice (EJ) has stemmed from three important movements in U.S. history (transportation policy, civil rights movement, and the environmental movement), attention to Environmental Justice (EJ) was amplified by Executive Order No. 12898, issued February 11, 1994, which requires that each federal agency identify and address high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority and low-income populations. Therefore, Environmental Justice principles are incorporated into the processes and products of federally funded regional transportation planning. In 2023 during the development of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), an effort was made to involve all effected people in the long-range transportation planning process. The feedback received is still relevant in understanding the needs of residents in environmental justice communities. Outreach events were scheduled in EJ tracts to maximize involvement in the planning process. These events were intended to qualitatively understand the needs and burdens of residents. The most common feedback received during these events included; the need for higher quality, more frequent bus and train service, late and weekend bus service hours need to be expanded, better coordination of public transit schedules to reduce wait times, wider and better-connected sidewalks in downtowns and to residential neighborhoods, more bus shelters and more bicycle facilities
An Assessment of the projects included in the TIP was undertaken to qualitatively determine the potential benefits or improvements to the federal performance measures the project was expected to achieve. The improvements proposed in the TIP have the potential to create significant benefits for all populations by improving the overall safety, efficiency, and state of good repair of the transportation system. To reduce the negative impacts during and after construction, Public Involvement Plans tailored to specific projects are developed and managed by CTDOT. Information and schedules are posted to project websites, as are the Public Involvement Plan and outreach materials. Additionally, for each project on the TIP, additional public outreach, Title VI, LEP, EJ, and environmental considerations are conducted at a more localized scale by the agency responsible for design and construction.