Mercer County Transportation Planning

Unified Work Program

SHENANGO VALLEY AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY
Fiscal Year 2008-2009 Unified Planning Work Program

Click here for the full 2007-2008 Unified Planning Work Program. (.PDF file)

Introduction

The Unified Planning Work Program establishes an outline of work tasks to be undertaken by the Shenango Valley Area Transportation Study (SVATS) during the 2008-2009 Fiscal Year. The SVATS Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has the responsibility to plan and program transportation projects receiving federal funding for all of Mercer County. The SVATS MPO has undertaken this duty since it?s inception in 1981.

One Rural Planning Organization (RPO), one Pennsylvania MPO, and one MPO serving the Youngstown, Ohio area border the SVATS MPO. Due to changes in the urbanized area of the MPO, Mercer County has been combined with the Youngstown area. With this change it became necessary to develop a ?memorandum of understanding? (MOU), which outlines the working relationship between the two MPOs. The SVATS MPO adopted the MOU on January 31, 2003.

Long Range Plan

In order to undertake the transportation planning process in Mercer County, a Long Range Plan was developed. The original plan being adopted by the SVATS MPO in November of 1994, with amendments being made in 1997. The LRP provides information necessary to the planning and programming process. Information contained in the LRP includes data on such items as population, land use, existing facilities, planning factors, 20-year project listing, and congestion/intermodal management issues. Because Mercer County has been redesignated as a non-attainment county for Air Quality, we will once again be required to update our LRP on a three-year cycle. The MPO has updated the LRP and is expecting the documents to be adopted in the spring of 2006. The LRP provides a closer look at the major corridors within the County and is model after the Statewide plan. In order to meet the requirements of TEA-21, the MPO reaffirmed the existing LRP at its May, 2003 meeting.

The LRP plan also plays an important role in the Mercer County Comprehensive Plan. The current Comprehensive plan was adopted in November of 1996. The is currently in the process of approving a newly update Comprehensive plan that once again will incorporate the LRP. As changes occur in the future to the TIP they will be reflected and reviewed for consistency with the comprehensive plan 

TEA-21 & Clean Air Act Amendments

What is contained in the LRP is based on two federal laws, the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for 21st Century (TEA-21) and the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990. All transportation related planning in Mercer County is based on these two laws. In addition to the requirements of having a LRP, the SVATS MPO also produces a local Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which contains the short range listing of transportation improvements for the County.

The CAAA establishes a program and sets a timetable for improving the nation?s air quality. Mercer County currently classified as a ?basic? ozone non-attainment area.

MPO Committees & Responsibilities

The SVATS MPO is a federally mandated organization responsible for transportation related issues in Mercer County. Professional staff members of the Mercer County Regional Planning Commission run the daily business of the MPO. During 2000, the SVATS MPO grew by four (4) communities. SVATS has been working to ensure equal representation throughout the County.

The SVATS MPO is made up of two committees the Coordinating and the Technical. The Coordinating Committee is responsible for insuring the maintenance of planning eligibility for state and federal grants and the maintenance of both the LRP and TIP. The Coordinating Committee is made up of twenty-one voting members (including 2 from PENNDOT), Farrell, Hermitage, Sharon, Clark, Grove City, West Middlesex, Wheatland, Sharpsville, Findley, Liberty, Pine, Shenango, South Pymatuning, Springfield, Wilmington, Wolf Creek, Greenville, Mercer County and the Mercer County Regional Council of Governments.

The Technical Committee has the duty to study and report on technical aspects as directed by the Coordinating Committee and to initiate studies and recommendations on technical aspects in pursuance of the objectives of the UPWP. The Technical Committee is made up of twelve voting members; PENNDOT (2), Farrell, Hermitage, Sharon, Greenville, Grove City, Sharpsville, Township Association, Mercer County Regional Planning Commission (2) and the Mercer County Regional Council of Governments.

The MPO deals in all modes of transportation, one key mode being transit. The SVATS MPO works closely with the major transit providers for the County. The two major providers are the Shenango Valley Shuttle Service (SVSS) and Mercer County Community Transit (MCCT). The SVSS runs several routes providing fixed route service to the Shenango Valley. The MCCT provides on demand service to all areas of Mercer County.

 

Mercer County Regional Planning Commission
2491 Highland Road, Hermitage, PA 16148
mail@mcrpc.com    www.mcrpc.com

 

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