CLEVELAND, Tenn. — The latest draft of a 20-year transportation plan goes before the Cleveland Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization today after getting a public review Tuesday evening.
MPOs are state-created groups that include the city and county mayors in a metropolitan area and are charged with transportation planning.
More than two dozen people attended a public workshop Tuesday to review the latest version, outlining the community’s goals and objects for transportation.
The long-range transportation planning coincides with another study, a 2035 Bradley/Cleveland/Charleston Joint Strategic Plan, that includes much more than transportation.
“We incorporated a lot of the public comments we heard at the October meeting into this version,” said Doug Delaney, supervising planner with the consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff.
The current version includes street and highway planning along with bicycle and pedestrian services, freight routes, city entrance areas and bus service.
Several audience members wanted more information on how future projects will be funded.
“When I see green space and environmental change there,” one man said and pointed to the Power Point screen, “I see money going out of our pockets.”
Community Development Director Greg Thomas told the audience while it is possible to come up with “lists and lists of projects,” the long-range plan balances goals with the communities funding history.
“It does consider fiscal restraints,” he said.
The planners are not projecting future tax increases, Delaney said. They consider instead the history of funding for transportation from federal and state sources, too.
What’s next
* Today: MPO considers the draft plan.
* Next: If the MPO agrees, planners submit a rough draft to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transportation Administration for comments.
* Winter/Spring 2011: Public review and comment period on a draft plan with more specific information.
* May 2011: MPO votes on the plan.
SOURCE: Cleveland Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization