GDOT Annual Report 2017

M E T R O P O L I T A N P L A N N I N G O R G A N I Z A T I O N

Agencies Propose Funding for Major Improvements in the Greensboro Area

The Greensboro Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and Greensboro’s Department of Transportation (GDOT) and have been working diligently with the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to secure funding for major area transportation priorities. This involves making tough choices on which projects to submit for a limited number of slots for evaluation under the state’s Strategic Transportation Investments prioritization process. The process awards points based on needs-based criteria such as congestion, safety, freight, and local priorities. NCDOT is also working to finalize the 2018-2027 State Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) by August. The TIP funds road, rail, bike, pedestrian, and aviation projects across the state. The Greensboro MPO submitted 48 projects for new state and federal funding commitments. NCDOT proposes to support 25 of those projects with funding between 2018 and 2027 at an estimated cost of $155 million. This is new funding that is being added to the existing lists of projects in the STIP, for a total of nearly $900 million. Next Round of Project Prioritization in theWorks GDOT and the MPO are also gearing up for the next round of project prioritization. The staff will analyze new projects and old projects that have not yet made the cut to submit for funding. This time around, the City is thinking outside the box in an effort to identify additional needed projects that are not already on the identified needs list. This includes combing through the data, coordinating with other departments and stakeholder groups, and listening to the community. The MPO is responsible for finalizing the list of projects for submittal by September. Visit www. greensboro-nc.gov/GDOT to track progress on that process. State Commits to Accelerate Key Projects NCDOT announced in April that it has a cash balance of more than $2 billion and is looking at accelerating existing projects or funding additional projects to

reduce the cash balance to below $1 billion within 18 months. This could mean some MPO project schedules could be accelerated or new projects may be added to the STIP. Currently only 78 percent of projects in the STIP are completed on time. The state is also considering the following strategies to increase the number of projects delivered on time: • Speeding up the environmental assessment process and establishing new expectations for the completion of planning activities. • Implement more flexibility in terms of cash management and ability to replace delayed projects with ready to go projects. • Shifting the number of projects managed by the NCDOT division offices from 30 percent to 70 percent. An estimated 100 more projects could be completed on time by implementing these new strategies. In Greensboro, NCDOT has already decided to accelerate the right-of-way acquisition phase of the northern section of the Urban Loop between Lawndale Drive and US 29 to begin construction in 2018 rather than 2019. NCDOT has also decided to accelerate the full reconstruction of the US 29 and Reedy Fork Parkway Interchange from 2024 to 2020, eliminating the need for a previously scheduled interim project in 2020 to replace the existing bridge.

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