Transportation Planning

Mobility Master Plan Temple, Texas ATG | DCCM led a multidisciplinary team of regional and national consulting firms in the development and delivery of an advanced practice Mobility Master Plan (MMP) for the City of Temple. To achieve the City’s goals, ATG | DCCM designed the MMP to be a unifying document that transcends the confines of standard transportation system planning to achieve a comprehensive vision for the City’s future encompassing four primary themes: Livability – ATG | DCCM designed the MMP to deliver a transportation system that fits into context with the community and pulls together the threads of the City’s vision in terms of a broad range of goals, not just transportation, but also quality of life, equity and sustainability goals. Vitality – ATG | DCCM designed an MMP development process that helps the City understand the return on investment that transportation plan promises not just in terms of transportation system performance, but also in terms of economic vitality and job creation. Community – The City of Temple wanted the development of the MMP to be community driven. To understand the community’s vision, ATG | DCCM’s public involvement process made a strong connection with key stakeholders and the public through use of a stakeholder working group and a combination of virtual and physical workshops, public meetings, and online resources to empower community participation.  Mobility – ATG | DCCM also delivered technical analysis and recommendations to support a comprehensive set of multimodal solutions to address transportation system safety, operations, infrastructure development and asset management/state of good repair, integrated transit and active transportation concepts, transportation demand management, freight transport, job access and the policies, standards and implementation actions needed to tie it all together. The technical analysis also identified near term implementation strategies to address issues identified in the Safety Analysis. The final plan delivered a unifying document to support the community vision, support economic resilience and sustainability, and provide a complete transportation system that moves people and goods safely and efficiently in perceived comfort regardless of their trip purpose or mode of travel. The final plan was adopted unanimously by the city council and because of the comprehensive stakeholder outreach and analysis driven recommendations, has been instrumental in the uncontested approval of major capital investments in the capital improvement plan. The city has also used the plan analysis as the basis for successfully recommending action to initiate or modify TxDOT projects in the area. 

City of Natchitoches Comprehensive Safety Action Plan Natchitoches, Louisiana ATG | DCCM was part of a team selected by the City of Natchitoches to prepare a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan. The City of Natchitoches was awarded a $280,000 federal planning grant under the Safe Streets and Roads for All program. In order to fulfill the grant requirements and ensure that recommended projects are eligible for implementation funding under the same program, the plan will address all eight required elements of the Safe Streets and Roads for All Federal Grant Program.  The plan will achieve a Leadership Commitment to the elimination of fatal and severe injury (F&SI) roadway crashes by aligning the goals and visions of the community with actionable projects to achieve that end, working with community leaders including the Mayor and City Council.  ATG | DCCM will coordinate a steering committee comprised of technical experts and community members to provide Planning Structure over the process. Safety Analyses will assess five years of crash data and determine locations and key contributing factors, characteristics and causes of historic crashes for motor vehicles and people walking and biking. Community engagement and collaboration will occur through online and neighborhood listening meetings to gather input and feedback from the public. ATG | DCCM will perform equity analyses to ensure that minorities and other vulnerable populations are fully included in the process and will evaluate project recommendations to ensure that projects are distributed in a manner that benefits all members of the community. Strategies to reduce crashes will be developed and paired with locations to identify projects that can be implemented in the future. To set the City of Natchitoches up for continued success, ATG | DCCM is assisting them with the development of a dashboard that can be used to track progress and transparently report progress to community members. An action plan will be prepared to summarize the process and guide future improvements to eliminate fatal and severe roadway crashes in the future. 

Statewide Technical Assistance for Transit (STAT) ATG | DCCM’s Ongoing Partnership with LADOTD Statewide, Louisiana Under the statewide consultant contract, ATG | DCCM assists the LADOTD Public Transportation Section, the SSO Program Manager and each rural transportation provider to identify and meet the safety and security, service coordination, cost efficiency, and communication needs. Federal guidelines for asset management and safety program reporting are challenging. ATG | DCCM’s technical assistance team assisted Louisiana transit providers with implementing and adhering to voluntary safety standards since 2006, putting them well ahead of the Federal mandates. ATG | DCCM solutions help build capacity, promote service efficiency, and facilitate coordination among Louisiana stakeholders and customers to deliver the best transportation system possible. Working as a virtual extension of LADOTD’s staff, the ATG | DCCM team’s successes for this project include: Planning and delivering workshops on marketing, bus safety and security, cost allocation, coordination of services, and other topics of crucial importance to rural public transportation providers across the state. Drafting statewide Bus Safety and Security Bus Standards. Publishing a quarterly newsletter informing transit providers of updates and providing guidance on topical issues. Conducting FTA fixed-guideway safety and security audits reviewing compliance documents, performing training workshops, and other compliance services. Updating the Statewide Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan including development of a regional coordination template and assistance in the development of eight regional HSTC plans. Providing transit planning assistance and technical expertise for rural communities developing transit services. Planning and implementing various statewide initiatives such as the Transportation Services Coordination Summit, the statewide Annual Transit Conference, and facilitating a legislatively mandated working group. Developing various statewide plans to meet federal compliance issues such as the Intercity Bus Plan and the FEMA Louisiana Supplemental Emergency Public Transportation Plan to fund transportation services to displaced citizens following hurricanes. Development of the Statewide Transit Tracking and Reporting System (STTARS) to facilitate ridership tracking and reporting by rural and E&D providers. The STTARS system manages online applications, vehicle dispatch, ridership tracking, grant management, vehicle maintenance records, and service invoicing.

ATG | DCCM Supports Arkansas Transportation Planning Statewide Statewide, Arkansas The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) selected ATG | DCCM to provide transportation systems planning, and management systems planning/FAST Act compliance, along with corridor traffic engineering and operational analysis. Below are a few project examples of the many ways ATG | DCCM was able to analyze possibilities and create solutions for ARDOT under the statewide planning contract: Statewide Transit Coordination Planning – ATG | DCCM helped ARDOT develop a FAST Act compliant Statewide Human Services Transit Coordination Plan that was designed to optimize the efficient use of existing resources to meet the mobility needs of Arkansas residents, especially the elderly, disabled, low-income, and rural populations. During plan development, ATG | DCCM conducted transportation systems analyses of current levels of service as well as current and future transit needs identifying gaps in service and the prospective resources available to address them. ATG | DCCM carried out a broad-based and inclusive statewide stakeholder engagement process consisting of a series of eight workshops that were held throughout the state regarding area transit issues and current coordination efforts. The final plan provided prioritized recommendations to support ARDOT coordination strategies to deploy resources efficiently and effectively in addressing the transit needs of target populations across the state. State Safety Oversight – ATG | DCCM assisted ARDOT develop a 49 CFR Part 674 compliant program required for overseeing safety implementation with rail fixed guideway public transportation system (RFGPTS) providers in the state. ATG | DCCM provided management systems support to develop a new State Safety Oversight Program Standard (SSOPS) and developed a Procedures Manual to direct program activities. ATG | DCCM conducted desk and field reviews of safety documentation, implementation of safety procedures; and coordination to introduce the new standards. ATG | DCCM developed the necessary analysis and documentation for ARDOT’s certification submission of the Arkansas SSO program to FTA which was approved in July 2018. Traffic Engineering Study – ATG | DCCM conducted a traffic engineering study along Hwy 270 and Hwy 7 in the Hot Springs, AR area. ATG | DCCM analyzed four interchanges and two corridors using FHWA highway capacity software (HCS); SYNCHRO; VISSIM and other operational analysis tools to help ARDOT develop both conventional and innovative alternatives to current and anticipated challenges. Alternatives evaluated included interchange and other improvements along the Hwy 270 controlled-access corridor and signal progression, access management, and innovative intersection treatments along the Hwy 7 arterial corridor. ATG | DCCM prepared conceptual exhibits and visualization tools to evaluate transportation performance outcomes of the various alternatives as well as high-level cost/benefit analysis to evaluate return on investment (ROI) of proposed alternatives.

Texarkana Planning for Active Communities Northeast Texas ATG | DCCM assisted the Texarkana Metropolitan Planning Organization (TMPO) in developing a Regional Active Transportation Master Plan to make lives better in northeast Texas. Active transportation focuses on the integration of active forms of transportation such as walking or cycling with passive forms of transportation such as cars, buses, and various forms of rail transportation. Through extensive data collection and analysis, ATG | DCCM provided stakeholders an accurate view of multimodal connectivity, transit accessibility, and school walkability detailing origin and destination of bicycle and pedestrian attractors, bicycle and pedestrian travel patterns, and analysis of vehicular and bicycle/pedestrian crash trends. Data analysis was augmented by an innovative public and stakeholder outreach process that included in-person meetings, open houses, workshops, and online components. In addition, surveys were administered at bus stops and other key destinations. Different types of active transportation users were identified to develop appropriate project recommendations, as well as to identify conceptual future bicycle and pedestrian networks. This interactive process identified priorities for the plan. The project team, in coordination with MPO staff and technical committee, developed short- and long-range strategies including prioritized projects and an innovative funding strategy to best pair projects with potential federal, state, and local funding sources. In addition, the MPO was given complete streets language that local communities can adopt to help guide future project development. Overall, the plan successfully provided a framework for completing a comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian network that will provide equitable and safe access to the transportation system for users of all ages and abilities.

El Paso MPO 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan Update El Paso, Texas ATG | DCCM recently assisted the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization (EPMPO) with the development and adoption of their 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), and corresponding Transportation Air Quality Conformity Report. ATG | DCCM worked closely with MPO staff to engage regional stakeholders and the public in a discussion of travel needs in the Metropolitan El Paso study area. The MTP Update focused on developing a long-range plan to guide implementation of a multimodal transportation system that provides mobility options for all citizens and users of the system. ATG | DCCM developed and led a visioning effort to identify not only mobility needs, but also the issues that are most important to the community. The team used this information to develop metrics to help select and prioritize a program of multimodal projects designed to optimize the future transportation system for the region. ATG | DCCM worked closely with MPO staff to conduct an initial assessment of the existing transportation system and identify needs/deficiencies. Those deficiencies were coupled with the metrics developed during the visioning process to help develop programs and projects that move the region’s transportation goals forward. ATG | DCCM spent significant time working with the MPO and regional stakeholders to develop a reasonable and compliant fiscal constraint framework that ensured the plan could be implemented within the planning horizon. ATG | DCCM also aided in developing the air quality conformity analysis and conformity determination. The final plan outlined the information and assumption used in the process, the methods used in the analysis, and the outcomes obtained from the 2045 MTP development process. The final report provided an attractive document including summary brochures of key points to further engage the public in ongoing dialogue about transportation challenges. The project was successfully delivered on a very tight adoption timeline mandated by regulatory compliance deadlines.