Submitted Public Comments - Hampton Roads Transportation ...

Virginia language does not sufficiently recognize or support the state’s MPO
organizations (this is especially unfortunate for the HRTPO, the largest MPO wholly in
Virginia); (2) the state’s maintenance of two statewide Transportation Programs (STIP
and SYIP) is confusing; it diminishes the role of regional MPOs in the programming
process; it diminishes the value of the HRTPO’s TIP development efforts; it appears to
be over costly to maintain two separate Programming documents; and is not adequately
adherent to the intent of federal regulations. As supporting information, four
documents are attached:
a. JLARC Final Audit Report, Transportation Planning and Programming
b. JLARC Audit, Agency Responses
c. Overall JLARC Recommendations‐1
d. MPO Point Paper 2009‐14, The STIP and the SYIP
2. The Governor’s Letter of Designation of the HRTPO. The Governor’s letter of
designation of the HRTPO needs to be updated (U.S.C. 23 CFR 450.310 refers). As
supporting information, two documents are attached:
a. Past history and continued need to issue updated Governor letters of
Designation for HRTPO
b. Currently effective HRTPO Designation letters
3. The federally required Annual Obligations Report (AOR). Recommend new
attention be paid to the statewide and the regional procedures being used to develop
the Annual Obligations Report (23CFR450.332 Annual listing of obligated projects
refers). This is the ultimate performance measure – did you effectively spend obligated
dollars provided, or do you need to improve your sequencing of projects, find better
ways to fill the project pipeline, introduce increased discipline to avoid parking funds
on projects that are not or cannot advance, etc.? Because of unintelligible VDOT
information provided by the state, some MPOs in Virginia have refused to post their
AOR in the past. At present, the HRTPO’s AOR is posted for public review, but it
contains so many unanswered questions, that it is useless. I believe that this is a major
issue, one that if corrected, however, would bring great visibility, integrity and
efficiency to the statewide and regional programming process, and it would be a
corrective action that could finally enable all MPOs in Virginia to not be afraid of this
AOR document and to begin to use it as the ultimate self‐measurement of programming
efficiency. And, a new process could be developed that would be adherent to federal
regulations as concerns the AOR. The text that is currently posted before the HRTPO
AOR document makes the point—that text follows in italics below.
HRTPO staff received the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
(DRPT) portion of the Annual Obligation Report on October 12, 2011. HRTPO staff
reviewed the information submitted by DRPT and found no issues.
HRTPO staff received the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) portion of
the Annual Obligation Report on November 29, 2011. HRTPO staff reviewed the
information submitted by VDOT and compiled a list of issues that have been forwarded
to VDOT for comment/resolution. In the interim, HRTPO staff posted the Annual
Obligation Report on the HRTPO website on December 21, 2011, using the information
2