MPOs and Transit Systems Meet to Discuss Funding Scenarios

Just like the riders who use transit, the population of North Carolina is on the move. New residents are moving to the state, and others are moving between cities and towns, resulting in a shift in the state’s population. These changes were reflected in the 2010 census, which determined that more areas in the state were now identified as “urban,” meaning that they have a population of at least 50,000. Thirty six additional areas in the country are now classified as urban.

According to the Federal Transit Administration, this change will have a significant effect on funding formula allocations. Metropolitan Planning Organizations that allocated funding to one urban transit system in their area may find themselves with multiple systems now eligible for federal funding. To prepare for these cha

nges and others under MAP-21, the N.C. Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division recently brought together MPOs and urban transit systems together for a day of discussion and planning to make sure that no matter what the future brings, they are prepared to serve the riders who depend on public transportation.

Representatives from FTA began the day-long session with an overview of population changes, funding programs that would be impacted and guidance on receiving FTA funding. Speakers including NCDOT Transportation Planning Branch Manager Mike Bruff provided the group with a background of MPOs, their purpose, and what their duties and responsibilities are. Kai Monast with the N.C. State Institute for Transportation Research and Education then divided the audience in to groups with other systems and MPOs from areas different from their own for a mock exercise. Each group was presented with three scenarios and had to work together to create a consensus among all group participants.

Best practices were then shared from systems and MPOs currently working with their regions. The randomly organized groups continued to work on allocation exercises before ultimately returning to their regional groups to participate in the same exercise they had just performed in their random groups. The day rounded out with discussions about why MPOs should take an active role in their regions, and how MPOs and regions can get out in front of the coming changes. Presentations can be found online here under the “Conferences and Workshops” heading.