Overview of Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission s (SPC) 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

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1 Overview of Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission s (SPC) 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) Presented to Pennsylvania Agency Coordination Meeting May 27, 2015 Doug Smith & Ryan Gordon 1

2 Southwestern Pennsylvania Region 10 Counties >7,000 Square miles 2.66 Million citizens 548 Municipalities 132 School Districts 3 PennDOT Districts > 5,300 State-owned Bridges 10 Fixed Route Transit Agencies 3 TMAs 2

3 SPC Core Functions Coordinates Regional Transportation Planning Federal (U.S. DOT/FHWA/FTA/EPA) State (PennDOT) Local/City (Counties & City of Pittsburgh) Transit (Port Authority & 9 other county providers) Develops the Regional Long Range Plan (20+ years) Develops the 4-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Transportation and Traffic Modeling and Projections Econometric Forecasting (REMI, Pitt, CMU) Air Quality Conformity Determination Digital Orthographic Mapping and Analysis

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5 Various Plan Components Population, Household, and Employment Forecasts Transportation Needs Assessment & Investment Categories Regional Operations Plan Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan Air Quality Conformity Determination for Plan Update Report on Environmental Justice from 2040 Plan Update Transit, Intermodal, Freight, and Ridesharing Elements Program of Projects Planning and Environmental Linkage Addendum 5

6 Public Involvement Top 10 Very Important or Important Performance Measures by Survey Respondents 1. Structurally Deficient Bridge Deck 99.23% 2. Pavement Condition 96.92% 3. Number of Jobs 95.96% 4. Annual Unemployment Rate 95.05% 5. Net Job Creation Rate 94.47% 6. Cost of Living Index 93.30% 7. Means of Transportation to Work 93.26% 8. Median Household Income 93.20% 9. Population Density 92.92% 10. Total Exports 91.75%

7 Consistent Themes Infrastructure Condition / Asset Management Safety, Efficiency & System Reliability Multimodal Options for Community & Economic Development

8 Transportation Investments 2015 Adopted TIP ( ) Highway & Bridge $1.99 Billion Freight 2% Ped/Bike 1% Transit $1.86 Billion New Capacity 2% Transit 2% Traffic Operations & Safety 17% Capital Maintenance Roadways 33% Capital Maintenance Bridges 43% Infrastructure Good Repair 19% Fleet Good Repair 18% Operating 63% New Capacity 0%

9 Bridge Status: SPC Region 43% of Region s Highway and Bridge Funds are invested in Capital Maintenance Bridge PENNDOT Asset Management Report Card 9

10 Challenges Difficult Climate for Long-Range Planning Uncertain Federal Funding Levels Push for Performance-Based Planning and Shifting Roles of Federal vs. State Government Act 89 = major change at state level Potential impacts of technology 10

11 Transportation Planning and Environmental Linkage Aspects of the SPC 2040 LRTP PHOTO Presented to PA Agency Coordination Meeting May 27, 2015 Ryan Gordon, Planner SPC 11

12 Planning and Environmental Linkage Linking Planning and NEPA 12

13 PEL Regulations for Metropolitan Transportation Plans MAP-21 requires the MPO to consult with the regulatory and resource agencies responsible for land use management, natural resources, environmental protection, conservation, and historic preservation concerning the development of the transportation plan, (23 C.F.R (g)) Consultations shall involve comparison of transportation plans to inventories of natural or historic resources, if available. (23 C.F.R (g)(1)) Consultations shall involve comparison of transportation plan with State conservation plans or maps, if available (23 C.F.R (g)(2)) MAP-21 requires a discussion of types of potential environmental mitigation activities and potential areas to carry out these activities, including activities that may have the greatest potential to restore and maintain the environmental functions affected by the plan. The discussion may focus on policies, programs, or strategies, rather than at the project level. (23 C.F.R (f)(7)) 13

14 SPC PEL Approach Update and expand our spatial data holdings to include more environmental resource data Conduct Early Coordination Efforts with Resource Agencies (Develop a consultation web site) Develop spatial analysis methods to screen projects based on the environmental resource data sets Develop PEL Addendum/Report for the LRP Develop planning tools to support PEL initiatives Regional ecological framework Mitigation planning 14

15 Planning and Environmental Linkage Addendum Outline: 1 Introduction 2 Regulatory Context 3 Agency Consultation 4 Resource Inventory 5 Existing State Conservation Plans and Maps 6 Regional Ecological Framework 7 Environmental Screening - Integrated Regional Map 8 Potential Environmental Mitigation - Pilot Wetland Mitigation Planning Tool 9 Summary and Next Steps

16 Consultation Activity Consultation Activities Agency Consultation Plan Review with FHWA July 2014 Agency Consultation Invitation Letters Distributed October 9, 2014 Face to Face Consultation Meetings with Agency Representatives from within the SPC Region (US Army Corps of Engineers, PA Department of Environmental Protection, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, PA Historic and Museum Commission, Natural Heritage Program) Date Late October November 2014 Phone and/or consultation with additional agency contacts outside of the SPC region. Agency Consultation Website established including draft chapters of the environmental Addendum for download Sample Project Screening results posted to the Agency Consultation Website with downloadable preliminary constraints maps. Consultation Meetings with PennDOT Environmental Managers (Districts 10-0, 11-0, 12-0) Early 2015 February 18, 2015 April 10, 2015 April May 2015 Statewide Agency Coordination Meeting presentation May 27 th 2015 LRTP Public Comment Period Comments potentially received on the Draft LRTP from Federal, State, or Tribal Agencies May 13, 2015 to June 12,

17 ((Consultation Website)) Review what is on the website for download *RETURN TO PP 17

18 Planning and Environmental Linkage Addendum Outline: 1 Introduction 2 Regulatory Context 3 Agency Consultation 4 Resource Inventory 5 Existing State Conservation Plans and Maps 6 Regional Ecological Framework 7 Environmental Screening - Integrated Regional Map 8 Potential Environmental Mitigation - Pilot Wetland Mitigation Planning Tool 9 Summary and Next Steps

19 Linking Planning and NEPA Resource Inventory Mapping Sub areas for Inventory maps Different Resource Inventory Maps in each Sub area Streams Wetlands Indicators T&E Species Indicators Farmlands Resources Protected Lands Historic Resources Industrial Areas & Waste Site Indicators 19

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27 Planning and Environmental Linkage Addendum Outline: 1 Introduction 2 Regulatory Context 3 Agency Consultation 4 Resource Inventory 5 Existing State Conservation Plans and Maps 6 Regional Ecological Framework 7 Environmental Screening - Integrated Regional Map 8 Potential Environmental Mitigation - Pilot Wetland Mitigation Planning Tool 9 Summary and Next Steps

28 Existing State Conservation Plans and Maps Various state financed (DCNR) River and Watershed Conservation Plans PA DEP Statewide Water Resources Plan, State financed (DCNR) county greenway plans PA Game Commission and PA Fish and Boat Commission, Pennsylvania Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission, Pennsylvania Preservation Plan Associated Conservation Opportunity Areas, Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission, Pennsylvania Preservation Plan Western PA Conservancy, PA Aquatic Community Classification, Western PA Conservancy, Conservation Priorities, DCNR Bureau of Forestry, Statewide Forest Resource Assessment, DCNR Bureau of Forestry, Pennsylvania Forest Strategies, Natural Heritage Inventories, County Inventories DCNR Conservation Landscape Initiative Areas DCNR Heritage Areas PA Fishing and Boating Access Strategy plan 28

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31 Planning and Environmental Linkage Addendum Outline: 1 Introduction 2 Regulatory Context 3 Agency Consultation 4 Resource Inventory 5 Existing State Conservation Plans and Maps 6 Regional Ecological Framework 7 Environmental Screening - Integrated Regional Map 8 Potential Environmental Mitigation - Pilot Wetland Mitigation Planning Tool 9 Summary and Next Steps

32 Regional Ecological Framework and Regional Integrated Map Executive Order on Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation Eco-Logical: An Ecosystem Approach to Developing Infrastructure Projects Nine Federal Agencies recommend a collaborative, integrated, watershed or regional-scale approach to decision-making during transportation and infrastructure planning Many other Regional MPOs and State DOTs utilizing REFs/Integrated maps in LRTPs and mitigation planning Atlanta Regional Commission - Michigan DOT Charlottesville MPO - Oregon DOT Houston Galveston Area Council - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet TRB SHRP2: 2013 Guidance for Integrated Ecological Frameworks MAP-21: Optional Regional Programmatic Mitigation Plans

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34 Regional Ecological Framework WHAT: REF is a GIS that integrates natural resource inventory data, conservation priorities maps/plans, which form an ecological framework of the region. WHY: Establish a region-wide ecological and regulatory basis to inform planning and assess potential impact. HOW: Collect/Update available environmental inventory spatial data. Aggregate environmental inventory data into a model showing the relative value and spatial distribution of ecological and regulated natural resources in the region. Consultations with resource agencies to refine valuations and improve accuracy of the model.

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36 Planning and Environmental Linkage Addendum Outline: 1 Introduction 2 Regulatory Context 3 Agency Consultation 4 Resource Inventory 5 Existing State Conservation Plans and Maps 6 Regional Ecological Framework 7 Environmental Screening - Integrated Regional Map 8 Potential Environmental Mitigation - Pilot Wetland Mitigation Planning Tool 9 Summary and Next Steps

37 Project Screenings Conducted to compare environmental inventory to a sample of planned transportation projects Over 60 environmental inventory data layers (more detailed than the overview inventory) Sample projects (Timing and potential Impact) Prescreened 150 TYP projects against REF selecting a sample of 55 to conduct detailed analysis Project types with the greatest potential to have environmental impacts (Bridges & New ROW projects) Realistic new TIP project candidates with PE phases likely to be on the next TIP. Project screening is being conducted at a time when LPN information is most beneficial. PennDOT LPN Level 2 screening forms completed on sample projects 37

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40 Aggregated layers and scores 40

41 Planning and Environmental Linkage Addendum Outline: 1 Introduction 2 Regulatory Context 3 Agency Consultation 4 Resource Inventory 5 Existing State Conservation Plans and Maps 6 Regional Ecological Framework 7 Environmental Screening - Integrated Regional Map 8 Potential Environmental Mitigation - Pilot Wetland Mitigation Planning Tool 9 Summary and Next Steps

42 Types of Potential Mitigation Activities and Potential Areas to Carry Out Activities Photos of mitigation Approach to focus on potential strategies and options for mitigation activities for the key resource types in the SPC region Focused on a few Resources: Wetlands Streams Threatened and Endangered Species Cultural Resources Other Section 4(f) resources Farmlands Created table for each of the resources listed mitigation options associated with that resource including potential locations and criteria Included discussion of Advanced Compensatory mitigation where applicable 42

43 Example of the Potential Mitigation Activities Tables Historic Resources (other resources follow same format) Types of Potential Mitigation Activities listed for both individual project and Advanced compensatory mitigation Information provided related to areas to carryout these activities 43

44 Planning and Environmental Linkage Addendum Outline: 1 Introduction 2 Regulatory Context 3 Agency Consultation 4 Resource Inventory 5 Existing State Conservation Plans and Maps 6 Regional Ecological Framework 7 Environmental Screening - Integrated Regional Map 8 Potential Environmental Mitigation - Pilot Wetland Mitigation Planning Tool 9 Summary and Next Steps

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46 Pilot Wetland Mitigation Planning Tool WHAT: A planning tool that will assist in identification of suitable mitigation sites for selected resources (wetlands). WHY: Meet MAP-21 requirements to identify potential locations for wetland mitigation. Assist PennDOT and other project sponsors in identifying suitable locations for mitigation sites or bank sites. To assess available data for site suitability to ensure that mitigation decisions are location efficient and maximizing ecological benefits. HOW: Utilize existing site suitability methodology and DEP questionnaire to determine suitability criteria using GIS Utilizing raster datasets (30 ft resolution) to develop site suitability criteria for selected resources and selected mitigation goal (e.g.: stream, restoration). Aggregate suitability criteria data into a model showing the relative value and spatial distribution of suitable locations for mitigation of the selected resource in the region. Conduct Consultations with resource agencies to refine valuations and improve accuracy of the model.

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48 Proximity to existing wetlands 48

49 Areas of Hydric Soils 49

50 In Protected Land or Proximity 50

51 Existing Conservation Easements 51

52 Existing Land Use 52

53 Watersheds targeted for wetland restoration 53

54 Distance from existing streams 54

55 Soil Survey Drainage Class Very Poorly Drained Poorly Drained 55

56 Slope 0 to 2 degrees 2.1 to 5 degrees 56

57 Topographic Wetness Index 57

58 Modeled Suitability for Wetland Mitigation 58

59 Modeled Suitability for Wetland Mitigation Property Parcels 59

60 Modeled Suitability for Wetland Mitigation Property Parcels 60

61 Elevation 1,040 ft Elevation 2,000 ft 61

62 Modeled Suitability for Wetland Mitigation Property Parcels 62

63 Modeled Suitability for Wetland Mitigation Property Parcels 63

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65 SPC PEL Activities - Next Steps Continue to integrate LPN into the Pre-TIP planning with 2017 TIP update. Partnering with our District Environmental Units to pilot validation of the wetland mitigation suitability tool. Providing preliminary constraint maps on corridor studies with PennDOT Districts Sharing REF with County planners for use in comprehensive plans/greenway plans and project development. Collaboration with WPC to conduct a regional update of our Natural Heritage data (pending grant) Investigate development of more mitigation planning tools 65

66 Feedback/Discussion/Questions Ryan Gordon Planner, SPC Doug Smith Transportation Planning Director, SPC 66