Unified Planning Work Program
In all metropolitan regions over 50,000 persons, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is responsible for the development of a Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), in cooperation with the state and operators of publicly owned transit. The UPWP is an instrument for coordinating transportation and comprehensive planning in the metropolitan region to broaden MPO awareness of activities and plans that impact surface transportation. It also helps ensure that planned improvements are based on a common set of existing conditions and forecasts coordinating all key decisions affecting growth and development among partner agencies.
As the MPO for the Atlanta region, it is the responsibility of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) to develop and maintain the UPWP for the 18 county planning area. The UPWP is developed annually through a cooperative process with the transportation planning partners in the Atlanta Region. For the Atlanta region, these entities include ARC, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA), the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) and ARC's member governments, including local government transit providers (CCT, Gwinnett Transit, and C-Tran).
The metropolitan transportation planning regulations (23 CFR 450.314(a)) defines the UPWP as:
"... MPO(s) in cooperation with the State and operators of publicly owned transit shall develop unified planning work programs (UPWPs) that meet the requirements of 23 CFR part 420, subpart A, and:
- Discuss the planning priorities facing the metropolitan planning area and describe all metropolitan transportation and transportation-related air quality planning activities (including the corridor and subarea studies discussed in Sec. 450.318) anticipated within the area during the next one or two year period, regardless of funding sources or agencies conducting activities, in sufficient detail to indicate who will perform the work, the schedule for completing it and the products that will be produced;
- Document planning activities to be performed with funds provided under title 23, U.S.C., and the Federal Transit Act."
If you have any questions regarding the annual work program or the UPWP, contact us at 404.463.3279.
Last modified Tuesday, December 09, 2008 16:31
