Transportation Advisory Committee
Responsible Staff: Mary Deppe
This service is made possible through a grant from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation
Purpose
The goal of the Transportation Advisory Committee is to provide the state and the region with transportation planning projects, corridor studies, and transportation policies that are needed for the successful movement of people and goods.
North Country Council acts as the liaison to the state Department of Transportation and the Regional Transportation Advisory Committee, working to provide the best transportation planning for the North Country.
Description
The Transportation Advisory Committee is made up of representatives from each of our member communities. NCC solicits representatives through the selectmen of towns. There is also representation from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s District offices, aviation, railroads, and transit. The committee meets quarterly to discuss transportation policy changes that are needed, transportation projects and corridor studies that are in the works or need to be added to the state’s Ten Year Transportation Plan. The committee is also responsible for soliciting and prioritizing new projects through the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Transportation Enhancement Program (TE).
Timeframe
The Transportation Advisory Committee activities are on-going and the committee meets quarterly.
Related Services & Programs
Transportation Improvement Program and the Transportation Enhancement Program (TIP & TE) - As mentioned, the Transportation Advisory Committee is responsible for prioritizing projects in the region and sending their prioritized list and comments with the applications to the state for approval.
Traffic Counts and Road Inventories - Although these two activities are data collection tasks NCC performs for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, the information can be used by the Transportation Advisory Committee and NCC’s transportation planner to make project decisions.
Special Planning & Research (SPR) and Corridor Studies - There are times when the Transportation Advisory Committee and the transportation planner may deem it necessary to conduct a more detailed study of a particular road or corridor or on a type of transportation facility in a given area. The Special Planning and Research funds (SPR) or corridor studies are programs the Transportation Advisory Committee can support and show participation in.
Regional Coordinated Transit Plan -The Regional Coordinated Transit Plan is currently being updated; the Plan to be completed in 2009.
The development of the Regional Coordinated Transit Plan was mandated by the Federal Transit Administration as part of a statewide coordinated planning effort.
The mandate states that any organization receiving grant funds for Special Needs of Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities (5310), Job Access Reverse Commute (5316), or the New Freedoms Program (5317) for federal year 2007, beginning October 1, 2006, must be part of a Regional Coordinated Transit Plan.
In other words, the federal government wants to see that regional organizations are working together to try to be more cost effective and productive while serving the most number of people possible. A plan should be developed to outline steps towards making this effort happen.
This project was funded through the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.
Regional Transportation Plan - A Regional Transportation Plan is a guidebook for regional and subregional transportation facilities providing a look into the past and listing the needs for the future. A Regional Transportation Plan would assist the Transportation Advisory Committee in reviewing projects for the TIP and TE programs and would include lists of needs for future transportation facilities. A Regional Transportation Plan would also assist with local land use decisions and provide communities with incentives to review local plans and regulations prior to developing a transportation project. NCC is currently working on the development of a Regional Transportation Plan which will be posted on this website when complete.