What are the essential functions of the Transportation Planning Branch (TPB)?
Our mission is to provide multimodal transportation planning services to municipalities, counties, regions, MPOs (Metropolitan Planning Organizations) and RPOs (Rural Planning Organizations), and statewide coverage of quality traffic county data using innovative analysis and traffic data collection methods.

Why was there a branch name change?
Effective February 2, 2004, the Statewide Planning Branch changed its name to the Transportation Planning Branch (TPB). This name change will more accurately reflect our mission (see above question).

What is a thoroughfare plan?
The Transportation Planning Branch of NCDOT is responsible for cooperatively creating an efficient, cost effective plan for existing and proposed streets. The plan must serve the future travel needs of an urban area. Thoroughfare planning ensures the development of the most appropriate street system. Thoroughfare plans are not fiscally constrained. Due to recent revisions in state law (136-66.2), thoroughfare plans are being replaced with comprehensive transportation plans. Thoroughfare plans only show one mode of transportation, the highway.

What is a comprehensive transportation plan  (CTP)?
The Transportation Planning Branch of NCDOT works with local areas to develop a transportation system to meet the future needs of the area.  It is a mutually adopted multimodal planning set of vision maps that serves present and anticipated future travel demand in a safe and effective manner. Due to recent revisions in state law (136-66.2), thoroughfare plans (see above question) are being replaced with comprehensive transportation plans (CTP).  CTPs show highway, transit/rail, and bicycle modes. It also is more specific on the access control of the road in the future (is it a freeway, expressway, boulevard, etc.) State Law also specifies that an area must have a land development plan and a public hearing on the draft plan for consideration. A pedestrian map is in development.

Why is NCDOT phasing out thoroughfare plans?
Thoroughfare Plans only reflect one element of planning, the highway element. As the Transportation Planning Branch and the state's needs evolved, so did the need to accurately reflect long range planning goals beyond the highway element. Comprehensive plans are multimodal, and include the highway element along with transit and bicycle/pedestrian elements.

What is an MPO?
MPO is short for Metropolitan Planning Organization. MPOs were formed in 1962 when Congress enacted federal law that initiated a requirement that a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive (3-C) transportation planning process be established for all urban areas over 50,000 in population in order to qualify for federal transportation funds. It is entitled Section 134(a) of Title 23 United States Code. It has since been updated in the federal highway bill of 1991 known as ISTEA, establishing federal law requiring MPOs to have a transportation plan. The most recent update is TEA-21 (Transportation Equity Act for the 21st century. There are 17 MPOs in North Carolina.

What is an RPO?
RPO is short for Rural Planning Organizations. RPOs are a counterpart to the existing MPOs (Metropolitan Planning Organizations). In July 2000, Senate Bill 1195 became part of Article 17 General Statue 136-210 through 213, which stated that the NCDOT will develop a plan to establish RPOs. The purpose of these organizations is to work cooperatively with NCDOT to plan rural transportation systems and to advise the department on rural transportation policy. An RPO were established with contiguous areas of 3-15 counties, and must have at least 50,000 population. MPOs cannot be a member of RPOs. Not all municipalities in an RPO must be a member, but the county must be a member. There are currently 20 RPOs in North Carolina.

What are the core duties of an RPO?
1) Develop long range multi-modal transportation plans
2) Providing a forum of public participation
3) Developing and prioritizing suggestions for projects in the TIP
4) Providing transportation related information.

What is an MPO's Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)?
The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) required Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to have a multimodal network of transportation. The Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA-21) builds on initiates established in ISTEA. As a result of these two acts, MPOs are now required to develop a long range transportation plan (LRTP). It incorporates all modes of transportation, including transit, bicycle, pedestrian, rail, aviation, ports and ferries. The plan may be viewed as a layer of fiscally constrained plans with each layer equating to a separate, but integrated, mode of transportation. Therefore, only projects that can reasonably be expected to be funded within the planning period are included in the LRTP.

Why does it take so long to build a project after it is identified in the comprehensive transportation plan or thoroughfare plan?
After a plan alignment is shown on the thoroughfare or a comprehensive transportation plan, it may take many years for the project to be needed and funded. Here are some of the steps involved in the highway construction process (which can vary project to project):

• Congestion and need are evaluated by NCDOT.
• Traffic studies and other planning is conducted.
• Alternate route studies are collected.
• Preliminary relocation studies are collected and evaluated.
• An environmental impact study is prepared.
• Preliminary engineering is accomplished and public hearings are held.
• Location of the corridor is approved.
• Design and detailed plans are prepared.
• Right of Way personnel contacts property owners.
• Real estate market studies, evaluations, appraisals and detailed relocation studies are conducted.
• Comprehensive appraisal and evaluation review by Right of Way representatives is conducted. Negotiations begin.
• Needed property is acquired by agreed settlement with the owner.
• Relocation assistance is provided when applicable.
• Payment is made to the property owner and the title is transferred.
• Condemnation of property is instituted, if necessary appeals are made, if necessary, with regard to real property tax reimbursement. Appeals are made, if necessary, with regard to relocation benefits.
• The highway project is advertised to contractors to submit their bids. The bids are reviewed by department members and contracts are awarded by the North Carolina Board of Transportation.
• The highway is built and opened for public use.

Generally it takes 7-12 years to build a project after it is funded. This time could be shorter or longer depending on the complexity of the study.

What is the difference in a major or minor thoroughfare on a thoroughfare plan?
(The Transportation Planning Branch is in transition from a thoroughfare plan to a comprehensive transportation plan.) Municipal thoroughfare plans were based on major and minor thoroughfares. The underlying concept of a thoroughfare plan is that it provides a functional system of streets which permits travel from origins and destinations with directness, ease, and safety. Major thoroughfares are the primary traffic arteries of the municipality. Their main function is to move traffic in and around the area. Minor thoroughfares are more important streets on the municipal system. They collect traffic from local (like neighborhood) streets and carry it to the major thoroughfares. There is no set amount of traffic that makes a road a major or a minor, it is based on the function, outlined above. Routes on county thoroughfare plans were designated according to their functional classification.

What is the difference in a major or minor thoroughfare on a CTPs?
(The Transportation Planning Branch is in transition from a thoroughfare plan to a comprehensive transportation plan.) Major thoroughfares on CTPs are usually designated as multilane (more than 2) either now or in the future, or are designated as NC or US routes. There are exceptions to this, but this is a general rule.

Has NCDOT Transportation Planning Branch developed a plan for my area?
If you have a question about a particular study, we recommend that you contact the assigned TPB geographic unit head by phone or e-mail, and they will direct you to the appropriate staff member. A complete status report of all the studies started or completed in the branch is not yet available on the web. In the case of smaller municipalities, it may be incorporated with a county plan.

How do I request that a comprehensive transportation plan be developed for my (non-MPO) area?
Any area may request a comprehensive transportation plan to be cooperatively developed at any time by simply requesting the study, by letter, to the appropriate TPB geographic unit head. However, the study priority is based heavily on priority lists and needs from the Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs), so we recommend coordinating with your local RPO, if the municipality or county is a member. Studies are assigned to staff based on resources available.

How often does the Transportation Planning Branch fully update comprehensive transportation plans?
A full update is generally every eight to ten years, unless circumstances warrant a faster reevaluation (high growth, etc.). Studies usually take 18-24 months after it is assigned to a TPB engineer or planner. This time frame could be longer or shorter depending on the type and complexity of the study.

How often does the Transportation Planning Branch make minor revisions to comprehensive transportation plans?
A minor revision to any plan based on changing needs can be requested at any time, in writing, to the appropriate TPB geographic unit head. If the revision is accepted by the Transportation Planning Branch, a map will be prepared to show the revision. The revised map is adopted by the local area, and then it is mutually adopted by the NC Board of Transportation.

Do municipalities or counties have to pay for comprehensive transportation plans?
With larger non-MPO areas, there may be some cost sharing due to the complexities and staff resources of developing plans for larger areas. This cost sharing agreement will be worked out prior to TPB starting the study. Minor revisions to plans are considered and processed at no charge.  For other areas, there is no local cost associated with the study other than local official staff time for some assistance throughout the process, or other minor expenses (copies, etc.).

What happens if a municipality or county does not adopt the latest cooperatively developed comprehensive transportation plan?
The older plan, if any, remains in force until the older plan is revised or a new plan is adopted.