Time to participate in development of Lee County's Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

The Lee MPO's 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) process is underway and it's time for citizens to participate.  Below is an overview of the process, along with a resource document prepared by BikeWalkLee.

 Background:

The Lee MPO is in the midst of developing the countywide 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which sets the direction for the County's transportation future and dictates how transportation funds are spent in the region.  Given the shrinking revenues from all sources and the growing population, it is imperative that these are smart investments, getting the most bang for the buck for the county's highest priorities, consistent with the Board's goal of a balanced multi-modal transportation system.

For the uninitiated, MPOs are largely creatures of federal law and were created to coordinate the various elements of the fragmented regional transportation networks into one cohesive regional transportation system. One of the core functions laid out by the federal legislation is to prepare and maintain a long-range transportation plan.  MPOs must develop a 20-year LRTP that "supports improved mobility and access for people and goods (including operations and maintenance) and supports a good quality of life."  The plan includes a list of priority investments, anticipated available funding, and the regional goals and policies that will be pursued during that 20-year period.  It must be formally adopted by the MPO and updated at least every 5 years.  The 2040 LRTP must be adopted by the Lee MPO Board by December 18, 2015.

One of the goals of the federal law is to ensure that the public, especially those traditionally underserved by the transportation system, have opportunities to participate in the decision-making process, so there is increasing emphasis on improving public involvement in the development of the LRTP.

BikeWalkLee has been an active participant in the MPO transportation planning processes over the past six years, and has put together a resource document for the 2040 LRTP Process (with lots of links) based on our many related blog posts.  

Opportunities for participation:

The process is beginning in earnest, so now is the time to begin participating in the committee and Board meetings.  Click here to access the monthly agenda packages.

Here's the calendar of upcoming MPO Board and MPO committee meetings (Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) and Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)):

TAC and CAC committees generally meet the first Thursday of the month, with TAC at 9:30 a.m. and CAC and 3 p.m., both at the MPO staff offices (815 Nicholas Parkway East, Cape Coral).  

The MPO Board meets monthly on the third Friday of the month at 9 a.m. in the Cape Coral City Council Chambers.

Public Comment is taken at all these meetings.

 Later this summer/Fall there will be an opportunity for participation in a public workshop about the 2040 LRTP and we'll keep you posted when that is scheduled.