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Columbia Area
Transportation Study
Metropolitan Planning Organization
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Overview |
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The Central Midland
Council of Governments (CMCOG) is the designated
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) responsible for
carrying out the urban transportation planning process for
the Columbia Area Transportation Study (COATS). The COATS
MPO study area boundary includes large portions of Richland
and Lexington Counties and small portions of Calhoun and
Kershaw Counties. The primary responsibilities of any MPO
are to: 1) develop a Long Range Transportation Plan, which
is, at a minimum, a 25-year transportation vision for the
metropolitan area; 2) develop a Transportation Improvement
Program, which is the agreed-upon list of specific projects
for which federal funds are anticipated; and 3) develop a
Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), which identifies in a
single document the annual transportation planning
activities that are to be undertaken in support of the
goals, objectives and actions established in the Long-Range
Transportation Plan.
As the MPO, CMCOG
provides the forum for cooperative decision making in
developing regional transportation plans and programs to
meet changing needs. It is composed of elected and
appointed officials representing local, state and federal
governments or agencies having interest or responsibility in
comprehensive transportation planning.
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Purpose |
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A
metropolitan
planning organization (MPO) is a
federally-mandated and federally-funded
transportation policy-making organization in the
United States that is made up of representatives from local
government and governmental transportation
authorities. In 1962, the
United States Congress passed legislation that
required the formation of an MPO for any
urbanized area (UZA) with a population greater
than 50,000. Federal funding for transportation projects and
programs are channeled through this planning process.
Congress created MPOs in order to ensure that existing and
future expenditures of governmental funds for transportation
projects and programs are based on a continuing,
cooperative, and comprehensive (“3-C”) planning process.
Statewide and metropolitan transportation planning processes
are governed by federal law (23
U.S.C. § 134–135).
Transparency through public access to participation in the
planning process and
electronic publication of plans now is required
by federal law. As of 2005, there are 385 MPOs in the U.S.
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MPO Structure |
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To facilitate and
encourage maximum interaction among these groups and the
local community, the CMCOG has an adopted committee
structure. The Policy Committee (CMCOG Board of Directors),
as the official decision making body, establishes the
policies for the overall conduct of the CMCOG, is
responsible for the adoption of plans and programs and
approves study recommendations. The Executive Committee is
made up of Policy Committee members and provides oversight
of transportation planning activities. The Transportation
Subcommittee, which is established by the Policy Committee,
provides a forum for discussion and resolution of relevant
issues and monitors technical activities including the
development of the UPWP and the Transportation Improvement
Plan (TIP) for recommendation to the Policy Committee. In
addition, the Transportation Subcommittee directs and
considers for recommendation to the Policy Committee all
major studies and planning activities.
The Technical Committee,
which is established by the Policy Committee, is composed of
the professional/technical representatives of the member
governments and public agencies having indirect
responsibility for transportation planning and/or
implementation. Their primary responsibility is to monitor
all technical activities including the annual development of
a draft UPWP and biennial development of a draft TIP for
recommendation to the Transportation Subcommittee. They also
consider for recommendation to the Transportation
Subcommittee for further discussion and revision before
submittal to the Policy Committee for final endorsement of
all major studies and planning activities.
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Title VI Compliance |
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Investments made in the TIP must
be consistent with federal Title VI requirements. Title VI
prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color,
income, and national origin in programs and activities
receiving federal financial assistance. Public outreach to
and involvement of individuals in low income and minority
communities covered under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
and subsequent Civil Rights Restoration Act, and series of
federal statues enacted pertaining to environmental justice,
are critical to regional planning and programming decisions.
The fundamental principles of environmental justice include:
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Avoiding, minimizing
or mitigating disproportionately high and adverse health
or environmental effects on minority and low-income
populations;
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Ensuring full and
fair participation by all potentially affected
communities in the transportation decision-making
process; and
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Preventing the
denial, reduction or significant delay in the receipt of
benefits by minority populations and low-income
communities
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The decision process
by which new projects are selected for inclusion in the
TIP must consider equitable solicitation and selection
of project candidates in accordance with federal Title
VI requirements
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The COATS Title VI
Plan appears in Appendix A.
For an updated copy of
COATS Title VI Plan
(Click Here)
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Major Documents |
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The COATS MPO develops three key documents that are the
ingredients to the transportation planning and programming
in the Columbia Metropolitan Area: the
Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) - the vision; the
Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) - the planning; and the
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) -
implementation and improvement. Together, these three
documents represent the beginning, middle and end -- the
ingredients -- to an effective transportation planning
process.
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Disadvantaged Business Enterprises |
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The DBE program is intended to ensure nondiscrimination in
the award and administration of USDOT-assisted contracts in
the highway, transit, and airport programs. The goals of the
program are to remedy past and current discrimination
against disadvantaged business enterprises, ensure a "level
playing field" on which DBEs can compete fairly for
DOT-assisted contracts, improve the flexibility and
efficiency of the DBE program, and reduce burdens on small
businesses.
These goals are, in part, accomplished by providing
federal-aid projects with contract goals and implementing
the
South Carolina Unified
Certification Program (SCUCP).
Please follow the link below for an updated copy of UCP DBE
Directory. You will find two formats (PDF and Excel) for
your convenience:
http://www.scdot.org/doing/dbe_listing.shtml
The UCP DBE Directory is updated weekly.
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Public Participation Plan |
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The Columbia Area
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) maintains a public
participation process for the development of plans and
programs. These procedures for public participation have
been formally enacted, reviewed and certified as being in
compliance with all applicable federal rules and
regulations.
The intent of the Public Participation Plan is to provide
meaningful citizen input for the metropolitan transportation
planning and programming process through effective citizen
involvement activities, accessible information, and
opportunities for participation.
To access the CMCOG Public Participation Plan (updated March
2010), please click here.
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Plans and Studies |
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Major Documents
Regional Plans and Studies
Transportation and Land Use Studies
Projects currently under development
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Camden /
Columbia Alternative Analysis
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CMCOG /
COATS Web-Based Rideshare Project
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Newberry
/ Columbia Alternative Analysis
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Charlotte
/ Columbia Intercity Rail Study
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