Transportation Documents

A Long Range Plan (LRP) is developed to set the goals and objectives for the future of transportation in the NATS boundary.  The LRP is updated every 4 years, though the process of collecting data for the update is nearly ongoing.

Due to the size of the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the plan has been divided into sections.

The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is developed to document road and transit projects that will be occuring in the near future within the NATS boundary.  The current TIP is valid for fiscal years 2008-2011. 

Project selection for the FY08-11 TIP began in January 2007 and progressed as follows:

January-February: Local agencies completed project selection forms.

February meeting: Local agencies submitted project selection forms.

February-March: Project Selection Committee reviewed and prioritized projects.

March meeting: Project Selection Committee presented their proposed list of projects for FY08-11 to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).  The TAC and Policy Committee reviewed the proposed list and voted to accept the proposed projects.

March-June: SWMPC staff composed the FY08-11 TIP Document and Urban TIP tables.

June meeting: The TAC and Policy Committee reviewed the FY08-11 TIP Document and Urban TIP table and voted to accept the document.

July SWMPC Quarterly meeting: The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission reviewed and voted to accept the TIP document.  After the document was accepted, it was sent to MDOT and FHWA for review.

July 2007-February 2008: FHWA reviewed the document and requested several changes.  Staff edited the document accordingly.  FHWA approved the document late February.

The Unified Work Program (UWP) is updated yearly and spells out what the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) will be working on for the fiscal year.  Fiscal years run from October 1st - September 30th.  Work tasks are broken down in the UWP between 5 program elements:

1. Program Management
2. Database Management
3. Long Range Planning
4. Short Range Planning
5. Other Planning

Budgets for the fiscal year are spelled out and broken down by program element in the UWP.

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Act: a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which was passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in August of 2005, established new requirements for the preparation of transportation plans.

One of these new provisions requires Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to discuss "types of potential environmental mitigation activities and potential areas to carry out these activities, including activities that may have the greatest potential to restore and maintain the environmental functions affected by the plan. This discussion shall be developed in consultation with Federal, State, and tribal wildlife, land management, and regulatory agencies."

Because of this requirement, SWMPC developed Environmental Mitigation and Consultation chapters to be added to the long-range transportation plan. The approved Environmental Mitigation and Consultation chapters are available below. Click the links to view the text, spreadsheet, and maps.

Contact SWMPC Transportation Planners with any comments or questions. You may e-mail Nickolas Musson at mussonn@swmpc.org.

The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission approved the Transportation Participation Plan in July 2006. This document outlines where in the transportation planning and decision-making processes that participation is needed. Please click on the link below to download the Transportation Participation Plan. Click here for more information about how to participate!