PPUATS
The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC) has been designated the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Peoria/Pekin Metropolitan Planning Area by the Governor of the State of Illinois. The Peoria/Pekin Urbanized Area Transportation Study (PPUATS) serves as the transportation advisory board to the TCRPC.
Representation on PPUATS is drawn from elected officials and staff of local municipalities and counties, along with the Greater Peoria Regional Airport, the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration.
Two committees make up PPUATS; a Policy Committee and a Technical Committee.
The PPUATS Policy Committee is made up of elected officials representing their respective communities. The Policy Committee function is to determine transportation policy within the framework of the urban transportation planning process. The Policy Committee is mandated to vote on the Technical Committee recommendations.
The PPUATS Technical Committee is made up of individuals appointed by their respective PPUATS communities. Most of the individuals are public works and/or engineering staff from their respective communities. Throughout the year the Technical Committee reviews and recommends planning policies and measures to the Policy Committee.
As the MPO, TCRPC has review authority over PPUATS, and may request that both committees further consider and act upon controversial decisions.
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) and its predecessors the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and the Intermodal Surface Transportation and Efficiency Act (ISTEA), all require the cooperation of all state and local jurisdictions and other transportation stakeholders to be in concert with each other while addressing transportation and other governmental issues within the 20-Year Metropolitan Planning Area (MA). No federal funding can be applied towards transportation improvement projects, transportation services, or transportation studies in the MA unless the project, service, or study are included in one or more of the following three comprehensive, coordinated, and cooperative documents developed by PPUATS and approved by TCRPC:
1. The Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The LRTP is a comprehensive proposal for the further development, improvement and maintenance of the major transportation systems for the Peoria Metropolitan Area. The LRTP has a 20-year (minimum) time horizon and addresses all modes of transportation: highway, transit, freight, and enhancement. The LRTP is updated every 4-5 years.
2. The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP proposes expenditures using federal dollars for transportation improvements scheduled for the next four years. The listing includes all transportation projects proposed within the 20-Year Metropolitan Planning Area for the Peoria Metropolitan Area. The listing establishes priorities and is financially constrained (i.e., a project can only be included if there is a reasonable expectation of sufficient funding for its completion). The TIP is updated annually.
3. The Unified Planning Work Program (UWP). The UWP is prepared annually to direct day-to-day work of the TCRPC staff and committees. The UWP outlines specific planning activities to be accomplished in the coming fiscal year, and assigns responsibilities to the various TCRPC departments. The bulk of the work is funded by grants from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
