Long Range Transportation Plan Press Release

MEDIA RELEASE
Cambria County Planning Commission, Johnstown MPO Kick-off Major Update
to Cambria County’s Long Range Transportation Plan, Launch Project Website
April 14, 2015
For Immediate Release
The Cambria County Planning Commission, with the Johnstown Metropolitan Planning Organization
(MPO) has begun the process of updating the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) for Cambria
County. The Plan will outline goals, objectives, priorities and strategies for improving and maintaining
the transportation system in Cambria County over the next forty years.
About the Plan
All modes of transportation will be covered in the plan update, including highways, bridges, public
transit, rail, and air service, as well as bicycle and pedestrian transportation. The LRTP will be developed
throughout 2015 and will be completed by July 2016.
Public Involvement
The Long Range Transportation Plan will be built upon a strong foundation of public input and
stakeholder involvement throughout the plan development. To gather initial input, the Planning
Commission will hold several themed outreach sessions throughout the County, as follows:
Economic Development Session: This session is targeted to businesses and economic development
agencies within the County.
 April 29, 2015, 1:00 PM, Penn Highlands Community College, Ebensburg
Safe and Efficient Travel Sessions: These sessions are targeted to municipal officials, first
responders, and the general public.
 May 13, 2015, 2:00 PM, Carrolltown Borough Building
 May 13, 2015, 6:00 PM, Carrolltown Borough Building
 May 20, 2015, 2:00 PM, Central Park Complex, Johnstown
 May 20, 2015, 6:00 PM, Central Park Complex, Johnstown
Project Website
In addition to the outreach sessions, members of the public are encouraged to submit their ideas and
opinions through an interactive website. The plan website is designed to capture input from members
of the public who are unable to attend the public involvement sessions. It is now live and can be found
at http://cambriacounty.mindmixer.com .
The Plan Goals are:
A. Support the economic vitality of Cambria County.
B. Increase the safety of the transportation system for motorized and non-motorized users.
C. Increase security for transportation system users.
D. Increase the accessibility and mobility options available to people and for freight.
E. Protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, improve quality of life,
and promote consistency between transportation improvements and state and local planned
growth and economic development patterns.
F. Enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system, across and between
modes, for people and freight.
G. Promote efficient system management and operation of the existing transportation system.
H. Emphasize preservation of the existing transportation system.
I.
Promote consistency between transportation improvements and land use and economic
development plans and patterns.
Specific elements in the plan to be addressed include:
A. Identify the projected transportation demand of persons and goods over the plan horizon.
B. Identify and address alternative modes of transportation including pedestrian walkways and
bicycle transportation facilities and incorporate such investments in its published list of projects.
C. Assess capital investment and other measures necessary to preserve the existing transportation
system.
D. Reflect a multimodal evaluation of the transportation, socioeconomic, environmental, and
financial impact of the overall plan.
E. Reflect, to the extent that they exist, consideration of other federal, state, regional, and local
plans and objectives pertaining to long-range land use, economic development, community
development, environmental resources, and energy.
F. Include a financial plan that demonstrates the consistency of proposed transportation
investments with already available and projected sources of revenue. Develop the regional
LRTP project list and prioritize staging for all capital projects prior to 2017 Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP) development cycle to ensure consistency between the LRTP and the
TIP.
G. Establish a process to coordinate changes to the LRTP and TIP project list to ensure fiscal
constraint, to strengthen the linkage between planning and programming, and to expedite the
project delivery process.
H. Establish a process to facilitate the prioritization and selection of projects for the LRTP and the
TIP.
I.
Compliance with, and promotion of new federal requirements for performance based
transportation planning contained within the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century
(MAP 21) federal transportation bill.
About the Johnstown MPO
The Johnstown Area Transportation Study (JATS) is the federally-designated Metropolitan Planning
Organization, responsible for transportation planning within Cambria County. Serving as a partnership
among the US DOT, PennDOT, local elected leadership, Camtran, the local business community, and the
citizens of Cambria County, the MPO leads in the development of the county’s long-range transportation
plan, twelve year plan, and four-year Transportation Improvement Program.
Contact
Chris Allison, Transportation Planner
Cambria County Planning Commission
401 Candlelight Drive
Ebensburg, PA 15931
814-472-2108, [email protected]