Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program

– Peer Workshop Report –

Integrating Land Use and Transportation Planning

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I. Summary

The following report summarizes the results of a Peer Exchange held through the Transportation Capacity Building Program (TCBP), which is jointly sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO) hosted a two-day workshop for the Hidalgo County Metropolitan Planning Organization (HCMPO) to facilitate the exchange of best practices on land use and transportation planning, visioning, and public involvement.

The HCMPO proposed this peer exchange to learn from the North Front Range's development and buy–in process for their recently completed long–range transportation plan, as well as their recent successful visioning and public involvement activities. A primary objective of the Peer Exchange was to provide the Texas–based Hidalgo County MPO with ideas, explanations, and sometimes, anecdotal insight into how Hidalgo County might start institutionalizing new visioning and planning strategies similar to those used by NFRMPO. Currently, HCMPO is evaluating its planning processes and is seeking to become better equipped with the knowledge and information necessary to improve its operations.

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II. Background

The North Front Range MPO is comprised of 13 member governments generally covering the urban areas of Colorado's Larimer and Weld Counties, and includes the 11 town and 2 county governments in the planning region. The region covers 1,600 square miles and includes almost 390,000 northern Colorado residents. Larger communities within the region include Fort Collins, Greeley, and Loveland. The MPO's objective is to provide information, public input, and the tools needed for improving the transportation system's performance in the North Front Range.

As the fastest growing region in Colorado, the North Front Range must address significant transportation challenges including population growth–600,000 new residents by 2050–and rapid urbanization, the need for new water resources, increased crowding and congestion, rising business and personal costs, and greater infrastructure and maintenance needs. These needs must be addressed in the face of severe funding limitations.

Promenade Shops at the Centerra development in Loveland, Colorado
at the Intersection of Interstate 25 and U.S. 34. Centerra is one of the
fastest growing new communities in Colorado's Front Range.

Hidalgo County, like the North Front Range, is faced with funding limitations and insufficient highway infrastructure, while experiencing rapid population growth–4.5 percent a year. The Hidalgo County region is encumbered by moving people and goods, as it is the largest metropolitan area in Texas with no interstate highway. The region also faces unique challenges such as high poverty rates, a lack of transit, seasonal population influxes, and has the most colonias and highest number of colonia residents in Texas. Colonias are unincorporated subdivisions with low–income populations dwelling in substandard housing often lacking access to water and sewage service and other basic infrastructure. Faced with these challenges, the MPO wants to educate the public as well as local officials about the true cost of continued urban and suburban development. Recently, the state formed Regional Mobility Authorities (RMAs) and there is one in its infancy in Hidalgo County. For seed money for the RMA, HCMPO is working to pass a $10 increase in vehicle registration fees.

Having recently completed a 2035 Regional Transportation Plan to serve as a guide for future transportation plans and projects, as well having recently undertaken successful public outreach and education, and visioning, the NFRMPO can positively impact HCMPO's future planning and visioning activities by sharing experiences and lessons learned, as well as difficulties in and downsides to the development and evolution of similar efforts. Through this exchange, Hidalgo County MPO staff acquired essential information and knowledge, and strategies to apply to their own future long–term planning, visioning, and public involvement endeavors. The two–day Peer Exchange included both formal presentations and opportunities for informal group discussion, allowing for many perspectives and issues to be explained and engaged.

The first day of the Peer Exchange was spent at the NFRMPO offices followed by a scan tour of the transportation planning region. In the morning, NFRMPO officials and planners gave presentations that focused on general transportation issues in the North Front Range as well as the specifics of their successful 2006 Transportation Summit. In the afternoon, participants went on a driving tour of the region. The second day was spent at the NFRMPO offices and included presentations focusing on Economic Forecasting and the Land Use Allocation Model, Regional Visioning, and Public Involvement.

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III. Perspectives and Issues

A.  Presentation: Overview–Land Use in North Front Range Area
     John Daggett, Cliff Davidson

The North Front Range MPO is a stand–alone independent association comprised of 13 member governments, and is responsible improving regional transportation and air quality in Colorado's North Front Range. NFRMPO is involved in short–range and long–range transportation planning in the dynamic North Front Range, and prioritizes which projects will receive state and federal funding. The North Front Range is the fastest growing region along the Colorado Front Range with a projected population increase of 55.8% between 2005 and 2030. The planning region represents and must accommodate the needs of a diverse set of communities with varying needs that spans parts of Larimer and Weld Counties.

Over the next 30 years, the MPO region will face a number of transportation and traffic issues as well as significant funding obstacles. Traffic volumes, already high, will be exacerbated by small and limited east–west corridors and only one major north–south corridor (I–25). The NFRMPO sees improved east-west and north-south connections and a transit or rail connection with Denver as priorities; however, budget concerns limit opportunities for their construction.

By 2030, congestion is expected to increase significantly. The travel time from Fort Collins to Denver is currently 73 minutes, but by 2030 this travel time is expected to increase 63% to 119 minutes. The 2030 Regional Transportation Plan estimates approximately $1.3 billion from federal, state, and local funding sources will be available to address these issues during this period. Almost one-half of the highway funds are generated locally, including transportation impact fees. At the same time, with a fixed per gallon federal and state gas tax rate, increased fuel efficient cars and trucks, and inflating construction and maintenance costs, revenues are effectively decreasing annually as the region's transportation needs are increasing exponentially. The region is now looking to new sources of revenue, particularly local sales taxes, to pay for transportation infrastructure.

Discussion

Following are highlights of the discussion that followed this presentation

• NFRMPO–MPOs have had their mission changed as the burden of raising transportation funding is gradually being shifted to local governments. In addition to planning activities, MPOs now have to identify sources of project funding.
• HCMPO–Cities are often resistant to protecting right of way land for future development. In response, a funding strategy to encourage cooperation was developed. To receive money for projects with a specified category of funding, cities have to have 100 percent of the right of way in place.

Transportation Summit participants work together to address
transportation challenges through a simulation game.

B.  Presentation: 2006 Transportation Summit
     John Daggett

The Transportation Summit was a four–hour event held on the morning of Tuesday, June 13, 2006. The primary objective of the event was to bring people together from a cross-section of communities and interest in order to educate them and receive valuable feedback on the transportation challenges facing the region over the next 30 years and beyond. Planning the Summit involved significant front–end work including acquiring in-name sponsorship from local stakeholders including business, environmental, homeowner, homebuilder, farming, and other interests. The NFRMPO also identified contacts at over 90 organizations to develop a matrix of relationships with community and regional "movers and shakers."

The Summit featured speaker Bill Kaufman, Colorado Department of Transportation Commissioner for District 5, followed by a game-board simulation intended to demonstrate the transportation problem and explore alternative solutions with the public . Before the simulation game, participants viewed a presentation explaining future growth trends for population, employment, traffic volumes, congestion, and subsequent increased maintenance costs. As the area becomes a regional city, most travel will remain within the region, and even with funded improvements of $1.3 billion severe congestion will occur, and maintenance costs will escalate as time progresses.

After receiving an overview of potential transportation improvements including roadway, rail, transit, and bike and pedestrian modes, nearly 300 participants were divided into 27 tables each with a facilitator, game board, cost sheet, and explanation of the rules. Attendees were pre-assigned to tables to ensure a cross–section of the community was represented at each table, ensuring interaction between diverse interests. Each table featured a game board depicting the North Front Range region and game pieces with specific costs representing specific transportation improvements and the budget to spend on hypothetical transportation improvements was limited to the projected funding estimate of $1.3 billion.

A successful event can help earn credibility and publicity for an organization and the Summit put the NFRMPO "on the map" while also solidifying its relationship with stakeholders. The event, which resulted in discussion, useful commentary, and a better understanding of the problem among the North Front Range communities, received significant positive feedback and led to widespread interest relating to the event and other MPO activities. The summit also allowed the NFRMPO to increase its funding to continue to build and educate the public about problems. The funding challenges still remain, but the problem is now defined, and the community has received the message. The intended next step was to be the creation of a Regional Transportation Authority (RTA); however, at the time of this report, the NFRMPO had not yet succeeded in overcoming obstacles to community agreement for an RTA.

Discussion

Following are highlights of the discussion that followed this presentation

• Facilitators were critical to the success of the event. NFRMPO established contact with an organization of people that facilitate in the area. For additional facilitators they recruited volunteers from planners from the three major cities in the region. All facilitators received training the night prior to the event.
• Some people understood the concept of visioning while others thought the suggestions were going to be implemented. It is important for people to understand the context of the activities and what outcomes they may expect.

C.  Presentation: Community Growth Model–Scan Tour of surrounding area (MPO region)

The afternoon featured a scan tour of the MPO region including visits to both Larimer and Weld Counties. Peer Exchange participants were shown new development in the region including housing, commercial centers, isolated industrial parks, and medical facilities. Participants were again briefed on the issues faced by the North Front Range as a rapidly growing area, whose communities represent a range of needs and interests. The tour also highlighted the development "hot spot" in Loveland at the intersection of Interstate Highway 25 and U.S. Route 34, which is the fastest growing development area in the North Front Range.

Cliff Davidson, Executive Director of the North Front Range MPO shows
Peer Exchange participants the new hospital and other development
at the intersection of Interstate 25 and U.S. 34.

During the tour, the NFRMPO described some interesting regional development characteristics and challenges. As development continues along the main north/south corridor (I–25), and agglomeration patterns continue, businesses are relocating and abandoning downtown areas. The lack of transit to and from the new commercial centers poses a transportation challenge to the area. The growth combined with new industrial parks also results in an increase in truck-intensive facilities. Unincorporated county land, as well as other land not incorporated into community growth boundaries creates the potential for conflict between communities as they continue to grow and seek to annex this additional land.

The tour also drew attention to the issues of access management and highlighted the access design associated with newer development along US 287 a major north-south arterial, and compared its sophisticated access management features, including shared parking, and internal circulation and parallel roads with older development with less access management planning, including more driveways and separate parking. As development activities increase, access management will become an increasingly important component of planning.

D.  Presentation: Economic and Demographic Forecast and Land Use Allocation Model
     Arvilla Kirchhoff

The MPO developed the Economic and Demographic Forecast and the Land Use Allocation Model (LUAM) to provide population and employment forecasts for a 25–year period at the Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ) level, perform spatial analysis using a GIS platform (CommunityViz), and to create future land use data sets. The model is comprised of 4 separate models, one for each of the four subregions, with high customization options, each of which takes approximately two to three days to run. The completed model provides one output file at the TAZ Level. The model will be used as input for the travel demand model as well as testing travel–oriented development (TOD) land uses for regional transit.

Certain key qualities that were defined for the model include:

• 4–year update cycle
• Defensible
• Easily communicated and understood
• Based upon spatial data
• Capable of what-if analysis
• Predictable
• Accepted by users
• Transparent in nature

The first step was data collection: developers divided the modeling region into 4 sub–regions and estimated existing employment using the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They estimated the number of households using April 2005 county assessor parcel data. Issues encountered during this phase include listing of employees–one employer may have multiple locations (i.e. school districts)–and difficulty finding correct addresses for certain parcels. NFRMPO used community comprehensive plans as the base for the model. By using community comprehensive plans, it became possible to effectively incorporate each community's vision into the regional comprehensive plan.

During the process, the MPO held a series of three meetings open to a variety of stakeholders: first, to explain initial plans and a preliminary overview of the LUAM; next, to present the initial model and ask for comments and feedback; and lastly, to present the final model. The developers were also in constant communication with communities on an individual basis throughout the process; however, the data available from the communities varied in form and categorization, and it was necessary to reconcile the different data to get each unique entity into one model. For example, what one defined as low density, others might have designated as medium density. Communication with long–range planners was vital to try to reach an agreement on categorization.

Developers calculated a future baseline to which to compare to scenarios run with altered variables The model then determines developable land, assigns future land use and attractiveness factors, adjusts output to meet control totals, and provides an output of employment forecast by TAZ and a population forecast by TAZ. Developable land is determined by the removal of constrained lands. Land may be classified as constrained for a number of reasons, such as designations as public lands, environmentally constrained lands, existing development, parks, open spaces, water, and land "not developable for other reasons."

The future baseline is determined by three elements: future land use, attractiveness factors, and weights. Future land use is based on community comprehensive plans. Using these community comprehensive plans provided by each community, densities are provided per each land use type, and a build–out projection by parcel is calculated. Land attractiveness was calculated based on a number of variables assigned a weighted value. Factors such as proximity to roads of arterial or grater classification, clusters of existing development, employment centers, and designation as a development "hot spot" all increase an area's "attractiveness." Using a sliding bar scale in CommunityViz, developable land is assigned weights based on attractiveness factors.

Slide showing four-step process from determining developable landthrough developing outputs
(such as employment and population forecasts).

Measures of Effectiveness were then used to assess the outcomes of the various scenarios. These measures included: residential, employment, and total land consumption and density, the job to housing ratio, and parks per 1,000 persons. For example, in a TOD scenario, measures of effectiveness indicating denser development would be expected. If the end results did not meet this expectation, research might then be conducted into what accounted for the difference.

Discussion

Following are highlights of the discussion that followed this presentation

• Data collected for the Land Use Allocation Model feeds into travel demand model.
• The MPO provides summary by TAZ to community planners to receive feedback on categorization of land use, density, and other factors that may need to be adjusted.
• Re–running the whole model every time is unnecessary. The model allows isolation of formulas by allowing certain formulas to be turned off.
• Some communities provided extensive plans, while others did not have comprehensive plans at all. In cases where a comprehensive plan was not available or sufficient, developers used existing zoning. For one community without a mapped comprehensive land use plan, developers used the community's water department map.
• Constraints are generally not included in the model, but in Fort Collins, some were put back in since there is some development in the floodplain.
• Getting community input can be difficult, especially since each has completed a different level of future long–range planning. The information available depends on the size/depth of analysis some communities have the staff and capability to performing.
• Because of the complexity of the model and forecasting activities, NFRMPO hired a consultant to assist with development.
• Presentations to communities showing the outcomes from CommunityViz GIS Software can increase visibility while furthering public and stakeholder understanding of the model.

E.  Presentation: Regional Visioning Presentation
     John Daggett

Regional visioning is a way to bring people together on the subject of land use and its impacts upon the transportation system. The traditional planning process involves first, planning a project, then, determining funding, and finally, building or implementation. Visioning improves upon this process by preceding these three steps with three others: values, vision, and strategy, which determine what people want, how the region can provide it, and how it can be implemented. In the coming years Northern Colorado faces serious challenges including increased population, deteriorating air quality, rapid urbanization, depleted water resources, congestion, and ever-rising infrastructure costs. Regional Visioning can be a useful tool when addressing these issues.

Front Range MPO's John Daggett speaks
to participants about Regional Visioning.

Regional Visioning is long–range planning guided by a large, trusted, and diverse group of regional stakeholders, which relies on community values to create scenarios, facilitate communication, and build consensus by using regional scenarios to provide the public with choices about the future. This process will help the public and decision makers understand the consequences of their choices by "analyzing high–level, long–term, alternative scenarios or visions for a region." Regional Visioning is not the same as land use planning, as land use decisions must originate from local comprehensive plans and all other land use decisions–zoning, subdivision regulations, PUD approvals–remain under local control.

The NFRMPO has divided its Regional Visioning process into six phases.

Phase 1: Discovery

The premise of visioning is that the "public" has the right to choose its future, with public officials serving that vision, and that the public will make better choices if presented with better information and real options. Therefore, during the first phase, it is important to identify all stakeholders and all other interests that should be included in the visioning process. Business leaders, developers, local government, state government, citizen and conservation groups, education, and media were among the groups considered important to include. Once identified, it is important to engage these groups, as well as the general public, in forums, interviews, workshops, speakers, and other public outreach. Maintaining communication with these groups will remain important throughout all phases of the process.

Phase 2: Collaboration

The collaboration phase sets the stage for the rest of the visioning process through the establishment of a regional steering committee and the construction of a baseline trend scenario and analysis. This phase also includes the important task of identifying themes that form the basis of the regional visioning effort, which allow for the completion of a Themes Report.

Phase 3: Values

As values are shared widely they can bring people together to create consensus among diverse groups. Identifying values is a way to help determine and prioritize the attributes of future urban environments that will satisfy human needs, serve these identified values, and form the foundation for long–term decision making. For example, the value of a safe and secure environment may be tied to crowding, crime, and traffic safety accidents, while financial security may be tied to affordable living, taxation, and business and job opportunities. A Values Survey allows for the identification of several key themes that drive regional decision making and may help decision makers to understand personal decisions at a broader level and access these values in marketing and ballot issues. NFRMPO will use a political polling firm to conduct values research.

Phase 4: Future Scenarios

Creating scenarios in a public setting provides an opportunity for the expression of people's values and enables a "what if" analysis of a variety of circumstances. During this phase planning workshops featuring a "chip game" will be held throughout the region allowing for the testing and fine tuning of scenarios. The chip game will present workshop participants with the problem of fitting 600,000 new people into the land use plan while exploring potential transportation options to support this increased population. During the game, many groups will opt for a balanced combination of roads and transit. The outcome of the chip game and other analysis will be the creation of our scenarios presenting varying development patterns, levels of density, and degree of transit oriented development.

Once scenarios have been developed, analysis can be conducted to show long-term outcomes of various approaches by contrasting today's choices with long–term outcomes–energy use, job creation, land consumption, air quality, traffic volumes and congestion, open space, and housing opportunities–that are consequences of decision makers' choices. Additional public outreach to educate the public about the emerging scenarios will result in a better informed public able to make better choices.

Phase 5: Consolidating Scenarios into a Vision

Public understanding and acceptance of the scenarios and the meanings of their outcomes is vital to the visioning process. Therefore, after the scenarios have played out, it is important to survey public interest and attitude for each of the individual scenarios and assess these survey results. Meetings will also be held with each jurisdiction to share survey results and obtain feedback on the preferred regional vision. At this point, it is possible to create a vision for a potential growth strategy.

Phase 6: Implementing the Vision

During this phase it is important to hold meetings with each jurisdiction to obtain feedback about the proposed preferred regional vision. Using identified themes, staff will develop a Strategies Report and a Vision Plan, both of which can ultimately be adopted into local comprehensive plans. Throughout this process, ongoing support will be offered for local and regional planning and implementation efforts.

Discussion

Following are highlights of the discussion that followed this presentation

• An important role of the chip game is "constraint" education. When faced with limits related to property, population, and other factors, participants realize that they cannot attain their ideal situation, and will be forced to work with what was given to them to make realistic choices.
• Expect criticism when bringing together a diverse range of interests and communities and disclose all media attention, both positive and negative.
• It is important to engage the public and planners early and sustain level of involvement and communication throughout the visioning process. NFRMPO would like to hold an annual or biannual summit or forum for planners to facilitate discussion about particular issues among the planning community.
• Visioning may have more integrity than the individual community plans. Each city has unique needs and objectives and visioning is a way to represent everyone and bring them to the table.
• In some situations, an MPO may not necessarily be the appropriate lead agency to perform or lead visioning activities.
• Local transportation and land use planning department staff will play a vital role in the regional visioning process.

F.  Presentation: Public Involvement
     Aaron Hodge

An effective public involvement strategy is central to engaging the public and receiving important feedback and comments from stakeholders. An MPO is not a level of government that is generally well-known, which may hinder its ability to engage the public and send out the message that they are there as a tool to assist with a variety of efforts. NFRMPO stressed that events and meetings are serious, and can be a powerful outreach tool if properly utilized.

NFRMPO's Transportation Summit attracted over 250 participants and received much positive feedback. The event's success was ensured by a careful and strategic planning prior to the Summit. For an event of its nature to be successful, the following criteria were provided to keep in mind when considering a similar undertaking.

• Financial Resources–Be certain that your organization has the necessary funds to host the event well, and is willing to spend those resources.
• Media Selection–Determine whether an event is the most appropriate form of public outreach for your organization's particular goal.
• Staffing–Ensure that your organization has the necessary staff available for both the planning and execution of the event.
• Promotion–Your organization must promote the event thoroughly and creatively in order to ensure a high level of participation, public interest, and media attention.
• Legitimacy–Your organization must be able to convince an audience that its event is worth their time.

NFRMPO followed a carefully planned series of promotional elements when planning the Transportation Summit. These elements may serve as a useful guideline for other organizations planning a large event, and many components may also be useful for an event of any size. The NFRMPO made the decision not to put its own organization at the front and center of the event, deciding to act as more of a facilitator and media contact, a decision they believed allowed them to engage more of the community. After identifying and selecting sponsors NFRMPO reached thousands of contacts through sponsors' member databases. Information about influential residents and citizens in the region was also solicited from city councils, mayors, and city managers.

Discussion

Following are highlights of the discussion that followed this presentation

• NFRMPO staff emphasized the importance of quality food and real plates and silverware. This effort is a way to separate an event from other public events, and non–disposable food service also shows that the organization is environmentally responsible and waste–conscious. People will remember the event and will want to come to future meetings.
• Follow up after the event and maintain contact with participants for future public involvement efforts.

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IV. Lessons Learned

• NFRMPO participants emphasized the need to do "problem-selling" first.
• It is important for people to have the background information on the problem to enable them to make good decisions and it also fosters their taking the issue over in the future.

• A successful event can help an organization gain and maintain credibility.
• NFRMPO received lots of positive feedback on the Transportation Summit. The summit put the MPO on the map and helped transform its role from distributing funding to a partner fully engaged in the process.

• It is important to perform values analysis at the same time as constraint analysis
• Makes the outcome more realistic. The communities' values and desires about the future must be framed in the context of real–world constraints.

• Keep a well documented record of activities and history.
• A well documented record can provide useful support and enables an organization to defend its actions if proof is necessary.

• Establishing connections with municipalities and other stakeholders for promotion of an event, including access to their mailing lists, websites, VIP lists, and media lists will be useful for maintaining contact for future public involvement initiatives.

• Surveys can be a powerful tool for gathering information.
• Data collected from the survey following the Transportation Summit was useful in lobbying local councils.

• Consensus building is a central component of successful regional planning.
• Getting people with a diverse range of interests in the same room as during the Transportation Summit helps legitimize the process and allows for idea exchange and consensus building.

• Vanpools can be a strong alternative in regions where transit is not really available.
• NFRMPO manages the regional vanpool service VanGo^TM, which currently has 76 vehicles on the road every morning. The vanpool miles are reported to the National Transit Database (NTD), which generates FTA capital dollars providing an additional source of funding for regional transportation.

• Forecasting and long-range planning efforts help provide important justification for policy choices. Elected officials, stakeholders, and community planners need to be continually educated when confronted with planning choices. Forecasts can be used to make better informed decisions and provide credibility and support for when recommending policy actions.

• Include public and stakeholders from the beginning. Listening to the public results in projects that are planned in accordance with community values, increasing future support and can help build consensus among diverse interests.

• Be open to the exploration of consultant use, particularly for new or complex undertakings.

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V. For More Information

Key Contact for host agency:
Cliff Davidson, Executive Director, NFRMPO
Address: 419 Canyon Avenue, Suite 300
Fort Collins, CO 80521
Phone: 970.416.2174
Fax: 970.416.2406
E-mail: cdavidson@nfrmpo.org

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VI. Attendees List

North Front Range MPO

Hidalgo County MPO (Lower Rio Grand Valley Development Council)

US DOT Volpe Center

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