At the May board meeting, the TPB approved six projects for TPB Regional Roadway Safety Program funding, approved an air quality conformity analysis scope of work and project inputs list for the Visualize 2050 National Capital Region Transportation Plan, and received an update on the region’s Transportation Resilience Improvement Plan (TRIP), which the board will be asked to approve at its June meeting.

Meeting agenda, materials, and recording

Chair's Remarks

TPB Chair Christina Henderson announced that the TPB relaunched one of its flagship public outreach activities, the Community Leadership Institute. Twenty community leaders from across the region—Charles County to Frederick to Manassas and jurisdictions in between—came together in April and May. Over three evenings, the cohort learned about transportation planning and decision-making through interactive activities interspersed with informational presentations. The last evening included a group activity using an emissions calculator to decide on transportation strategies to use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and learn the extent to which the strategies would be effective. 

Chair Henderson commented that the board will take action on the Visualize 2050 inputs after much discussion and listening sessions. She stated that “now is the time to act” and every effort should be made to make the region even better than before. The board has been updating the current Visualize 2045 plan for nearly a year and a half and will have the opportunity during the May 15 meeting to share thoughts and state their positions before voting on the Visualize 2050 project list for air quality conformity analysis.
 

TPB Community Leadership Institute participants join CLI facilitators Kathy Porter and Jay Fisette along with TPB Director Kanti Srikanth and staff at the May 2, 2024, session. (COG/TPB)
 

ACTION ITEMS

Approval of FY 2025 Regional Roadway Safety Program projects

The TPB approved six safety projects—three in Maryland and three in Virginia—for a total of $480,000. The TPB received 18 applications for this popular program, which funds site-specific planning or preliminary design, education campaigns, toolkits, complete streets, local road safety plans, guidelines and standards, and more. Projects are selected based on the recommendations of a panel made up of District DOT, Maryland DOT, and Virginia DOT safety officials and TPB staff.

The six funded projects are listed in the table below and represent a mix of improvements and studies. Read more about this year’s Regional Roadway Safety Program projects in the May 15 COG news release.
 

(COG/TPB)

Approval of the scope of work for the Air Quality Conformity Analysis of Visualize 2050 and the FY 2026-2029 TIP

The TPB voted to approve the scope of work and project inputs for the Visualize 2050 Air Quality Conformity Analysis. Before the vote, the board opted to remove one project, I-495 Southside Express Lanes, from the list of project inputs, agreeing to discuss further its inclusion during the June 20 TPB meeting. All major transportation projects must be included in Visualize 2050 to receive federal funding and approvals.

TPB Transportation Planner Cristina Finch provided an overview of what the board’s action means. With the vote, the TPB is:

• Approving a proposed mix of highway and transit projects to be included in a federally required air quality conformity analysis and TPB-required regional transportation system performance analysis.
• Approving the tolls and other assumptions for conducting the analysis (scope of work).
• Using TPB-approved forecasts of future population, employment, households.
• Conducting the analysis and modeling work using TPB travel demand and emission analysis models.
• Identifying the years the analysis and non-transportation model inputs cover.
• Agreeing to the roadway and transit operating parameters of the projects contained in the regionally significant project list.

Board discussion highlights

A write-up on the Visualize 2050 vote is available in COG’s Recent News. In-person public comment on the plan is available on the May 15 livestream at the 5:03 mark. For audio of the Visualize 2050 overview and discussion, click on the livestream starting at the 47:52 mark.

Next Steps for Visualize 2050

With approval, TPB staff will begin the performance and air quality analysis of Visualize 2050 and the FY 2026 – 2029 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The analysis will take place June – March 2025. Other key dates in the process:

• Summer 2024: TPB staff will work with TPB member agencies on other projects and programs that are not regionally significant to be included in the draft plan.
• Fall 2024: TPB staff will finalize a complete financial plan for Visualize 2050. This will include operations, maintenance and state of good repair financing.
• April 2025: The TPB board will review analysis results and draft plan; Public comment period will be held.
• June 2025: The TPB is anticipated to approve the air quality conformity analysis and adopt Visualize 2050 and the FY 2026 - 2029 TIP.
   

NOTICE ITEM

Transportation Resilience Improvement Plan (TRIP) Update

Katherine Rainone, TPB Transportation Resiliency Planner, announced that TPB members will review the draft Transportation Resilience Improvement Plan (TRIP) at their June 20 meeting. Rainone noted that with the TPB’s approval of the TRIP, if a TPB member locality applies for a federal discretionary grant under the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Program (PROTECT), their project can receive a 10-percent match deduction.

Information on the plan and funding opportunities will be shared at the June TPB meeting. Learn more about the TPB’s resiliency planning work.   

Committee and Director’s Report Highlights

TPB Technical Committee, TPB Community Advisory Committee, TPB Access for All Advisory Committee, Steering Committee, and Director’s reports are available on the May TPB meeting page.

Steering Committee and Director’s Report 

Kanti Srikanth reported the following: 

• On May 3, the TPB Steering Committee adopted Resolution SR22-2024 which updates and expands Critical Urban Freight Corridor (CUFC) designations in Maryland. CUFCs are public roads in urbanized areas that provide access to and connection between the primary highway freight system and the interstate system with other important ports, public transportation facilities, or other intermodal freight facilities. The designation allows eligibility for National Highway Freight Program funding. To be designated as a Critical Urban Freight Corridor, candidate public roadways must be located within an urbanized area and meet at least one of the following criteria:
  • Connects an intermodal facility to the Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS) or the Interstate System
  • Is located within a corridor or a route on the PHFS and provides an alternative option important to goods movement
  • Serves as a major freight generator, logistics center, or manufacturing and warehouse industrial land; or
  • Is important to the movement of freight within the region, as determined by the MPO or the state.

• The Steering Committee approved two TIP amendments. Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation requested to add $7.75 million in additional funding to the TIP for the Bridge Preservation Program, Phase I. The Virginia Department of Rail & Public Transportation requested to add $3 million in funding for the Envision Route 7 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Study and approximately $49 million for construction of the Crystal City Metro Station East Entrance.

• TPB letters of support were prepared for:
  • Fairfax County application for an FY 2024 Low or No Emission (Low-No) grant program and Bus & Bus Facilities grant program application to procure up to 120 hybrid buses and 12 diesel buses.
  • Maryland DOT application for a Prioritization Process Pilot Program (PPPP) grant.
  • District DOT application for a Congestion Relief Program grant application to fund the Capital Bikeshare Capacity Enhancement Project.
  • Prince George’s County application for FY 2024 Low or No Emission (Low-No) grant program and Bus and Bus Facilities grant program application for Prince George’s County’s “Proud to Charge” Electric Bus Project.
  • District DOT application for a Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Opportunity for Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects (INFRA) funding for the South Capitol Street Corridor, Phase 2, Segment III.
  • Prince William County FY 2025-2026 Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Opportunity for a Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects (INFRA) grant to improve the intersection of Route 123 (Old Bridge Road).

• Update on WMATA and COG coordination:

On May 1, the COG board and the WMATA board held a joint special meeting and adopted a resolution to “develop, a unified vision for transit service and predictable, dedicated, and sustainable funding for public transportation in the National Capital Region including regional, local, and commuter transit services, including Union Station, operating in close coordination and cooperation providing a seamless, safe, and efficient experience to users in support of regional mobility, equity, and climate and environmental goals.” This initiative is named DMVMoves.

DMVMoves will be guided by a regional task force with that will be assisted by two advisory groups: a Government Partners Advisory Group and a Community Partners Advisory Group. TPB Chair Christina Henderson is on the regional task force. The TPB Community Advisory Committee and TPB Access for All Advisory Committees are represented on the Community Partners Advisory group. Read more about DMVMoves.

• COG and TPB Retirements
  
  The Director’s Report includes recognition of the careers and contributions of three long-time COG staff members: Paul DesJardin, Joe Davis, and Martha Kile.

NEXT MEETING

The next TPB meeting is scheduled for June 20 at 12:00 P.M. A YouTube livestream option is available for all TPB board meetings. To receive additional TPB updates in your inbox, subscribe to TPB News.