Rural Planning Organization (RPO)

The Land-of-Sky RPO is a voluntary organization of local governments that plans rural transportation systems and advises the NC Department of Transportation on transportation policy and funding priorities.  Member governments of the RPO include: Buncombe, Haywood, Madison, and Transylvania Counties; and the municipalities of Brevard, Hot Springs, Marshall, Mars Hill, and Rosman.  The core duties of the RPO are to:  

• Develop transportation plans in cooperation with the NCDOT.
• Provide a forum for public participation in the transportation planning process.
• Develop and prioritize suggestions for projects that the organization believes should be included in the State’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
• Provide transportation-related information to local governments and other interested organizations and persons.

These duties and other objectives are accomplished through the coordinated work of the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC), with support from the staff of Land-of-Sky Regional Council. The TAC meets quarterly the third Friday after the first Monday of the month at 11AM and the TCC meets quarterly the third Wednesday after the first Monday of the month at 1:30 PM. Meetings normally take place in the large conference room at Land-of-Sky Regional Council. A complete meeting schedule is linked below under Committee Information.T

Land-of-Sky RPO is working with NCDOT and Madison County on the Madison County Comprehensive Transportation Plan and is conducting a survey of County residents to determine their transportation goals and objectives. Madison County residents please click here to take survey

Other Transportation Planning Resources & Organizations

Land-of-Sky RPO works with a number of other organizations in its planning efforts. Below is a list of some of those organizations and resources. Please visit their websites for more information, opportunities for education and participation, and to learn more about transportation planning in North Carolina and throughout the US.

French Broad River MPO - click here
North Carolina Association of RPOs - click here
National Association of Development Organizations - click here

Committee Information

The Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) is the governing policy board for the RPO. The TAC’s membership includes elected officials, members of the local governments, the area’s representative on the Board of Transportation and other members as may be designated. The Transportation Advisory Committee provides policy direction for the planning process, facilitates communication and coordination among the member jurisdictions, and guides the development of a comprehensive multi-modal transportation program for the rural area. 

The Technical Coordinating Committee’s (TCC) role is to support and advise the TAC. It is comprised of staff representatives of the various member governments, NCDOT, transit providers, and other agencies with an interest in transportation planning. The TCC has the responsibility of supervising and coordinating the four core duties by making technical recommendations to the Transportation Advisory Committee on decisions pertaining to that process. The TCC, in conjunction with transportation Planning Branch, is usually responsible for development, review, and recommendation for approval and changes to the Prospectus, Planning Work Program, and the Comprehensive Transportation Plan, for planning citizen participation, and documenting reports of the transportation study. 

Land-of-Sky Regional Council is designated as the Lead Planning Agency (LPA) to provide staff support for RPO functions. The LPA develops the draft documents, prepares Transportation Advisory Committee and Technical Coordinating Committee meeting materials, schedules meetings, administers the distribution of state transportation planning funds to member governments, and carries out the directives of the TAC and TCC. 

•          TAC and TCC 2009 Meeting Schedule

·         TAC and TCC 2009 Membership

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Funding Opportunities 

The Land-of-Sky RPO works with its member governments to identify and procure funding for transportation planning and project development.  The RPO also coordinates with NCDOT on the programming of the following funding programs: 

·          Transportation Improvement Program

·          Transportation Enhancements

·          Bicycle & Pedestrian Planning

·          Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality

·          NC Transportation Answers Website

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Maps
 

·         Land-of-Sky RPO

·         NC RPOs and MPOs

·         NCDOT Traffic Survey County Maps, 1999 - 2005

·         NCDOT Traffic Survey County Maps, 2005 -

·         Division 13 Transportation Improvement Program

·         Division 14 Transportation Improvement Program 

·         Madison County Maps

                Recreation Facilities and Motorcycle Routes
   Hiking Trails and Bicycle routes

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Public Participation 

One of the primary duties of the Land-of-Sky RPO is to provide a forum for public participation in the transportation planning process for the Land-of-Sky Region.  Interested citizens and stakeholder groups can use the RPO learn about or influence plans for the future construction of highway, bicycle, pedestrian, and rail projects. 

You can speak to the RPO TAC and TCC at each of their meetings during public comment or project specific public hearing.  You can also submit written comments to the Land-of-Sky RPO at 339 New Leicester Hwy, Suite 140, Asheville, NC 28806 or to info@landofsky.org. 

Click here for LOSRPO Winter Newsletter
For previous issues of the newsletter, please contact RPO staff at carrie@landofsky.org.

The Land-of-Sky RPO provides information to the public through the following forums: 

·          Meeting Notices & Website

·          Press Releases

·          Presentations to Interested Organizations

·          Workshops and Surveys

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Transportation Projects
 

·          NCDOT 2009-2015 Transportation Improvement Program

·          Click here for 2009-2015 Priority Needs List for Land-of-Sky RPO

·          NC Moving Ahead Projects

·          Transylvania County Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) has been adopted by the Board of Transportation.  Click here for details.

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Transportation Services & Data  

Services

·          Transportation Plans

·          Proposal & Grant Writing

·          Facilitation & Public Input

·          GIS Mapping & Data

·          Land Use/Transportation Plans

·          Transit Plans

·          Parking Plans

·          Bicycle & Pedestrian Plans

·          Intelligent Transportation System Plans

·          Transportation Corridor Plans

·          Traffic Impact Analysis

·          Traffic Accident Analysis

·          Transportation Capacity Analysis

·          Traffic Count Analysis

·          Travel Pattern Surveys

·          Trip Generation Analysis

 Data & Mapping

·          Road Networks

·          TIP Projects

·          Transit Routes

·          Bicycle & Pedestrian Routes

·          Railroad

·          Traffic Volume/Counts

·          Transportation Plans

·          Traffic Accidents

·          Land Use Plans

·          Demographics

·          Employment

·          Parking

·          Air Quality

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