Long Range Planning Division - Rural Planning Organizations (RPO) Section
James K. Polk Building, Suite 900
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0344
Del Truitt, Rural Planning Coordinator
Phone: (615) 253-2419
Fax: (615) 532-8451
The RPO Process
The RPO process is a consistent, transparent, structured method for involving local officials and the public in TDOT’s transportation planning and decision-making process.
- Transportation needs identified at local level.
- Needs referred to TDOT for study and analysis in cooperation with the local RPO Technical Committee members.
- The Technical Committee reviews proposals with regard to:
- Congestion relief
- Safety
- Access for economic development
- Recommendations made to Executive Board.
- Priorities expressed by consensus (or vote) of the Executive Board
- TDOT considers recommended priorities, along with public support, environmental impacts and funding considerations to propose for the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
- Proposed State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) submitted to Legislature for consideration and budgeting
In structuring the RPOs, TDOT has sought and considered input from local officials, legislators, Development District Officials and other constituency organizations. This was accomplished through a series of regional meetings. At the July-August 2005 regional meetings local officials were invited to comment on the effectiveness of the process and suggest changes within 60 days of the final regional meeting. We will repeat the evaluation process at least every 5 years and continuing input is welcome.
Comments Received
A suggestion was made to consider organizing the RPOs “based on needs regardless of location” rather than based on geography. After careful consideration, respect for the boundaries of the Development Districts and their relationship with local officials, communities and citizens was agreed upon as the most productive way to address transportation needs. However, TDOT encourages an emphasis on regional planning and consensus building when jurisdictional lines are crossed.
Other comments were addressed not to the rural consultation process, but to the specific implementation mechanism of the Rural Planning Organizations. Specifically, comments were made on the representation of various local officials on the RPO Executive Board, selection of modal representatives, coordination with neighboring RPOs and MPOs, the role of the Technical Committee, and the balance between regional and local transportation proposals. The Department responded that at a minimum, all modes of transportation must be represented, the Executive Board must consist of local chief elected officials, and neighboring RPOs and MPOs must have an ex officio representative on the Technical Committee. Beyond that, each RPO draws up its own bylaws and has flexibility in designating how many representatives and who they are. The Technical Committee works with TDOT to review and draw conclusions from transportation data, then make recommendations to the Executive Board. Finally, the balance between regional and local concerns is an ongoing issue that each RPO will be dealing with; however, the Department encourages RPOs to emphasize regional issues because the rural consultation process is designed to yield local officials’ input on transportation needs that the state would be responsible for, not local governments.
The Department was also asked how project funding, consultant assistance and air quality management issues might be affected by the creation of Rural Planning Organizations to implement the rural consultation process. Surface Transportation Program funds (STP) currently allocated to small cities will remain under their local management and will not be pooled as a regional fund. No additional project funds are being allocated by formula to rural areas on a geographic basis. The Department will continue to recommend statewide projects based on their needs and transportation benefits, with consideration also given to geographic equity. TDOT does not anticipate asking rural areas to participate formally in air quality management programs, except in areas where the Metropolitan Planning Organization already has formal arrangements with the adjoining non-metropolitan jurisdictions. TDOT will provide the planning and engineering assistance necessary to the functions of the Technical Committee. Committee members will be expected to contribute growth-related information that helps support the analysis of transportation needs, but will not be asked to perform the actual transportation planning or engineering.
TDOT continues to be receptive to organizational ideas and suggestions while recognizing the uniqueness and singularity of each RPO.
