Federal regulations require, under 23 CFR Part 450.314, the development of Unified Planning Work Programs in metropolitan areas, as part of the transportation planning process. Specifically, the regulations require MPOs to work in cooperation with the state and operators of publicly owned transit services to develop such program.

The MPO develops and implements the UPWP. This document includes all transportation planning activities that will be undertaken at any given year, supporting future transportation projects that eventually will be incorporated in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).

UPWP includes activities like highway, transit, financial and special technical studies; policy studies and community involvement; urban travel modeling and forecasting; program administration; technical support; and data surveillance.

Any amendment to the UPWP has to follow the process established in the Prospectus for the Miami-Dade County. The proposed amendment(s) has to be recommended by the UPWP Development Committee and approved by the Transportation Planning Council (TPC) and the MPO Governing Board.

OBJECTIVES

Long Range Transportation Planning for System Preservation, Development and Enhancement. Plan for the preservation and development of a multimodal transportation system that is responsive to the mobility needs of the people and changes in land use.

Short Range Transportation System Planning and Management. Plan for maximum economic and performance efficiencies in transportation services and facilities.

Intermodal Transportation Planning. Plan for a fully intermodal transportation system to allow for ease of travel between modes, alleviate congestion, improve the natural environment and enhance safety across all modes.

Transportation Planning Decision-Making and Funding. Combine professional expertise with proactive citizen and private sector involvement to carry out a transportation decision-making process that wisely allocates financial resources taking into account the true long and short-term costs of available options.

State Planning Program. Provide information on Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Work Program activities which support the MPO planning process. This is done to enhance coordination of UPWP tasks with FDOT projects in order to improve efficiency of project management.

PROJECT SELECTION

The UPWP cycle starts by requesting study proposals from municipalities, organizations and county agencies. The UPWP Development Committee meets and evaluates the proposals, and make recommendations. Then a final list is developed indicating the overall preference of the committee. The studies are assigned according to the available funding.

This recommendation, in the form of a draft UPWP, is taken to the TPC and the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC) for endorsement and to the MPO Governing Board for approval.

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PROGRAM FUNDING

The funding sources for developing the UPWP include federal, state and local monies. The following table shows a distribution of these sources:

Matching Funds

UPWP DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

The Unified Planning Work Program Development Committee has the responsibility of selecting proposals to be awarded funding from available discretionary money, in conjunction with federal, state and local agency representatives.

The committee is composed of representatives appointed by the TPC voting members and meets when the Unified Planning Work Program for Transportation development cycle is complete to establish criteria for prioritizing proposals; review those proposals; and make funding award recommendations to the TPC.