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SERVING THE COUNTIES OF
BLOUNT
CHILTON
ST. CLAIR
WALKER

HARPO BYLAWS
Exective Committee Bylaws adopted March, 2007

Technical Committee Bylaws adopted February, 2007

NEW DOCUMENTS
Planning Work Program (FY 2010), adopted 8-19-09

Coordinated Human Services Plan, updated 9-17-08


  


PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

    

Public Involvement is a process by which planning agencies search out the public and diligently work to elicit responses from them concerning transportation projects. Public involvement is an extremely vital part of the rural planning process, because it gives HARPO and other transportation officials an opportunity to gather ideas from the public concerning transportation plans and programs for the four rural counties. Public involvement and input is essential to adequately consider the impacts that planning processes have on the overall social, economic, energy, and environmental effects of transportation decisions. The purpose of the public involvement process is for planning agencies to make better decisions that will reflect the community's mobility and accessibility needs. Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs) encourage public involvement in all planning activities. RPOs encourage efforts to broaden and improve public participation in planning. The intended outcome of the public involvement process is for planning agencies to develop plans and programs that reflect community needs; encompass community values, interests and priorities; and have broad community support.

April 2010- Representatives from the RPCGB continued the discussion of "big ideas" at this quarter's Heart of Alabama Rural Planning Organization (HARPO) meetings.  Participants from all four counties cited the need for improved funding for maintenance and improvements for rural roads. The need for funding for rural road improvements is a consistent message in these counties. Identifying funding sources at the federal, state and local levels is a common topic of discussion.
 
St. Clair County participants cited U.S. 411 capacity improvements as being a big need for improving transportation in the county, and the RPCGB is forming a study group to look at this issue in greater depth. Also in St. Clair County, Pat Hall said that the Historic Stagecoach Route through Leeds is ready to expand to cover more of the additional route. This historic road linked Ashville to Montevallo, which provides partnership opportunities throughout our region.
 
Walker County participants recognize the need to explore ways to keep I-22 scenic.  County residents are continuing to work on building the rail-trail system and identified several potential lines for this program.  Walker County has abundant resources to attract visitors, both as a destination and as a diversion.  Improvements for helping visitors find their way to the attractions are seen as another need for the county.
 
In Blount County, improvements to Highway 160 are proceeding, subject to FHWA approval.  A long term idea for the benefit of the county and the state is to create four lanes on Alabama Highway 79 from Jefferson County to U.S. 231.  This strategic improvement would open an alternative route from Birmingham to Huntsville and allow companies that serve both of those markets to position themselves in Blount County. 
 
Chilton County residents are looking at ways to improve railroad grade crossings.  Funding for these projects is limited and the RPCGB is looking at ways to leverage available funds to increase overall effectiveness.  Residents are also interested in the carpool / vanpool system (CommuteSmart), and cited the need to market the guaranteed ride home aspect of the vanpool.

February 2010- The Winter 2010 meetings focused on the status of projects included in ALDOT's FY 2008-2011 State Transportation Improvement Program.  Updated county level maps were distributed, transit challenges were discussed, and "Big Ideas" regarding potential future projects were introduced in discussion.

September 2009- The Fall 2009 meetings focused on the status of projects included in ALDOT's FY 2008-2011 State Transportation Improvement Program.  Updated county level maps were distributed. The maps depicted the projects that have received 100% funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and those projects that have had a change in the projected start date since last meeting.

March/ April 2009- The Spring 2009 meetings were a follow up to the October/November meetings in which the status of projects included in ALDOT's FY 2008-2011 State Transportation Improvement Program were reviewewd. Updated county level maps were distributed that indicated the priority ranking based on feedback from the previous meetings. The maps also depicted the projects that have received 100% funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and those projects that have had a change in the projected start date since last fall. Tracking these changes provides a baseline for keeping up with future project status changes and helping to insure that projects are implemented according to schedule.

October/ November 2008 - Meetings were held in each county to obtain public input on the transportation projects listed in the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP). Projects are shown in map and chart format. Participants were asked to prioritize the project list.

March/ April 2008 - The following maps were presented during public participation meetings in March and April. Representatives from the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) led discussions concerning ALDOT county projects.