2005 Awards

AMPO Awards

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) receives the Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan Award for Leadership in Metropolitan Planning.The AMPO Board voted unanimously to present the award to Sen. Reid for his support for MPO community.

2005 Award Winners

• Outstanding Achievement in Metropolitan Transportation Planning as an Elected Official
• Outstanding Professional Achievement in Metropolitan Transportation Planning
• National Award for Outstanding Achievement in Metropolitan Transportation Planning - MPOs Under 200,000
• National Award for Outstanding Technical Merit in Metropolitan Transportation Planning - MPOs Over 200,000
  
  

  Outstanding Achievement in Metropolitan Transportation Planning as an Elected Official
  Recipient: Kathy Porter, National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (Washington, DC)

  The AMPO national award for outstanding elected official leadership goes to Kathy Porter, one of the longest serving and most active members of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, the MPO for the Washington, DC region. Kathy is a sincere and conscientious leader who is widely respected by people on all sides of the issues. She has the ability to educate and lead on key issues such as pedestrian safety, accessible transportation, transit information for non-English speaking populations, and alternative modes.

  One of her most notable accomplishments came in November 2000. As TPB chair, she took the lead in bringing together congressional and state lawmakers in a high-profile public forum that dramatically raised awareness of the region’s transportation funding crisis. Following the event, Kathy and the TPB oversaw the development of the “System in Crisis” brochure and video that were used as outreach tools and that helped create regional consensus to fund critical rehabilitation needs for the transit and highway system.

  We congratulate Kathy of her hard work and dedication.

  Outstanding Professional Achievement in Metropolitan Transportation Planning
  Recipient: James Miller, Whatcom Council of Governments (Bellingham, WA)

  The AMPO national award for outstanding individual leadership in metropolitan transportation planning is presented to James Miller, Executive Director of the Whatcom Council of Governments in Bellingham, Washington.

  Prior to 2002, numerous multi-state coalitions were recognized through federal designation, given federal support, and were utilized to bring together transportation leaders. However, no unified coalition existed to represent the interests of the west coast states. Since early 2002, Mr. Miller has been working behind the scenes to unify transportation organizations, agencies, and other interests along the West Coast. He worked tirelessly and surmounted substantial political and financial hurdles to bring together the right mix of interested parties to form the new West Coast Coalition. Today, over three years later, and by working countless hours with MPOs, State DOTs, not-for-profits, and elected officials at every level, U.S. Congress has awarded $750,000 to fund the activities of the coalition that Mr. Miller conceived.

  We thank James Miller for his tireless efforts on behalf of transportation efforts on the west coast.

  Recipient: Kermit Weis, Chicago Area Transportations Study (Chicago, IL)

  The Honorable Mention AMPO national award for outstanding individual leadership in metropolitan transportation planning is presented to Kermit Weis, Acting Deputy for Planning for the Chicago Area Transportations Study in Chicago, Illinois.

  Mr. Weis has been personally involved with many aspects of the transportation planning process. He introduced and developed the method to include congestion based auto access to transit and generalized parking costs in the modeling process. He implemented a full four-step travel model feedback along with a fully integrated accessibility based socio-economic redistribution. He oversees the monitoring of the current system and the data to maintain base year validity. He ensures that computing resources are available to perform state-of-the-art practice analysis and plays the lead role in managing, supervising and personally performing travel demand analysis and air quality conformity determinations.

  Mr. Weis also lead the 2030 Long Range Plan development process including policy research, public involvement, authorship, layout and production. He is the lead in all travel demand model applications including plan scenarios, air quality conformity, New Start modeling and long-range highway planning.

  National Award for Outstanding Achievement in Metropolitan Transportation Planning - MPOs Under 200,000
  Recipient: Cheyenne MPO (WY)

  Formerly known as the Cheyenne Area Transportation Planning Process (ChATPP), the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) was designated for transportation planning purposes by the governor of Wyoming in 1981. PlanCheyenne, the new Comprehensive Plan for the Cheyenne Area, is an overhaul rather than an update. PlanCheyenne establishes a collaborative planning process for the community of Cheyenne, WY. Through extensive community and partner outreach (including all city departments, the county, the US Air Force, local businesses, and even the local community college), the MPO has created not only a master plan but an integrated, cutting edge scenario-based land use planning system. Support from the community extended well beyond the conference room.

  The Cheyenne MPO truly gained public support by securing city and county funds to assist in its' efforts. The community college even agreed to structure courses around PlanCheyenne to harness the youths' perspectives on the planning process.

  Information from Cheyenne's existing Neighborhood Plans is the foundation for the plan, but PlanCheyenne is a broader, more citizen-driven plan. The Vision 2020 process, which helped to identify the community's destination, provides a jump-start to the plan. PlanCheyenne will expand upon that vision and build the roadmap to transport the community to 2030.

  Honorable Mention
  Recipient: Champaign-Urbana Urbanized Area Transportation Study (IL)

  As a result of the 1962 Act, a new official body, the Champaign-Urbana Urbanized Area Transportation Study (CUUATS) was created in 1965 to build upon this planning effort and administer the area's 3-C transportation planning process. Launching from the original TEA-21 Planning Factors, the Champaign Urbana Urbanized Area Transportation Study established 11 Goals for its' 2025 long rang plan. Current MPO challenges include a traffic growth rate that has increased significantly from 2% to 12% for the various intersections and the morning and afternoon peak, traffic has increased by as much as 52%. Looking to the future, the MPO established goals to build from and improve the existing capacity when possible, coordinate closely with partner agencies and create a user-friendly transportation environment. Using land use and transportation scenarios, the MPO strived to look at the best possible outcome for its community. One key product is a preferred scenario that allows planners, engineers and elected officials to potential issues of congestion, access and safety.

  Relying on GIS maps, the MPO worked to demonstrate the benefits of denser core development rather than development of outlying areas by optimizing current system capacity, preserving farmland and promoting a healthy pedestrian environment. The MPO staff collected information from motorists and transit riders through surveys, on-line feedback forms, workshops and open houses. Through these efforts a "Day in the Life 2025" tackles many of the difficulties of planning for a metropolitan region.

  National Award for Outstanding Technical Merit in Metropolitan Transportation Planning - MPOs Over 200,000
  Recipient: Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission, (GA)

  The Savannah, Georgia urban area has faced difficulties in improving east-west mobility for several decades. In 2004, the Chatham County-Savannah MPO launched a new planning process known as “Connecting Savannah: Moving People – Making Neighborhoods”. The MPO worked to ensure stakeholder buy-in by engaging the community at large in the planning process, focusing on long-term mobility needs throughout the region. Early stakeholder involvement in both problem definition and potential solution identification helped the MPO to understand community values, concerns, and interests; identify opportunity for both short-term and long-term improvements; confirm the feasibility of options; and identify the alternatives meriting further study. The result was a plan backed by broad community support. The initial phase of the plan concluded in June 2005 with the unanimous adoption of an action plan that identifies specific TIP projects and funding to address the area’s most critical needs.

  By making the “Connecting Savannah” process one that was truly citizen-based and highly inclusive, the MPO was able to overcome decades of indecision and worsening transportation problems in order to adopt a plan that had broad community support. Ultimately, the process has protected all that is special about Savannah. The hard work of the MPO has led to a plan that makes the Savannah area proud and the Chatham County-Savannah MPO deserves to be recognized for its’ unending efforts to develop a true community inspired plan.

  Honorable Mention
  Recipient: Metroplan Orlando, (FL)

  As the MPO for Orange County, Osceola County, and Seminole County, Florida, Metroplan Orlando is the embodiment of inter-governmental cooperation and regional transportation planning. It is recognized throughout Florida as an innovative leader in metropolitan transportation planning. Metroplan Orlando consistently demonstrates leadership, innovation, and a willingness to partner with other community organizations. It has formed non-traditional partnerships with local law enforcement, fire rescue, and other public safety agencies in an effort to improve safety for Central Florida motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. Metroplan Orlando initiated the development of a Central Florida MPO Alliance, which has become a vital regional organization that brings together representatives from 5 MPOs representing a population of 3.3 million people.

  The challenges facing Florida, such as sprawl, unprecedented growth rates, and the wide demographic diversity of resident and tourist populations, have placed an indelible demand on Florida’s transportation infrastructure. Metroplan Orlando has met these challenges head-on and has risen above them to become recognized as a model organization in the State of Florida.

  In 2005, the Florida State Legislature studied the successes of Metroplan Orlando and used the information learned to make significant changes to Florida’s Growth Management Law. Metroplan Orlando’s influence can be seen in the Florida Legislature’s passage of a new transportation regional incentive program specifically designed to reward collaboration and intergovernmental cooperation. The significant impact that Metroplan Orlando has had in Florida deserves the recognition associated with this Honor.

  Honorable Mention
  Recipient: Denver Regional Council of Governments (CO)

  The Denver Region has embarked on an ambitious effort to construct rapid transit in nine regional corridors along with other improvements associated with this construction by the year 2017. As the MPO for the region, the Denver Regional Council of Governments, or DRCOG, adopted a set of criteria to evaluate the rapid transit plans, examining finance, technology, the environment, consistency with the Metro Visioning Plan, and many other pertinent factors. DRCOG defined the scope of the improvements to be undertaken in each corridor and then examined several factors in the ultimate determination of the best options for the Denver region. Based on the multitude of factors, DRCOG’s Board of Directors approved the FasTracks plan in April 2004. DRCOG will remain engaged in yearly reviews and will embark on a more in-depth project review if substantial changes in the program scope, cost, or schedule occur.

  The FasTracks project has instilled excellent technical cooperation between DRCOG, the Regional Transportation District, and the Colorado Department of Transportation and has generated significant regional coalition-building efforts among municipalities, counties, and participating agencies. The close connection between the FasTracks Plan and the DRCOG Metro Visioning Plan has provided substantial credibility to the FasTracks plan.

  Ultimately, the people who benefited the most from this process are the citizens of the Denver area. The information provided to the public by DRCOG helped to enable a vote in favor of a tax increase to fund this new rapid transit initiative. Both the innovative work of DRCOG and the cooperation with its’ planning partners were instrumental in bringing a comprehensive and realistic FasTracks plan to the voters. DRCOG deserves to be honored for its’ innovative and important rule in this process.