ODOT, OKC Public Hearing on Proposed Boulevard November 13

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the City of Oklahoma City are co-hosting a public hearing regarding the proposed Crosstown Boulevard on Thursday, November 13, at the Chevy Bricktown Events Center at 429 East California Avenue from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

ACOG Awards $61,000 to Oklahoma City, CART, Norman, Yukon for Air Quality Awareness

The Association of Central Oklahoma Governments is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2014 Air Quality Awareness Grants. The Air Quality Awareness Grants make use of federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funds dedicated to transportation projects that reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips and support cleaner air for the Central Oklahoma region.

Public Participation Plan: We Want to Hear From You

The Public Participation Plan (PPP) establishes guidelines for the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG), Central Oklahoma’s metropolitan planning agency (MPO), to engage the public in regional decision-making and the federally funded transportation planning process. Through Monday, November 3, ACOG is seeking review and comments from any and all interested Central Oklahomans on the proposed PPP.

Local Governments Offered Free Trees Through Tree Bank Foundation

City and county government agencies are among those eligible to apply for free trees through the Tree Bank Foundation, an Edmond-based 501(c)3, for placement in public areas such as neighborhood entrances, trails, parks, main streets and more. Applications are due to the Tree Bank Foundation by 5PM Friday, September 5.

ACOG Launches Air Quality Awareness Grants

Monday, April 28^th through Friday, May 2^nd was Air Quality Awareness Week, five days of air quality public education and awareness that served to kick-off the prime months of ground-level ozone pollution in Central Oklahoma. It was during that week the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments first announced the availability of Air Quality Awareness Grants, offering an overall minimum of $75,000 for small active transportation infrastructure projects and public education programs to raise awareness about our region’s air quality.

Travel Time Data Brings New Transportation Analysis Capabilities to ACOG

Ever-increasing amounts of data about our transportation system are becoming available to transportation planners, and analysis of this data is revealing patterns and informing critical infrastructure decisions. Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), the current federal transportation law, places increased emphasis on performance management within the Federal-aid highway program and transit programs, and requires use of performance-based approaches in statewide, metropolitan, and non-metropolitan transportation planning. As a first step to implementing a performance based planning process (PBPP), ACOG is currently determining appropriate congestion measures for the Central Oklahoma region which will be reported in the Congestion Management Process. The goal of the CMP is to outline the state of congestion in the Central Oklahoma region and develop recommendations for managing traffic congestion based on detailed data analysis, that in turn will impact proposed roadway construction projects included in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the goals and objectives identified in what will be Encompass 2040, the region’s next long-range transportation plan.

ACOG Receives Funding for Transportation Management Center Workshop

The Association of Central Oklahoma Governments has received funding to host a transportation management center (TMC) workshop for the Central Oklahoma region. As part of the Technology and Innovation Deployment Program funds allocated through MAP-21, ACOG has been awarded $6,500 to host a regional workshop to initiate development of a TMC. The goal of the workshop will be to raise the level of knowledge and awareness of local and state elected officials and decision makers on the benefits of a regional TMC.

Using ArcGIS Online to Update the Functional Classification System

Functional classification is the process by which streets and highways are grouped into classes based on the type of service they are intended to provide. The classes are used by federal, state, and local governments to determine jurisdictional responsibility, allocate funds, and establish design standards. Within urban areas, streets can be classified as interstate, freeway/expressway, principle arterial, minor arterial, major collector, minor collector, or local road.  Streets classified as minor collector and higher are eligible for federal funds for maintenance, expansion, and safety improvements.

Quick Clearance: It’s the Law

The number one cause of roadway congestion in Central Oklahoma is traffic incidents. Oklahoma does not have an unusual number or crashes per capita, ranking 21^st in number of fatal crashes per 100 million miles traveled, but the traffic delay caused by a crash blocking travel lanes makes up approximately 60 percent of all congestion on the region’s roadways. Drivers can help reduce travel delay, chance of secondary crashes and overall cost spent on congestion by remembering to quickly clear the roadway if you are involved in a minor crash. In fact, it’s the law.

ACOG Releases RFA for FY 2014 CLEAN AIR Grants Projects

Applications for projects are now being accepted under ACOG’s FY 2014 CLEAN AIR Grants for Public Sector Fleets solicitation. This round of grant funding contains $500,000 to assist with the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles and advanced technology vehicles, and alternative fueling stations and electric vehicle charging equipment.