Kicking Off the 2045 LRTP
GIAMPO is kicking off the 2045 LRTP in 2019! The 2045 LRTP is a 25-year plan that will guide transportation system decision-making for the Grand Island area and provides a list of transportation projects that meet future transportation needs in the region.
“While we’re legally obligated to update our LRTP every five years, these efforts are always really fun for us to do,” said Andy Gomez, MPO Manager at GIAMPO. “This is our chance to brainstorm really fun and unique projects to implement in Grand Island, and then put them out there for the community to evaluate.”
The 2045 LRTP is a multi-phase effort that will take place through early 2021. The first step is collecting transportation data in the Grand Island area, which will include data on traffic safety, congestion, information regarding existing bike/pedestrian as well as a forecast of conditions and trends for the next 25 years. At the same time, Grand Island residents will be asked to provide details regarding their own experiences on the Grand Island transportation system, as well as asked how they would like to see the system operate in the future. Once this information is obtained, the next step is developing a list of transportation alternatives and strategies that will provide solutions for some of the problem areas that were identified through data collection and public feedback. Grand Island residents will once again be asked to provide their feedback on the identified alternatives. An analysis of each alternative and strategy will follow, which will help GIAMPO determine the financial feasibility of each project and help develop a list of prioritized projects based on anticipated funding. The next phase of the project will involve the release of the draft LRTP for final public review and comments before the final LRTP is published in early 2021!
Public feedback is a critical component for any LRTP, but it is especially important for the 2045 LRTP. “This is our first update since our first ever LRTP in 2016,” said Andy. “The public’s feedback will really help us determine how priorities have changed since then.”