FHWA 50-15 Tuesday, July 14, 2015 Contact: Nicole Jones / Doug Hecox Tel: 202-366-0660

Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration Announce Year's Best

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today jointly announced the Austin-based Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority as one of this year’s eight national Transportation Planning Excellence Award (TPEA) recipients. It is Capital Metro’s first TPEA.

“Building a world-class transportation system doesn’t happen overnight, and never by accident,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “These awards recognize the critical role planning plays in meeting America’s future transportation challenges.”

Known as Capital Metro, the organization was recognized for the “Project Connect North Corridor,” a $2 million effort to improve transportation between Austin and nearby Georgetown, Texas. The project is scheduled to begin next year and, over the next 20 years expand transit service between the two communities.

“Good projects are the result of good planning,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau. “A disciplined, long-term vision of the state’s transportation needs in the coming decades is not just good government – it is smart government.”

Selected by an independent panel, the awards are a biennial recognition by the FHWA and FTA of outstanding transportation planning practices performed by planners and decision makers in communities across the country.

This year, eight winners were selected of 35 TPEA submissions from around the nation. Criteria for selection included: community, public involvement and partnerships; context sensitive solutions; innovation and effectiveness; equity; implementation and strategy; multi-modalism; and potential for long-term benefits.

“It’s important to recognize the creative efforts of the nation’s transportation planners,” said Acting Federal Transit Administrator Therese W. McMillan. “The Capital Metro team undertook a thoughtful and comprehensive public engagement strategy to generate support to add transit services such as bus rapid transit and expanded local bus service to new development.”

This year’s other winners include:

4th Street/Prater Way Bus RAPID Transit Project Awardee: Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County, Nev. Category: Planning and Environmental Linkages for Livability, Sustainability and Public Health

Bus Stop Accessibility Study Awardee: Roanoke Valley Alleghany Regional Commission Category: Modeling and Technology Applications Transportation, Land-Use, Freight and Operations Planning Linkages Asset Management

CHCNGA-TPO Community-Sensitive Performance-Based Planning Awardee: Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency Category: Planning and Environmental Linkages for Livability, Sustainability and Public Health

Humanizing Infrastructure: Design for the Replacement of I-95 Awardee: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 6 Categories: Public and Educational Planning, Training, and Outreach Planning and Environmental Linkages for Livability, Sustainability and Public Health Modeling and Technology Applications

Minnesota State Highway Investment Plan (MnSHIP) Awardee: Minnesota Department of Transportation Categories: Public and Educational Planning, Training and Outreach Asset Management

Moving Forward Updated 2035 Regional Transportation Plan Awardee: Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Categories: Planning and Environmental Linkages for Livability, Sustainability and Public Health Asset Management

Mt. Hood Multimodal Transportation Plan Awardee: Oregon Department of Transportation Category: Emergency and Safety Planning Public and Educational Planning, Training and Outreach Rural, Small, Regional and Tribal Community Planning

Additional information about the 2015 TPEA recipients can be found at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/tpea/2015/

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