The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has withdrawn proposed changes to State Transportation Improvement Program. This includes the proposal to cut $27 million from bike/ped projects in Transportation Alternatives. Citing an unanticipated influx of $70 million in federal funds allocated to Rhode Island through the 2019 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations bill, RIDOT has requested additional time to figure out how best to integrate the funds into our transportation program.
RIDOT will likely return before the planning council in the near future with a revised amendment. We are hopeful the revised amendment will keep projects in Transportation Alternatives funded.
The Public Hearings scheduled for February 25 and February 28 have both been cancelled.
Read the full Public Notice below or click on the link:
http://www.planning.ri.gov/documents/tip/2019/PN-%20STIP%20Amendment%2011-Cancelation.pdf
STATE PLANNING COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE PUBLIC NOTICE
State Transportation Improvement Program Major Amendment #11
The Division of Statewide Planning, acting on behalf of the State Planning Council and Transportation Advisory Committee, has canceled the upcoming Public Hearings related to the FFY 2018-2027 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) – Major Amendment #11.
The following Public Hearings have BOTH been CANCELED:
Monday, February 25, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
Narragansett Town Hall – Council Chambers
25 Fifth Avenue
Narragansett, RI 02882
Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 4:00 p.m.
RI Department of Administration
One Capitol Hill, Providence RI 02908
Conference Room A, 2nd Floor
The attached (click here) February 21, 2019 statement from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) points to the unexpected influx of approximately $70 million in federal funds allocated to Rhode Island though the 2019 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations bill. The availability of these resources across several different categories of federal funding has resulted in the withdrawal of RIDOT’s request for a STIP Major Amendment, as proposed in January 2019. RIDOT has requested additional time to consider how to best utilize these added transportation funds to support their program of projects. It is anticipated that RIDOT will return to the Transportation Advisory Committee and State Planning Council for a Major Amendment to the STIP in the near term with a modified request that reflects available resources.
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority’s (RIPTA) portion of the request to Amend the FFY 2018-2027 STIP remains as Amendment #11. However, the changes requested by RIPTA alone reclassify the Amendment from a Major Amendment to a Minor Amendment. Minor Amendments require a 10-day public comment period and do not require a public hearing, prior to discussion and approval by the Transportation Advisory Committee. Public notification of RIPTA’s request was issued as part of the Major Amendment released on January 25, 2019 by the Division of Statewide Planning.
To summarize the remaining components of Minor Amendment #11, RIPTA’s Amendment request proposes to increase funding in several categories of the STIP to reflect successful grant awards to RIPTA from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) including $1.5 million in FTA 5339 Low Emission Bus Program funds, $4.18 million in FTA 5339 Bus and Bus Facilities Infrastructure funds for asset management and the East Side Bus tunnel, as well as $494,144 in FTA 5307 Passenger Ferry grant funds to support improvements to the Quonset Bulkhead utilized by the Rhode Island Fast Ferry. Additionally, RIPTA is requesting to shift project timelines, transfer funding, carry over funds between years, and remove previously obligated funds. None of these proposed changes reflect a modification in program priorities, bus routes, or bus scheduling.
Written statements may be filed with the Secretary of the Transportation Advisory Committee and mailed to Michael D’Alessandro, RI Dept. of Administration, Division of Statewide Planning, One Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908 or emailed to Michael.DAlessandro@doa.ri.gov. All comments on the STIP Minor Amendment must be received prior to the TAC’s meeting on February 28, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
The proposed amendment is available for review at www.planning.ri.gov or at the R.I. Division of Statewide Planning’s Office between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. A copy may also be obtained by calling (401) 222-2177.
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Linsey J. Callaghan
Secretary, Transportation Advisory Committee
February 22, 2019