Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Organization

Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
Name	Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
Abbreviation	RVAMPO
Formation	1964
Type	Metropolitan planning organization
Headquarters	Roanoke, Virginia
Region served	Roanoke Valley, Virginia
Leader title	Executive Director

Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Organization The Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Organization serves as the federally required transportation planning body for the Roanoke Valley region, coordinating long-range planning, short-range programming, and performance-based planning among localities such as Roanoke, Virginia, Salem, Virginia, Botetourt County, Virginia, Franklin County, Virginia, and Bedford County, Virginia. It operates within the federal framework established by the United States Department of Transportation, aligns investment priorities with the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act and the Metropolitan Planning Organization requirements, and interacts with state agencies including the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

Overview

The organization functions as the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the Roanoke urbanized area and adjacent jurisdictions, producing a regional Long-Range Transportation Plan and a Transportation Improvement Program that integrate multimodal strategies for highways, transit, bicycle networks, and pedestrian facilities across jurisdictions such as Salem, Virginia and Roanoke County, Virginia. It convenes elected officials from member jurisdictions including representatives from City of Roanoke, City of Salem, Virginia, and county boards such as Botetourt County Board of Supervisors to set policy, prioritize projects, and secure federal funding through programs administered by agencies like the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.

History and Formation

The MPO traces its origins to regional planning initiatives of the 1960s that followed passage of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962 and the establishment of federal metropolitan planning requirements; local coordination among entities such as the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, and municipal governments formalized the MPO structure to comply with directives from the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Over subsequent decades it evolved in response to legislation such as the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 and the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, expanding its technical capabilities and stakeholder roles to address transit systems like the Greater Roanoke Transit Company and infrastructural needs along corridors connected to the Blue Ridge Parkway and interstate systems including Interstate 81 in Virginia.

Governance and Organizational Structure

Governance is vested in a policy board composed of elected officials and appointed representatives from member localities including Roanoke City Council, Salem City Council, and county boards like the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, with ex officio participation by state agencies such as the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. The MPO staff, led by an executive director, provides technical analysis using data sources from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and regional partners such as the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, while advisory committees—often drawing members from organizations like the American Public Transportation Association and local planning commissions—address transportation equity and environmental protection concerns in coordination with entities like the National Park Service for corridor impacts near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Planning Activities and Programs

Core activities include development of the federally mandated Long-Range Transportation Plan and the Transportation Improvement Program, performance measures aligned with Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, congestion management planning, and air quality conformity analyses in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The MPO administers planning for transit service improvements in partnership with operators such as the Greater Roanoke Transit Company, bicycle and pedestrian network planning tied to local initiatives like the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission and trail projects connected to the Appalachian Trail, and freight planning that links regional industrial centers to railroads including Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation.

Transportation Projects and Priorities

Priority projects typically address capacity, safety, and multimodal access on corridors including segments of U.S. Route 220 in Virginia, U.S. Route 419, and connections to Interstate 581, while also funding bridge replacements, intersection improvements, and transit facility upgrades for operators like Greater Roanoke Transit Company. Emphasis in recent plans has included Complete Streets strategies influenced by guidance from organizations such as the Congress for the New Urbanism and funding for active transportation projects protected under programs administered by the Federal Highway Administration and rural connectivity initiatives tied to agencies like the Economic Development Administration.

Funding and Budget

Funding sources include federal formula funds from programs under the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, state matching funds from the Virginia Department of Transportation, and local contributions from member jurisdictions such as Roanoke City, Salem, Virginia, and Botetourt County, Virginia. The MPO’s budget supports planning, modeling, public engagement, and project development activities, and is responsive to discretionary grant opportunities such as those offered by the U.S. Department of Transportation and competitive programs linked to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Regional Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

The MPO convenes stakeholders including elected bodies like Roanoke City Council, regional commissions such as the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, transit agencies like the Greater Roanoke Transit Company, freight partners including Norfolk Southern Railway, advocacy groups such as the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and federal agencies including the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration to coordinate investments, conduct public outreach, and integrate land use and transportation planning with institutions like Virginia Tech and the Carilion Clinic. Public engagement utilizes meetings, open houses, and technical advisory committees to solicit input from neighborhood associations, business groups such as the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, and civic organizations while aligning plans with state and federal regulatory frameworks administered by entities like the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Category:Transportation planning organizations in the United States