Planning & Zoning - Augusta Regional Transportation Study Overview

Augusta
Planning & Zoning

What is the Augusta Regional Transportation Study?

Augusta Regional Transportation Study Overview

Organization

The Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) requires involvement by policy makers, technical staff, and citizens in order to address the various aspects of the transportation planning process. The Augusta-Richmond County Planning Commission, recognized as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Transportation and the South Carolina Department of Transportation, is responsible for carrying out the transportation planning process. The Study itself is arranged in a three committee organizational structure to insure proper participation of those whose involvement is required in the Study.

The ARTS is under the general policy guidance of the Policy Committee. This committee is responsible for insuring that future plans are functionally sound, financially feasible, and generally conform with the goals and objectives of the state, region, and local community. The Policy Committee also provides guidance and leadership for implementation.

The Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) is charged with the responsibility of reviewing the Study, furnishing progress information to the Policy Committee and the Citizens Advisory Committee, and providing to the Policy Committee technical assistance in assessing the problem of implementing alternative proposals. The TCC is a committee of technical persons, and its role is to bring together and coordinate all the special skills and training necessary to develop a comprehensive transportation plan. As plans and alternatives are prepared and approved by this committee, they are presented to the respective legislative authorities to gain approval.

One component of the ARTS public involvement policy, the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), is designed to function as an information dissemination and reaction group. Their review of social, economic, and environmental aspects of transportation projects is an important consideration for the Policy and Technical Coordinating Committees in altering and updating the Augusta Regional Transportation Study. The role of the CAC and the other public involvement activities are significant in the planning process. Community acceptance for conclusions reached in the Study update depends on the effectiveness of the overall public involvement process.

The ARTS area includes the urbanized portions of Aiken County, South Carolina, and Columbia and Richmond Counties in Georgia. In 1982, the original ARTS area was expanded to include the City of Aiken and the connecting corridor from Aiken to Augusta, which were added to the Augusta urbanized area by the 1980 Census. Although all portions of the area have representation on the three committees, in the past the level of activity has been much greater within the boundaries of the original study area. Due to increasing transportation needs in the expanded ARTS area, a complete data base was recently developed for the entire ARTS area and the models have also been expanded to include the entire area.

ARTS Agency Participation

Staff services for the ARTS are provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation, the South Carolina Department of Transportation, the Aiken County Planning and Development Department, and the Augusta-Richmond County Planning Commission. The staff workload is the responsibility of the Project Director, who is the Executive Director of the Augusta-Richmond County Planning Commission. The workload is developed, supervised, and reviewed by the Project Director in conformance with the study process. The Augusta-Richmond County Planning Commission staff includes professionals trained and experienced in transportation planning, who have as their primary charge the technical work necessary to keep the Study relevant.

The Aiken County Planning & Development Department staff is responsible for elements of the Study in the portion of the study area in Aiken County. The local transportation planners work directly with the responsible planners on staff of the Georgia Department of Transportation and the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Both Georgia DOT and the South Carolina DOT have professional planners who coordinate state aspects of any studies and assist in the preparation of technical analysis techniques, as well as play a major role in the development and utilization of the computer models for the Study. The relationship between the staffs of these agencies is yet another reflection of the cooperative nature of the Study.

ARTS Issues, Goals and Objectives

In order for the ARTS to be effective and successful, its activities and programs must address and attempt to solve community transportation problems in accordance with established goals and objectives. On a large scale of observation, the transportation issues and problems in the ARTS area reflect the recent experience of most urban areas. Rapid, dispersed growth and near total dependence upon the automobile has surpassed the ability to provide adequate transportation facilities and has made the promotion of public transportation as a viable alternative a greater challenge.

The Augusta Regional Transportation Study is working toward solutions for many local transportation issues including the following:

Growth of the Augusta metropolitan area has changed the pattern and magnitude of travel to such an extent that congestion relief has become an ever increasing issue.
Necessary resources for transportation projects have not kept pace with the need for improvements, leading to searches for new sources of funds and development of transportation demand management strategies to try to reduce demand.
Balancing the need for transportation projects with adequate consideration for the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the projects is an ever present concern.
Building a process that leads to meaningful citizen participation has been difficult to maintain.
Transit usage has remained relatively constant in spite of the improvements that have been made, while operating costs have increased.
Providing transportation services for the disabled presents a challenge, but direction has been received through the ADA act.
Conflict between railroads and vehicular movement has severely impacted downtown redevelopment in Augusta.

In order to address these and other issues as an integral part of the transportation planning process, the ARTS developed a series of goals and objectives. These goals and objectives provide guidance for all elements of the transportation planning program and serve as benchmarks by which the accomplishment of the program can be evaluated.