The URL can be used to link to this page

Browse Search

Home My WebLink About20073123.tiff e1 U.S. Department Federal Transit Administration Federal Highway Administration Region VIII Colorado Division of Transportation 12300 West Dakota Ave. 12300 West Dakota Ave. Suite 310 Suite 180 Lakewood,Colorado 80228 Lakewood,Colorado 80228 (720)963-3300 (720)963-3000 Mr. Rob Masden, Chairman Upper Front Range TPR c c P 25 2��7 P.O. Box 758 Greeley, CO 80632 Dear Mr. Masden: Subject: Approval of DRCOG Metropolitan Planning Area Boundary in Weld County We are writing this letter as a follow-up to our May 14, 2007, meeting with the Weld County Commissioners concerning the Denver Regional Council of Governments' (DRCOG) pending Metropolitan Planning Area(MPA) boundary change. As proposed, the revised MPA boundary includes portions of southwest Weld County. As you recall, it was requested that Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) meet with the Weld County Commissioners and staff about this issue. We stressed at the meeting that action to finalize the revised MPA boundary needs to occur now since DRCOG was directed to do so no later than the next scheduled DRCOG transportation plan update after October 2002, or within three years, whichever occurs first. Since our meeting, a new urgency has developed to settle this issue. During the summer 2007 ozone season, the area included in the 8-hour Ozone Early Action Compact Area(EAC), including Weld County, exceeded the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The expected result is the EAC area will be designated nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS later this year. Work is now beginning on the development of the State Implementation Plan (SIP) to -- demonstrate attainment of the ozone NAAQS. For the first time in Colorado, air quality conformity of regional transportation plans and transportation improvement programs will be done within a nonattainment area that includes DRCOG,NFRMPO and the Upper Front Range Transportation Planning Region(TPR). The discussion is starting on how to organize the emission budget in the SIP and coordinate conformity between two MPOs and the TPR. Therefore, it is imperative to know the updated boundaries of DRCOG, NFRMPO and the Upper Front Range TPR soon, since they will be used in the SIP development as well as to define the process how air quality conformity determinations will be coordinated within the entire nonattainment area. It is also important to again point out that action taken on the DRCOG MPA boundary does not mandate any county or municipal jurisdiction to join DRCOG as a member government. We also want to note the DRCOG Mile High Accord is a not a federal requirement, nor would any jurisdiction within the DRCOG MPA be required to sign on to it. DRCOG is, however, required by federal law and regulation to draw a metropolitan planning area (MPA)boundary that encompasses the existing urbanized area and the contiguous area expected to become urbanized within a 20-year 47ovi�u ra-4 rd ` U 3 ,a ( t `A� 2007-3123 ' `- / 7L forecast period. Southwest Weld County is well known to be experiencing extremely fast population growth, both before and after the 2000 Census. Dacono was classified by the Census Bureau as an Urban Cluster in the 2000 Census, and the town is currently outside of the DRCOG MPA. Furthermore, Dacono and the surrounding communities of Frederick and Firestone are not included within the MPA of another MPO. Since these southwest Weld County communities are located between the DRCOG boundary to the south and the North Front Range MPO boundary to the north, analysis was done that shows a predominance of workers commuting into the DRCOG region. The consequences to the TPR of noncompliance with adjusting the DRCOG MPA boundary may be FHWA and FTA being unable to authorize federal-aid transportation projects. Furthermore, the MPA boundary issue may impact the TPR if an air quality conformity determination for the TPR transportation plan cannot be done and the region lapses under the Clean Air Act. The end result of a lapse is again FHWA and FTA being unable to authorize federal-aid transportation projects. We want to emphasize that approval of DRCOG's adjusted MPA boundary is needed now to accomplish the transportation planning and air quality tasks at hand. FHWA and FTA are available to assist our planning partners in achieving closure to this issue. We also want to assist the TPR in determining how to accomplish the modeling and air quality conformity requirements due to the pending designation as an ozone nonattainment area. Please contact Mr. William Haas, at(720) 963-3016, or Mr. David Beckhouse, at (720) 963-3306, for assistance or questions. Sincerely yours, dki://piij (),..-Terry Rosapep David A. Nicol, P.E. v Regional Administrator Division Administrator Federal Transit Administration Federal Highway Administration Enclosure cc: Carla Perez, Governor Ritter's Office David Long, Weld County Commissioner Douglas Rademacher, Weld County Commissioner ✓ Bill Jerke, Weld County Commissioner Bill Garcia, Weld County Commissioner Kathay Rennels, Larimer County Commissioner Randy Eubanks, Larimer County Commissioner Glenn Gibson, Larimer County Commissioner Andy Anderson, Morgan County Commissioner Jon Becker, Morgan County Commissioner Tony Carlson, Morgan County Commissioner Drew Scheltinga, Weld County Mark Peterson, Larimer County Jennifer Schaufele, DRCOG George Scheuemstuhl, DRCOG Steve Rudy, DRCOG Ann Skinner, CDOT Gail Hoffinan, CDOT Kathy Engelson, CDOT Jennifer Finch, CDOT Hello