Long Range Transportation Plan 2023 Update: Connecting People and Places

• How to be Involved

• What is a Long Range Transporation Plan (LRTP)?

• What Does the LRTP Do?

• LRTP Update Draft

  • Draft Documents
    • First Section Draft presented to WATS TC on 5/23/22 and WATS CC on 6/13/22  
    • ​Second Section Draft presented to WATS TC on 9/26/22 and WATS CC on 10/17/22
    • Third Section Draft presented to WATS TC on 1/30/23 and WATS CC on 2/13/23
    • Full Document First Draft presented to WATS TC on 4/24/23 and WATS CC on 5/8/23
  • Web Version (In Progress)
    • Chapter 1 - Introduction
    • Chapter 2 - Planning Context
    • Chapter 3 - System Condition
    • Chapter 4 - Implementation

• Mapping

• Prior WATS LRTP

Every five years, as required by federal law, the Lycoming County Department of Planning and Community Development updates the Williamsport Area Transportation Study (WATS) Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The current LRTP was adopted December 17, 2018.

Transportation infrastructure is arguably the most critical segment of public infrastructure. Whether it is being used to access employment, homes, commerce, medical services, recreation, or industry, the transportation system serves as the links that bind our modern society together. Transportation investments produce significant impacts on community and economic development patterns, public safety and security and the availability of travel choices offered to the public. Overall transportation needs can be complex and ever changing so the planning process needs to rely on accurate and current data-driven methods. This approach allows for correctly identifying problems and targeting sustainable and cost effective solutions to those problems. This plan shall serve as a framework for guiding a transportation planning process that yields positive community results when formulating and assessing transportation options and making the best possible choices.

What Does the LRTP Do?

It is the WATS MPO’s intent that this WATS Long Range Transportation Plan consider the above characteristics to foster efficient mobility and access for people and goods throughout the county, promote regional intermodal connectivity, ensure efficient system performance and adequate preservation, promote economic development and public safety as well as maintain the County’s outstanding quality of life.

This Long Range Plan is critical toward achieving Lycoming County’s comprehensive plan vision during a 20 year planning horizon by realizing managed and well planned growth and development through the adoption of sound public policies that target strategic infrastructure investments consistent with federal, state and local planning factors. Given scarce transportation funding resources at all governmental levels, the plan will enable transportation decision-makers to prioritize competing needs and make the best use of available funding to address the most important transportation needs.

Draft LRTP

Chapter 1 - Introduction

An overview of Williamsport Area Transportation Study

A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is a planning body composed of elected and appointed officials representing local, state and federal governments or other agencies having an interest or responsibility in the local transportation system. Federal law and regulations require the establishment of these Metropolitan Planning Organizations to oversee the transportation planning processes in all urbanized areas of the nation having a population of 50,000 or more persons as documented by the U.S. Bureau of the Census as part of the decennial census. The Williamsport Area Transportation Study (WATS) serves as the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Williamsport Urbanized area established under a legal agreement with PennDOT approved in 1968. The WATS jurisdictional boundary was further extended in 1991 to encompass the entire geographic area of Lycoming County. Therefore, the federal transportation planning and programming process within Lycoming County is undertaken by WATS, including the development and approval of this Long Range Transportation Plan.

The MPO is responsible for creating a Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and a Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). An MPO can be a regional, multicounty organization or a single county. The Williamsport Area Transportation Study (WATS) is the single county MPO covering Lycoming County. Lycoming County encompasses a land mass that is geographically larger (1,246 square miles; 796,387 acres) than any other county in Pennsylvania and is even larger than the State of Rhode Island. The multi-modal transportation network connects a small core urbanized area with outlying suburban areas and a large rural area.  The transportation system consists of highways and bridges, public fixed route transit, shared ride van service, freight railroads, a commercial service airport, a general aviation public use airport, and multiuse trails.

The role of WATS MPO is to develop transportation policies, programs and projects which move people and goods in a safe, efficient manner, promote economic development, protect the environment, and preserve Lycoming County’s outstanding quality of life amenities.

Purpose of a Long Range Transportation Plan

Federal law and regulations require the development of Long Range Transportation Plans (LRTP) as part of statewide and metropolitan planning programs. The plan explores transportation system investment needs and outlines a strategy regarding how best to address the needs. It also serves as the official plan for a metropolitan area. Federal funding for certain types of transportation capital project improvements (highways, bridges and public transit) cannot be approved unless these projects are identified in the LRTP adopted by a Metropolitan Planning Organization. This plan will fulfill the federal requirement for the development of a Long Range Transportation Plan for the Williamsport metropolitan area, the County of Lycoming, and WATS MPO.

Federal regulations require that Long Range Transportation Plans:

• Consider all transportation modes
• Cover at least a 20 year time period
• Consider ten key planning factors
• Be fiscally constrained
• Provide for public participation
• Be updated at least every five years in air quality attainment areas such as Lycoming County

WATS MPO Planning Process

WATS MPO is organizationally structured with two Committees; a Technical Committee and a Coordinating Committee with functions and membership defined by the MPO bylaws. In addition, WATS bylaws provide for two advisory committees.

Technical Committee

The purpose of the Technical Committee is to oversee the development of detailed transportation planning documents, special studies and other technical analysis that documents multi-modal transportation issues and needs and provide advice and recommendations to the Coordinating Committee. All action items presented to the Coordinating Committee are first reviewed and approved by the Technical Committee.

The PennDOT Center for Program Development and Management Representative serves as Chair of the Technical Committee.

The Technical Committee voting members are designated by their respective member organizations and serve without term limits at the discretion of their member organizations. Each member organization designates the individual serving on the Technical Committee as their voting member at the beginning of each calendar year and provides written documentation to the WATS MPO Chairman for WATS MPO files maintained by the Lycoming County Planning and Community Development Department. Member organizations designate an alternate voting member that may vote on behalf of the designated member in the case where the designated voting member is unable to attend a specific meeting.

Non-voting members of the Technical Committee receive WATS reports and meeting notices and agendas and participate in WATS discussions, but serve without a vote.

Coordinating Committee

The purpose of the Coordinating Committee is to review and act upon the recommendations of the Technical Committee and serve as the official policy decision-making body of the WATS MPO.

The PennDOT Engineering District 3-0 Executive serves as Chair of the Coordinating Committee.

Again, the Coordinating Committee voting members shall be designated by their respective member organizations and serve without term limits at the discretion of their member organizations. Each member organization designates the individual(s) serving on the Coordinating Committee as their voting member(s) at the beginning of each calendar year and provides written documentation to the WATS MPO Chairman for WATS MPO files maintained by the Lycoming County Planning and Community Development Department. Member organizations also designate an alternate voting member that may vote on behalf of the designated voting member in the case where the designated voting member is unable to attend a specific meeting.

Non-voting members of the Coordinating Committee receive WATS MPO reports and meeting notices and agendas and participate in WATS MPO discussions, but serve without vote.

The WATS MPO Coordinating Committee may establish advisory committees, ad hoc work groups, special purpose task forces or steering committees to gather specialized experience, technical advice and input that may be needed to help carry forth transportation planning related activities under the jurisdiction of the WATS MPO transportation planning process. The WATS MPO has established a Transit Advisory Committee that is comprised of WATS members, transit providers and various social service organizations to provide input and recommendations to the WATS MPO on public transit issues and needs in Lycoming County.

Advisory Committees

Transit Advisory Committee

The primary purpose of the transit advisory committee is to review transportation services provided by the fixed-route provider River Valley Transit and the shared-ride operator STEP, Inc. for all passengers, especially for individuals with disabilities.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee

The WATS MPO approved a bylaws amendment in September 2017 creating a new Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee to provide input to the technical and coordinating committees on prioritization of bicycle and pedestrian projects in Lycoming County.

WATS Administrative Duties

The administrative duties of the WATS MPO are conducted by the Lycoming County Planning and Community Development Department. The primary staff contact for the Department on WATS MPO administrative matters is the Lycoming County Transportation Planning Supervisor who acts as WATS Secretary.

The Lycoming County Planning and Community Development Department is responsible for the following primary WATS MPO administrative duties.

< >Develop and conduct all transportation planning work tasks contained in the WATS MPO approved Unified Planning Work Program contract that is executed between the County of Lycoming and PennDOT. The County of Lycoming subcontracts with the City of Williamsport to perform the Federal Transit Administration funded UPWP transit planning work tasks undertaken by River Valley Transit. Schedule, publicly advertise and convene all WATS MPO public meetings in accordance with the WATS MPO approved Public Participation Plan. All official business of the WATS MPO takes place at publicly advertised meetings to ensure opportunity for public comment. Prepare and distribute meeting agendas and related materials.Ensure that all WATS MPO adopted plans, programs and policies are implemented.

Structure of This Plan

This plan has been intentionally structured in such a way to facilitate a data-driven, problem-solution approach to planning.  The general structure of the plan will mirror that of the statewide Long Range Transportation Plan Pennsylvania 2045 (2021).

Planning Context

Chapter Two of this plan will first provide an overview of the transportation planning environment of Lycoming County in regards to state and federal government planning priorities, local planning priorities, demographic and economic development trends, and potential environmental impacts.

Multimodal Transportation System Inventory

Chapter Three of this plan will provide an inventory of existing transportation assets and services, assess the overall condition and adequacy of these transportation assets and services and us this as a basis to identify deficiencies and needs.

Strategic Direction and Implementation

The fourth and final chapter of this plan will begin by summarizing the planning goals, objectives and needs identified in Chapter 2 and system deficiencies identified in Chapter 3.  Based on these factors, strategic directions for Lycoming County transportation investment over the next 20 years will be set. The strategic directions of the plan will also include a scenario analysis providing for different recommended implementation strategies based on three different potential futures for Lycoming County.

Then, the plan will outline the project programming process and a staged 20 year transportation capital improvements program will be developed in a manner that is fiscally constrained. The plan’s public involvement process and Title VI environmental justice outreach efforts will be documented.

Prior Long Range Transportation Plan (2018-2038):

The prior WATS Long Range Transportation plan was adopted in 2018 and is available for review by clicking this link.