Its All About Geography or Ed J. Christopher Midwestern Resource Center Federal Highway Administration Governors Drive Olympia Fields, IL September 7, 2005 Lets talk about Urban Area Boundaries

Today Go Over Some Basics Identify Any Issues Try to Answer Your Questions

Handout Frequently Asked Questions (March 31, 2003 version) o Definitions oMapping UZA and MPA Boundaries o  Mapping UZA and MPA Boundaries oMPO Designations for New Urbanized Areas o MPO Designations for New Urbanized Areas o Adjustments to Existing MPA Boundaries oDesignation of New TMA’s o Designation of New TMA’s oImpacts on Plan and TIP o Impacts on Plan and TIP oAir Quality Non-Attainment and Conformity o Air Quality Non-Attainment and Conformity oImpact on funding o Impact on funding oAdjustments to Urbanized Area Boundary o Adjustments to Urbanized Area Boundary

Corporate Limits

1990 Urbanized Area

1990 Adjusted Urban

MPO Planning Area

2000 Urbanized Based on the preliminary criteria

Why is this Important? Urbanized Area Sets Population Count Sets Population Count for Money to Identify MPOs / TMAs What's in – What's Not, but Could be x

Why is this Important? FEDERALY-Its Not -But it was -But it was Speed Limits Road Funding Data Reporting Functional Classifications Billboard Control ??? For States and MPOs it’s a Whole Different Story Adjusted Urban

MPO Planning Area Why is this Important? Sets MPO Area of Responsibility For Planning For Programming For Programming Overall Governance

Lets Look at This FEDERALY-Its Not -But is it? -But is it? Data Reporting Functional Classifications Crash Statistics---Mobility Study---FMSCA/NHTSA Crash Statistics---Mobility Study---FMSCA/NHTSA Adjusted UZA vs.. Census UZA Issue for Data Reporting: Everyone does it different

Question Facing ALL of Us Do we really Do we really need to have an need to have an Adjusted Boundary at all? Adjusted Boundary at all? SAFETEALU appears to be quiet on this issue from what I can find so far Adjusted UZA vs. Census UZA Issue for Data Reporting: Everyone does it different

How was the Urbanized How was the Urbanized Area Developed, by Area Developed, by Who and Why? Who and Why? The Census Bureau Did It!!! With a new Automated, Objective, Deterministic GIS based Process Urbanized Area

Definition of Urban and Rural  Since 1950, Criteria reviewed before each decennial census  Revisions reflect desire to improve urban/rural classification  Census Bureau identifies and tabulates data for the urban and rural population and territory solely for statistical presentation and comparison

Historic Development – Urban/Rural  New Criteria for Census 2000  March 28, 2001 Federal Register Notice Draft Criteria Substantial Number of Comments  July 27, 2001 Federal Register Notice Extended the Comment Period  March 15, 2002 Federal Register Notice Final Criteria  Federal Register Notices can be obtained at:

Census 2000 Urban/Rural Delineation Process  Designed to permit use of GIS software to determine the urban blocks Multi-step Process Eliminates subjectivity Requires uniform information nationwide

1990 Urban/Rural Criteria  Urbanized Areas Place or places and adjacent densely settled surrounding territory  Urban Places Incorporated or Census Designated Places outside an urbanized area with a population greater than 2,500 people  Rural Everything else

Census 2000 Urban and Rural  Urbanized Areas (UA) Densely settled core created from block groups or census blocks, and the adjacent densely settled surrounding territory up to 5 miles from the continuously developed core (with a density of 500 people per square mile) that together have a minimum population of 50,000 people.

Census 2000 Urban and Rural  Urban Clusters (UC) -- Urban Place Densely settled core created from block groups or census blocks, and the adjacent densely settled surrounding territory (with a density of 500 people per square mile) that together have a minimum of 2,500 people but fewer than 50,000 people

Major Changes to Urban/Rural Criteria  No Grandfathering 2000 UA/UCs delineated from scratch and do not automatically recognized previously existing (1990) urban territory  Why? A consistent set of areas Eliminate misinterpretations and errors from previous delineations done clerically that used complex and fairly subjective criteria GIS technology now allows automated delineation

22 Major Changes to Urban/Rural Criteria  Reduced Population Density Requirement in Adjoining Territory 500 people per square mile rather than previous 1,000 people per square mile  Why Account for common use of “green space” Lessen impact of large census block groups/blocks with an undeveloped portion Qualify areas with mixed land use in the same block

Major Changes to Urban/Rural Criteria  Jump Distance Increase/Added Hop Concept Jump distance increased from 1.5 to 2.5 miles and added the concept of an unmeasured break called a hop  Why Increased jump distance takes into account improved transportation networks and more prevalent use of “green space” Hops connect discontiguous qualifying areas where only a short distance (up to ½ mile) separates them because of parks, schools, and other non-residential land use. (Formalizes past practice)

Major Changes to Urban/Rural Criteria  Replaced Urban Places with Urban Clusters (UCs) UCs are lesser populated versions of UAs and are delineated using the same criteria in an automated environment  Why Use of places introduced bias depending on a state’s annexation and incorporation laws Urban areas are now built from geographic entities objectively and equitably Depict settlement patters in and around areas with a population of 2,500 or more

Implications for Transportation

New MPOs (UZA) Census UZA Published (May 1, 2002) 12 Month Gestation Period Governance-- Bylaws, Membership, Planning Area Developing Work Plan Work with State on TIP Three-years out (Oct. 2005) Meet All Planning Requirements (23 CFR 450)

New TMAs (UZA) July 8 th (2002) Secretary Designated in Federal Register TMA Funds Flow Regardless of Designation CMS Required within 12 Months (July 2003) Three years out--Federal Certification

Expanded MPOs & TMAs Most Issues are Case by Case Could Change Boards Revisit Your Bylaws MPO Planning Area Adjustments Formal Re-designation ??? Contact: John Humeston All MPA Boundaries should be done by now

Adjusted UZA Functional Classification Handled by States and Responsible Locals Agree to “Urban Area” Boundary Update Functional Classifications Submit through FHWA Divisions Major Principal Arterial Changes Approved by FHWA HQ No Statutory Timeline or Deadlines BUT… Contact: Bob Gorman

Functional Classification Functional Classification Adjusted UZA Adjusted UZA Think about what Think about what is going on with all is going on with all the data that we all the data that we all want and the analysis we want to do! want and the analysis we want to do! Adjusted UZA vs. Census UZA 1990 UZA1990 Adjusted UZA 2000 UZA2000 Adjusted UZA Some Flip Flop

HPMS Data Reporting At least Update to 2000 Urbanized Area (UZA) or Adjusted UZA and let your FHWA Division know ASAP Contact: Paul Svercl Contact: Paul Svercl

Funding and Financial Issues New Pop Numbers Used CMAQ(PL) STP Attributable FTA—53xx Could be changing due to SAFETEALU

CMAQ Funding Based on county population in non- attainment and maintenance areas Adjusted for severity Could be changing due to SAFETEALU

PL Funding Distribution To States Based on % of Urbanized Population of nation To MPOs Based on State formula State Formulas Due Oct 1 Could be changing due to SAFETEALU

STP Attributable Funding 50% of STP funds to areas based on share of population To TMAs based on the percentage of states population Further sub allocated based on percentage of each TMA Could be changing due to SAFETEALU

FTA Issues Continued 5307 (New TMAs) Funds go Directly to Area Operating Not Eligible (Note) One-percent Must be Enhancements 5307 (New Under 200K Areas) 5307 Used Instead of 5311 and Commingled based on trip O/D Contact: Mary Martha Churchman Could be changing due to SAFETEALU

Outdoor Advertising Requirements Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1958 Control of Outdoor Advertising began In 1975 Control tied to UZA Coordinated with the States (State/Federal agreements) Federal Contact: Brian O’Neill Could be changing due to SAFETEALU

Where Can I See My Boundaries?

Where Can I Learn More?