1. Its All About Geography or Ed J. Christopher Midwestern Resource Center Federal Highway Administration 19900 Governors Drive Olympia Fields, IL 60461 708-283-3534 edc@edthefed.com ed.christopher@fhwa.dot.gov September 7, 2005 Lets talk about Urban Area Boundaries

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

3. 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

4. Corporate Limits

5. 1990 Urbanized Area

6. 1990 Adjusted Urban

7. MPO Planning Area

8. 2000 Urbanized Based on the preliminary criteria

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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: www.census.gov/geo/www/ua/ua_2k.html

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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. -----------

21. 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. 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

23. 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)

24. 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

25. Implications for Transportation

26. 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)

27. 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

28. 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 404-562-3667 All MPA Boundaries should be done by now

29. 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 202-366-5001

30. 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

31. HPMS Data Reporting At least Update to 2000 Urbanized Area (UZA) or Adjusted UZA and let your FHWA Division know ASAP Contact: Paul Svercl 202-366-5036 Contact: Paul Svercl 202-366-5036

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

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

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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 202-366-2053 Could be changing due to SAFETEALU

37. 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 202-366-9881 Could be changing due to SAFETEALU

38. http://www.gis.fhwa.dot.gov/ Where Can I See My Boundaries?

52. http://www.edthefed.com/uza.html Where Can I Learn More?