About
The Capital Regional Transportation Council
The Capital Regional Transportation Council is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) carrying out federal requirements for cooperative transportation planning and programming within the metropolitan area that includes Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga (except the Town of Moreau and the Village of South Glens Falls), and Schenectady Counties. The Transportation Council is a forum for local elected officials and transportation representatives to share ideas and make decisions about major transportation capital investments. The Transportation Council is required by federal law and supported with federal funding. The MPO’s core products include the Long Range Transportation Plan (In Motion), Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).
For a full understanding of how the Transportation Council operates, read our Reference Guide, or contact us.
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The In Motion Plan will:
- Provide a framework for managing and investing in the region’s multi-modal transportation system for a 25+ year planning horizon
- Assess the performance of the existing regional multi-modal transportation system
- Propose planning and policy strategies to meet the region’s economic, transportation, development, and sustainability goals
- Provide robust public outreach and engagement opportunities at all phases of the plan
- Assess and project future conditions of the region’s transportation system and finances
- Conform with air quality requirements
- Include a Financial Plan
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The In Motion Plan will address national performance goals, including:
- Safety – As the Transportation Council develops its Vision Zero Plan, all projects and priorities identified within the MTP must align with the Vision Zero goals of eliminating crashes that result in fatalities or serious injuries.
- Infrastructure Condition – Projects within the MTP aim to ensure that all transportation infrastructure, from sidewalks to roads, bridges, and transit, remain in a state of good repair.
- Congestion Reduction – through targeted roadway improvements, advanced technologies, and alternatives to single occupancy vehicles, the MTP will help to alleviate congestion.
- System Reliability – It is not enough to be able to get where you want to go sometimes. The MTP and its projects will help ensure that the transportation system is resilient and reliable at all times, especially as extreme weather events increasingly threaten and disrupt travel.
- Freight Movement and Economic Vitality – The ability to import and export goods from the region is critical to growing the region’s economy, and the MTP will identify strategies to improve freight movements into, out of, and through the region.
- Environmental Sustainability – Transportation is largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, as a sector, in the U.S. and Capital Region. The MTP will consider the impact that the transportation system has on air quality, rare and sensitive habitats, and natural resources to ensure a cleaner, more sustainable future.
- Reduced Project Delivery Delays – reduce project costs and promote economic growth.
Why Now?
The Capital Region has been named a “forward ready” metropolitan area and ranked among the top 25 in best places to live in the United States and best place to live in New York. The region has steadily developed and evolved as a thriving metropolitan area at the intersection of transportation, recreation, culture, and government. As the region continues to grow and diversify, the need for a comprehensive and forward-looking plan for the region’s transportation system has become more crucial. A MTP must build upon the region’s unique strengths and address the challenges of an aging population, stagnant growth, changing climate, growing inequality, and rapid technological and cultural change. The MTP is updated every five years and determine what types of transportation projects and investments will be eligible for federal funds.
