What's New

(Transportation Improvement Program)

 

 LATE ADDITION

   

BCATS' Technical & Policy Committees reviewed & acted upon the sixteenth amendment to BCATS FY17-20 TIP at their May 2019 meetings, with official Policy Committee approval 5/22/19.  The Am#B16 changes were outlined in a public notice, published in the Battle Creek Enquirer on Friday, 5/3/19, page 4A; the text of the notice may be read here.

 

Just after the Policy Committee meeting of May 22nd, it was determined that a 28.8% increase in the FY 2019 combined Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 and City of Battle Creek operating assistance to Battle Creek Transit, must be amended to the current TIP.  FTA and the City each provide $1,362,313, half of the new total $2,724,626.  The City share is from general fund (~$980,000) plus ~$383,000 BCT farebox, with minimal advertising and other non-transit revenue.

 

It was first thought this change to FY19 Transit Operating Assistance for BCT - Fed+Local could be amended to the FY17-20 TIP with BCATS next scheduled TIP amendment in July 2019.  However, it was learned the updated FY19 transit operating dollar figures must be official & approved in the TIP as soon as possible, in order to match BCT's FY19 Operating grant application due to FTA by June 16, 2019. 

 

Accordingly, given this extenuating circumstance, this change is to be a LATE ADDITION to the FY17-20 TIP Amendment #B16/J7 (approved by BCATS Policy Committee 5/22/19).  An electronic poll of BCATS Technical and Policy Committee members is underway to solicit any objections to this action.

 

Public comments are also welcome, by e-mail to bcats@bcatsmpo.org, or telephone 269/963-1158, before 9:00am Monday, June 3, 2019.  Given no substantive objections to the added revision of the FY19 Transit Operating Assistance, the full FY17-20 TIP Amendment #B16/J7, with the late addition, will promptly be transmitted to MDOT for review then on to the Federal oversight agencies for final approval. 

 

BCATS Announces Next Steps for

FY 2020-2023

Transportation Improvement Program

 

BCATS is pleased to provide its SECOND newsletter describing the process underway for development of the next 4-year transportation project programming document, the Transportation Improvement Program or TIP, for the BCATS area.

 

Click HERE or on the image below to view a pdf of the April newsletter.

 

 

THE DETAILED DRAFT FY20-23 TIP PROJECT LIST CAN BE VIEWED HERE.

 

 

REQUEST FOR COMMENTS ON TRANSPORTATION CONFORMITY ANALYSIS

 

THE BATTLE CREEK AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY (BCATS) HEREBY GIVES NOTICE of opportunity for public involvement relative to the 1997 Ozone NAAQS Transportation Conformity Analysis for the BCATS 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan and the 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program.  Per a court decision termed “South Coast II,” the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) must now require transportation conformity determinations for the 1997 ozone ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for those areas that were maintenance areas for ozone when the 1997 ozone NAAQS was revoked and then were attainment for the 2008 and 2015 NAAQS.  Kalamazoo County, Calhoun County, and Van Buren County fall into this designation and are termed the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek MI Conformity Area for the purposes of this requirement.  For the BCATS area, this means that the BCATS 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan and the 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program were analyzed in accordance with 40 CFR 51 for air quality conformity.  The results of the conformity analysis conducted by the Michigan Dept. of Transportation demonstrates that the forecasted volatile organic compound (VOC) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions for all analysis years are below the State Implementation Plan (SIP) budgets for these emissions.  This reflects the determination for the entire Kalamazoo-Battle Creek MI Conformity Area.

 

The Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS) is separately conducting public involvement outreach relative to this Air Quality Conformity Analysis.  BCATS is posting the Air Quality Conformity Analysis document (which is for the entire Kalamazoo-Battle Creek MI Conformity area) on the homepage of its website at https://www.bcatsmpo.org where it can be reviewed.  A copy of the document is also available for review at the BCATS staff office.  Discussion & action regarding the Air Quality Conformity Analysis will be conducted at the regular meetings of BCATS’ Technical Committee (Wednesday 2/13/19) and Policy Committee (Wednesday 2/27/19), beginning at 1:30 pm in the Council Chambers of Springfield City Hall at 601 Avenue A.  Public comment is encouraged before or at those meetings; BCATS' regular meetings are open to the public.  Comments will be accepted up to Policy Committee action on 2/27/19.  Direct questions and/or comments to:  BCATS, 601 Avenue A, Springfield, MI 49037; ph 269/963-1158, fax 269/963-4951, e-mail bcats@bcatsmpo.org.

 

To review the Air Quality Conformity Analysis document - Click Here

 

   BCATS' Technical & Policy Committees reviewed & approved Am#B15 at their March 2019 meetings, with official Policy Committee approval 3/27/19.  The amendment was transmitted to MDOT for review then on to the Federal Highway Administration for final approval, granted 4/18/19.  All the TIP projects as amended may now proceed towards implementation.  The Am#B15 changes were outlined in a public notice, published in the Battle Creek Enquirer on Sunday, 3/10/19, page B4.  The text of the notice may be read here.  As no transit projects were amended, no Federal Transit Administration approval was required. 

 

   BCATS' FY17-20 TIP was amended in November with changes outlined in a public notice published in the Battle Creek Enquirer on Sunday 11/11/18, page B2.  The text of that notice can be viewed here.  Amendment #B13/J4 was approved by BCATS Policy Committee on 11/28/18 and by the Federal Highway Administration & Federal Transit Administration on 12/18/18.

 

BCATS' FY17-20 TIP was amended in September with changes outlined in a public notice in the Battle Creek Enquirer of 9/7/18.  The text of that notice can be viewed here.  Amendment #12B was approved by BCATS Policy Committee on 9/26/18 and by the Federal Highway Administration & Federal Transit Administration on 10/11/18.