Arizona Department of Transportation

February, 2011

Transportation Consultation with Rural Officials

Transportation Consultation with Rural Officials

TABLE OF CONTENTS

N T S

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Definitions of Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
I.

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

II. Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
III. Planning Partners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Council of Governments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Metropolitan Planning Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

C O N T E

Indian Tribes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Rural Transportation Advocacy Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
IV. Planning Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Statewide Transportation Improvement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Five Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
V.

Consultation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

VI. Review of the Local Official Participation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Additional copies of this document may be obtained by contacting the following ADOT Division:
Multi-modal Panning, 206 S. 17TH Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602)712-73333
website: www.azdot.gov

Document layout by Jacobs®
Photographs courtesy of Jacobs: Cover, Pages 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 (top), 11 • Page photograph courtesy of A. Brutcher • All others courtesy of ADOT

Final Document 2-7-2011

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Transportation Consultation with Rural Officials

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• Consultation meetings will be held
within each COG/MPO region.
The objective of the meetings is to
present information and gather input
from elected and appointed officials.
• The COG/MPO, and ADOT, will
cooperatively agree on the timing
of meetings to coincide with key
decision points during the planning
and programming processes. ADOT
will, at a minimum, hold at least one
meeting per year in each COG and
MPO region.
• Meetings will be conducted in a
round-table format. When possible,
these meetings will occur prior to
or after the regularly scheduled
COG Regional Council or MPO
Executive Board meeting.
• ADOT will make every effort to
offer alternative methods to allow
local elected and appointed officials
to attend scheduled meetings.
This may include the use of videoconference, webinars, go to meeting,
and electronic versions of the
presentation with comment forms.
Final Document 2-7-2011

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is the primary decision maker
for federal-aid transportation plans and investments in non-metropolitan areas with
populations below 50,000. However, ADOT understands the importance of consulting
with local governments before, during, and after the decision making process to ensure
participation results in improved transportation system planning, performance and project
development. Therefore, ADOT has developed guidelines that outline the consultation
process, and defines how and when outreach will occur with officials from rural areas. The
highlighted column to the left is an abbreviated version of those guidelines.
The primary guidelines for state consultation with non-metropolitan local officials
are contained in the FHWA and FTA joint rulemaking, Statewide and Metropolitan
Planning: Part 450 Planning Assistance and Standards. (Federal Register: February 14,
2007, Part III). According to 23 CFR 450.210(b) At least once every five years (as of
February 24, 2006), the State shall review and solicit comments from nonmetropolitan
local officials and other interested parties for a period of not less than 60 calendar
days regarding the effectiveness of the consultation process and any proposed
changes. A specific request for comments shall be directed to the State association
of counties, State municipal league, regional planning agencies, or directly to
nonmetropolitan local officials.
It is intended that this document is subject to review and revision every 5 years. In the
event that Congress enacts new transportation language, this document will be subject to
immediate revision.
Click here to submit comments
about this document via email:

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Transportation Consultation with Rural Officials

D E F I N I T I O N S

DEFINITIONS

Final Document 2-7-2011

Non-metropolitan area – includes all
areas of the state that are located outside
of Arizona’s two (2) large metropolitan
areas (Phoenix/MAG and Tucson/PAG).
Non-metropolitan local officials – elected
and appointed officials of general
purpose local government and tribal
governments in non-metropolitan areas
with jurisdiction and responsibility for
transportation. In Arizona, elected and
appointed local officials are directly
involved through the Council of
Governments (COGs) and small urban
Metropolitan Planning Organizations
(MPOs). Those who may be involved in
the non-metropolitan local consultation
process include, but are not limited to,
the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Consultation – a process by which
ADOT will confer with
non-metropolitan local officials in
accordance with the established process
(described within this document).
Prior to formal adoption of the State
Long-Range Transportation Plan and
the State Transportation Improvement
Program/Five-Year Facilities
Construction Program, Arizona DOT
will consider the views of the
non-metropolitan local officials.
Periodical updates will also be provided
to the non-metropolitan local officials.

County Supervisors
City or Town Council Members
State Legislators
Mayors
State Transportation Board Members
Tribal Officials
Citizen Appointees and Advisory
Boards

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Transportation Consultation with Rural Officials

Transportation
Consultation with
Rural Officials
Final Policy
February, 2011

I. INTRODUCTION
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) recognizes
the importance of public outreach and communication, especially
as it relates to the transportation planning and programming
process. An open exchange of information among transportation
users and government officials leads to better decision-making
and more publically supported programs and projects. With
increasing demands on limited resources, transportation programs
and projects need public support through an open and inclusive
planning process.
ADOT developed the process of State Consultation with NonMetropolitan Local Officials to ensure the opportunity for
meaningful dialogue with local elected/appointed officials
and tribal governments during transportation planning and
programming activities, including the development of the
Statewide Long Range Transportation Plan and the State
Transportation Improvement Program/Five-Year Facilities
Construction Program. The Consultation process is separate
and discrete from the general public participation process as
well as from the participation process required by the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Final Document 2-7-2011

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Transportation Consultation with Rural Officials

II. LEGISLATION

1) At least once every five years (as of
February 24, 2006), the State shall
review and solicit comments from
nonmetropolitan local officials
and other interested parties for a
period of not less than 60 calendar
days regarding the effectiveness of
the consultation process and any
proposed changes. A specific request
for comments shall be directed to
the State association of counties,
State municipal league, regional
planning agencies, or directly to
nonmetropolitan local officials.
2) The State, at its discretion, shall
be responsible for determining
whether to adopt any proposed
changes. If a proposed change is
not adopted, the State shall make
publicly available its reasons
for not accepting the proposed
change, including notification to
nonmetropolitan
Final Document 2-7-2011

As part of the 1998 Transportation Equity
Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and
continued in the 2005 SAFETA-LU,
federal policy makers aimed to ensure
that non-metropolitan local officials
are empowered to provide sufficient
input and involvement in the statewide
planning and investment decision-making
processes. The primary guidelines for
state consultation with non-metropolitan
local officials are contained in the FHWA
and FTA joint rulemaking, Statewide and
Metropolitan Planning: Part 450 Planning
Assistance and Standards. (Federal
Register: February 14, 2007, Part III).
23 CFR 450.210(b): The State
shall provide for non-metropolitan
local official participation in the
development of the long-range statewide
transportation plan (LRTP) and the
Statewide Transportation Improvement
Program (STIP). The State shall have
a documented process for consulting
with non-metropolitan local officials
representing units of general purpose
local government and/or local officials
with responsibility for transportation
that is separate and discrete from the
public involvement process and provides
an opportunity for their participation

in the development of the LRTP and
the STIP. Although the Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) and the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) shall
not review or approve this consultation
process, copies of the process document
shall be provided to the FTA and the
FHWA for informational purposes.
III. PLANNING PARTNERS
The Arizona Department of Transportation
is committed to the development of strong
external and internal partnerships. One of
the many important external partnerships
is with the COGs and MPOs that are
responsible for regional transportation
planning, and with the state’s twentytwo federally recognized Indian tribes.
In addition to the COGs, MPOs, and
tribes, an important partner is the Rural
Transportation Advocacy Council (RTAC).
Internally, ADOT Multimodal
Planning Division (MPD), Intermodal
Transportation Division (ITD), and
Communication and Community
Partnerships (CCP) work in collaboration
with regional transportation planning
entities and stakeholders to ensure
interests are represented and input
is incorporated into planning and
programming efforts.
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Transportation Consultation with Rural Officials

Multimodal Planning Division
The Multimodal Planning Division (MPD)
of ADOT is committed to providing the
highest quality transportation research,
plans, and programs to the public. The
central objective of MPD is to help identify
current significant transportation issues
in Arizona as well as improve existing
systems. MPD is also committed to
researching and planning the development
of supporting strategies needed to optimize
investment to preserve and expand the
State’s transportation infrastructure. In
recent years, ADOT has strengthened its
level of outreach to rural areas by employing
Regional Planners to serve as a liaison
between the department and the State’s
Council of Governments. Each planner is
responsible for acquiring and transmitting as
much expertise as possible on transportation
activities carried out in the region as well
as managing all ADOT planning studies
and participating as a voting member on
Technical Advisory Committees.
Intermodal Transportation Division
The ADOT District Engineers play a
key role in developing the Five Year
Transportation Facilities Construction
Program. They attend monthly city and
county government meetings, monthly
COG and MPO meetings, Tribal meetings,
Final Document 2-7-2011

and interact with individual supervisors and
mayors, as well as stakeholder groups. They
identify candidate projects in cooperation
with the COGs and MPOs ensuring that
local and regional needs are recognized.
Communication and Community
Partnerships
The Communications and Community
Partnership Division (CCP) provides
intergovernmental affairs support for
ADOT divisions with the elected officials
and key staff of cities, towns and counties
throughout Arizona.
Arizona Council of Governments
(COGs)
In Arizona, there are four rural Council of
Governments (COGs), and two urban COGs
(Maricopa Association of Governments,
and Pima Association of Governments).
Through an Executive Order, the planning
boundaries were established by Governor
Jack Williams in 1970 in response to federal
planning requirements and in an effort to
achieve uniformity in various planning
areas. COGs, as voluntary associations, have
formed within these planning boundaries. In
the non-metropolitan areas of Arizona, the
COGs perform planning services and direct
service functions such as operating the Area
Agency on Aging, the Head Start programs
and employment programs.
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Transportation Consultation with Rural Officials

The COGs are forums of cooperative
transportation decision making among
various county and local government
jurisdictions. The COGs in Arizona
are the Central Arizona Association of
Governments (CAAG), the Northern
Arizona Council of Governments
(NACOG), the Western Arizona Council
of Governments (WACOG), and the
Southeastern Arizona Government
Organization (SEAGO). Membership in
COGs is open to all incorporated cities
and towns within each COG region, as
well as counties, and tribal governments.
ADOT supports the COGs in performing
regional planning responsibilities through
the provision of financial and technical
support. Federal transportation planning
funds known as “State Planning and
Research” (SPR) are made available by
ADOT to all rural COGs and small MPOs
on a discretionary basis.

NACOG
FMPO

WACOG

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CYMPO

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Arizona Metropolitan Planning
Organizations (MPOs)

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YMPO

MAG

CAAG

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SEAGO

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Arizona Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Final Document 2-7-2011

In 1973, the Federal Transportation Act
required that each urbanized area (area
with 50, 000 or more population) establish
a Metropolitan Planning Organization
(MPO). The federal law required that the
Governor of the state designate the agency
to serve as the MPO. The MPOs in Arizona

are Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning
Organization (FMPO), Central Yavapai
Metropolitan Planning Organization
(CYMPO), and Yuma Metropolitan
Planning Organization (YMPO). In the
urban areas (200,000+ population), the
Maricopa Association of Governments
(MAG) and the Pima Association of
Governments (PAG) are the designated
MPOs for transportation planning.
In 1991, President Bush signed
into law the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA).
This Act enunciated its statement of
policy as follows: “To develop a National
Intermodal Transportation System that is
economically efficient, environmentally
sound, provides the foundation for the
Nation to compete in the global economy
and will move people and goods in an
energy efficient manner.”
Federal legislation recognized the
challenge of addressing congestion and
air quality issues in urbanized areas and
determined that MPOs could address
these issues. The enhanced planning
role for MPOs was defined as follows:
“Metropolitan Planning Organizations, in
cooperation with the State, shall develop
transportation plans and programs for
urbanized areas of the State. Such plans and
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Transportation Consultation with Rural Officials

programs shall provide for the development
of transportation facilities which will
function as an intermodal transportation
system for the State, the metropolitan areas,
and the Nation. The process for developing
such plans and programs shall provide for
consideration of all modes of transportation
and shall be continuing, cooperative,
and comprehensive to the degree
appropriate, based on the complexity of the
transportation problems.”
Legislation requires MPOs to have a
proactive public involvement process and
to represent all modes of transportation.
In addition to receiving greater
requirements, MPOs were also provided
a larger amount of federal transportation
funding.
While federal regulations do not
require states to extend their process
of consultation with non-metropolitan
officials to MPO regions, ADOT has
elected to invite the small MPOs (YMPO,
FMPO, and CYMPO) to participate.
Tribal Governments
There are twenty-two (22) federally
recognized Native Nations/Indian Tribes
with reservation land in Arizona. This
tribal land encompasses approximately
27,736,000 acres or 28% of Arizona’s
Final Document 2-7-2011

land base. Federal transportation
legislation requires state departments of
transportation to coordinate, cooperate and
consult with Tribal Governments/Native
Nations in statewide and metropolitan
transportation planning processes. It
is the intent of ADOT to also invite
elected officials from tribal governments
to participate in the non-metropolitan
consultation process.
Rural Transportation Advocacy
Council
The Rural Transportation Advocacy
Council (RTAC) is a consortium of
local governments, COGs, and MPOs
representing the transportation concerns
of rural Arizona. The voting members of
RTAC are appointed by each participating
COG and MPO. Typically, this role is
filled by the COG or MPO chairperson
or a designated representative. Member
jurisdictions include the 13 counties outside
the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan
areas and their respective cities, towns
and counties. These member jurisdictions
contribute annual dues to support the
organization’s primary duty of setting
legislative priorities for rural Arizona. To
achieve this end, RTAC employs a full-time
rural transportation liaison.

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Transportation Consultation with Rural Officials

IV. PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING
DOCUMENTS
Planning
Statewide Long-Range Transportation
Plan (LRTP)

A complete summary of Statewide
Long-Range Transportation Plan
outreach efforts may be found by
accessing the following link:

http://www.whatmovesyouarizona.gov/
your_home.asp
Final Document 2-7-2011

The Statewide Long-Range (20-year)
Transportation Plan is the compass for
the Department’s long-term direction. It
is a plan to provide for the development,
operation and maintenance of Arizona’s
multimodal statewide transportation
system. The goals and strategies mapped
out in the Statewide Long-Range
Transportation Plan are used to determine
priorities during the development of the
Five-Year Facilities Construction Program,
which is eventually incorporated into the
Statewide Transportation Improvement
Program (STIP).
Throughout the development of the
Long-Range Transportation Plan,
ADOT is dedicated to taking a proactive
approach to soliciting community and
stakeholder comments early and often in
the preparation of transportation-related
studies. The fundamental principle of
this effort is to create an atmosphere that
will promote understanding, develop
quality input, and build consensus on
recommendations.

The LRTP is developed through
a cooperative process involving
interested parties including ADOT
management and staff, other state,
regional, county, and municipal public
agency staff, elected officials, and the
public. Throughout LRTP development,
information is presented to and solicited
from stakeholders through electronic
communication (Web site, e-newsletters,
email, etc.), individual interviews, small
group meetings, public meetings, and
other means of communication.
Programming
Statewide Transportation Improvement
Program
The Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program (STIP) is compiled
annually, and covers a four-year period.
The STIP is a staged, financially
constrained, multi-year, statewide,
intermodal program of transportation
projects which is consistent with the
Statewide Long-Range Transportation
Plan and metropolitan transportation
improvement programs.
Pursuant to Title 23 U.S.C. 135 (f) (1991),
there must be a reasonable opportunity
for public comment on the proposed
improvements program from interested
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Transportation Consultation with Rural Officials

parties. Furthermore, the projects listed
in the STIP must meet all the criteria of
federal transportation legislation which is
currently SAFETEA-LU.
Five Year Transportation Facilities
Construction Program
The Five Year Transportation Facilities
Construction Program for Highways
and Airports is the primary mechanism
to implement projects on the state
transportation system. The Program is
developed under the guidelines of the
“Priority Programming Law” in Arizona
Revised Statutes (ARS 28-6951) which sets
guidelines that the department follows in
prioritizing projects for the Program.
Since the needs usually outweigh the
funds available, the decision-makers
must prioritize projects. ADOT’s Priority
Programming Process (PPP) produces
multimodal and intermodal transportation
projects based on performance measures
that reflect the goals and policies of the
Department, and Arizona’s stakeholders
needs. The Program is the result of
an extensive public participation and
technical evaluation process. The State
Transportation Board adopts the Program
on or before June 30 of each year.

Final Document 2-7-2011

V. CONSULTATION PROCESS
1) Consultation meetings will be held
within each COG/MPO region
regarding current planning studies
underway such as the Long Range
Transportation Plan, Five Year
Construction Program, and State
Transportation Improvement Program.
The objective of the meetings is to
present information and gather input
from elected and appointed officials.
2) The COG/MPO, ADOT Multimodal
Planning Division (MPD), Intermodal
Transportation Division/District
Engineer (ITD), and Community and
Communication Partnership Division
(CCP), will cooperatively agree on the
timing of meetings to coincide with key
decision points during the planning and
programming processes. ADOT will, at
a minimum, hold at least one meeting
per year in each COG and MPO region.
3) Meetings will be conducted jointly by
the COG/MPO, and ADOT staff in a
round-table format. Ideally, the meeting
should include the involvement of a
State Transportation Board Member,
the District Engineer(s), a CCP
representative, and a member of the
ADOT Multimodal Division. When
possible, these meetings will occur
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Transportation Consultation with Rural Officials

prior to or after the regularly scheduled
COG Regional Council or MPO
Executive Board meeting.
4) Prior to each meeting, the COG/MPO
will determine the number of meetings,
meeting location and appropriate
officials to invite. The invitation list
will be reviewed and approved by
ADOT MPD and CCP prior to mailing
invitations. A joint letter from ADOT
MPD Director and the COG/MPO
Director will be prepared and mailed by
MPD to local officials.
5) The COG/MPO will alert officials
approximately 4 - 6 weeks in advance
of the meeting with a save the date
notice. ADOT will make every effort to
offer alternative methods to allow local
elected and appointed officials to attend
scheduled meetings. This may include
the use of video-conference, webinars,
go to meeting, and electronic versions of
the presentation with comment forms.
6) ADOT MPD will document input
received from local elected and
appointed officials at the consultation
meeting, and will prepare a meeting
summary that includes input from
officials, and responses to questions
and issues raised. The COG/MPO will
Final Document 2-7-2011

distribute the meeting summary to
all invitees, and make the summary
available on appropriate websites.
7) During the annual State Planning
Finding (SPF) conducted jointly by
the FHWA and FTA, ADOT will
provide documentation that a process
has been adopted and followed to
solicit and review comments from
non-metropolitan, local officials on the
effectiveness of the consultation process.
VI. REVIEW OF THE LOCAL
OFFICIAL PARTICIPATION
PROCESS
ADOT continually evaluates its outreach
efforts. Planning staff is always seeking
new and innovative techniques to
incorporate with current practices in order
to maximize outreach to non-metropolitan
local officials. At least once every five years,
the State shall review and solicit comments
from non-metropolitan local officials and
other interested parties for a period of not
less than 60 calendar days regarding the
effectiveness of the consultation process and
any proposed changes.

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