Erie County Department of Planning

• 1: Home
  • 1.1: About Us
  • 1.2: Staff
  • 1.3: Responsibilities
  • 1.4: 2009 Initiatives
  • 1.5: Planning Commission
    • 1.5.1: Meeting Minutes
  • 1.6: Calendar of Events
• 2: Regional Planning
  • 2.1: Erie County Comprehensive Plan
  • 2.2: Stormwater Management
• 3: Grant Programs
  • 3.1: Affordable Housing Program
  • 3.2: CZM
    • 3.2.1: CZM Projects
      • 3.2.1.1: Four Mile Creek
      • 3.2.1.2: SCUBA Sediment
      • 3.2.1.3: Frontier Park Pathway
      • 3.2.1.4: Environmental Rediscoveries
    • 3.2.2: Map of CZM Area
  • 3.3: Community Development Block Grant
    • 3.3.1: Erie County CDBG
    • 3.3.2: Girard, McKean and NorthEast CDBG
    • 3.3.3: Millcreek CDBG
• 4: Subdivisions
  • 4.1: County Review Process Guide
  • 4.2: County Approval Process Guide
  • 4.3: Subdivision Fee Schedule
• 5: Agriculture
  • 5.1: Agricultural Security Areas
  • 5.2: Erie County Agricultural Land Preservation Board
  • 5.3: Frequently Asked Questions
  • 5.4: Related Links
• 6: Transportation
  • 6.1: Erie MPO
    • 6.1.1: MPO Meeting Schedule
    • 6.1.2: Responsibilities
    • 6.1.3: Meeting Minutes
    • 6.1.4: Public Participation Plan
  • 6.2: Federal Transportation Planning Requirements
  • 6.3: Primary Planning Responsibilities
  • 6.4: Long Range Transportation Plan
  • 6.5: Transportation Improvement Program
  • 6.6: Unified Planning Work Program
  • 6.7: Special Studies
    • 6.7.1: Seaway Trail Management Plan
    • 6.7.2: US 19 Study
    • 6.7.3: NWPA Greenways Plan
• 7: GIS
• 8: Census
  • 8.1: Census Maps
• 9: Recycling

Unified Planning Work Program

Federal Transportation Planning Requirements:

The transportation planning process currently being implemented in Pennsylvania and Erie County is in response to Federal rulemaking under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). SAFETEA-LU authorizes the Federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and transit for the 5-year period 2005-2009, and establishes a decision-making framework and cooperative processes in the investment of federal transportation funding and the efficient operation of the transportation system. Under the Act, allocations from SAFETEA-LU are to be administered by a region’s designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), with the MPO being an integral partner in the planning of the utilization of all transportation funds, in cooperation with their respective Federal and state transportation agencies. SAFETEA-LU requires each MPO to adopt a regional long range transportation plan (LRTP) outlining recommended improvements to the region’s transportation system over a twenty year period. Each MPO must also develop and administer a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), the region’s short range investment plan, which prioritizes all transportation related projects within the constraints of federal funding to be received over four years.

Agency Roles and Responsibilities:

The Erie Area Transportation Study Metropolitan Planning Organization (Erie MPO) is the designated MPO for the Erie urbanized area/metropolitan region and includes the entire County of Erie. The Erie MPO has the primary role and responsibility in ensuring that the transportation planning process is being carried out in accordance with Federal and State regulations. The Erie MPO is comprised of representatives from municipalities and organizations throughout the Erie urban area and Erie County, as well as state and Federal representation. The role of the Erie MPO Committee members is to provide representation for their municipality / organization in order to facilitate an integrated and informed decision-making process which incorporates all concerns and issues into the development of policies and actions. The Erie MPO planning and program management functions are administered and implemented by the Erie County Department of Planning (ECDP), which provides staff, technical and clerical support, and is also designated as the Erie MPO Secretary.

The Unified Planning Work Program:

The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) document must be prepared and adopted annually by the MPO under the SAFETEA-LU guidelines for the metropolitan transportation planning process. The UPWP outlines actions to be taken by each MPO to accomplish Federal, State and local/regional transportation-related initiatives. The resulting Erie MPO 2007-2008 UPWP specifies the collective work activities to be undertaken within the Erie MPO region in an effort to accomplish these priorities and initiatives.