September 2017 – First Ever GHMPO Retreat Held

GHMPO held its first ever retreat on September 7, 2017 for all GHMPO committees, staff, and interested public. This retreat highlighted the inner workings of GHMPO as well as provided education regarding a multitude of transportation-related topics. Several informative presentations were given and are available below, including:

  • Everything About the GHMPO – GHMPO Director Srikanth Yamala presented a brief history of the MPO and discussed the internal workings of the organization which consists of three committees and staff.
  • Transportation Funding Act of 2015 (HB 170) and T-SPLOST (HB 134) – Clint Mueller of ACCG highlighted recent changes in state transportation funding that result from the Transportation Funding Act of 2015 (House Bill 170) as well as changes to T-SPLOST policies stemming from House Bill 134.
  • Drive Alert, Arrive Alive – Katie Strickland of the Georgia Department of Transportation District One Office educated the attendees on the Drive Alert, Arrive Alive campaign currently in effect which aims to lower accident rates and deaths across the state related to distracted driving.
  • Transportation Investment Act of 2010 – Paul DeCamp of the Augusta MPO highlighted the regional T-SPLOST process that Augusta recently implemented and what they have been able to do with that particular funding across their region.
  • Metropolitan Planning Funds – Sam Baker of the GHMPO discussed transportation and transit planning funds and the process that all Georgia MPOs utilize in order to secure additional funding to conduct planning documents and studies.
  • Regional Transportation Plan and Transportation Improvement Program – Sam Baker of the GHMPO highlighted the background and requirements related to the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) of the MPO. A case study regarding how projects are able to be moved within the plans themselves and the funding mechanics associated with those movements was also presented.
  • Hall Area Transit Update – Phillippa Lewis Moss, the director of the Gainesville Community Service Center and Hall Area Transit provided some background information on public transit in Hall County and the evolving role that it hopes to play in the future.