MAG Seeks Public Participation in Federal Review Process

PHOENIX – The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) invites the public to provide comment on the MAG transportation planning process to a Federal Review Team evaluating MAG’s performance. The event is part of a federally required review to ensure that the MAG process complies with federal regulations outlined for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). The review team is made up of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) staff.

As part of the certification review, the team is holding a structured public meeting where residents will be asked questions about how MAG has engaged and involved the public in its transportation planning process. A public notice issued by FHWA states that the review team would especially like to “hear the public’s input on how well they are involved in the process, if they are given the information that they need to become involved, whether the way in which they can get involved is clearly explained, and whether they feel their input is considered and addressed by MAG.”

The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, at the MAG offices at 302 North 1st Avenue, Phoenix, second floor, Saguaro Room. Anyone who attends can receive free parking below the building or transit passes to allow for transportation to and from the meeting.

Federal regulations (23 CFR Part 450 and 49 CFR Part 613) require that at least once every four years the FHWA and FTA jointly certify that the transportation planning process in areas with a population over 200,000 complies with the regulations. The deadline for completion of the current certification is November 2009.

In addition to the public participation process, the public is invited to submit comments, in person or in writing, related to the process and activities associated with the Long Range Plan (Regional Transportation Plan), the Transportation Improvement Program, the Unified Planning Work Program, the Highway Functional Classification, and other relevant activities of the MPO.

Written comments may be addressed to Robert E. Hollis, FHWA, AZ Division Administrator, 4000 N. Central Avenue, Suite 1500, Phoenix, AZ 85012, or to Leslie T. Rogers, FTA Regional Administrator, 201 Mission Street, Suite 1650, San Francisco, CA 94105.

Published on behalf of Maricopa Association of Governments
The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) is a Council of Governments (COG) that serves as the regional agency for the metropolitan Phoenix area. MAG is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for regional planning in the Maricopa region. For more information, visit http://www.mag.maricopa.gov

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