Current region-wide comprehensive plan is from 2008 

 

COLUMBUS—Polk County agreed this week to update its comprehensive transportation plan.  

Commissioners met Monday and heard from Isothermal Rural Planning Orgaization Director Karyl Fuller about the plan.  

“Polk County’s transportation plan is from 2008, so over 10 years old,” Fuller said.  

A CTP is a long-range, multi-modal transportation plan for a 25-30 year planning period.  

Fuller said the plan incorporates land use plans, community and statewide goals.  

The plan is developed among local stakeholders, the RPO and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.  

Fuller said the plan takes 18-24 months and then plans will be brought together to make a regional plan.  

A steering committee is being developed, with Polk County needing to appoint two members. Fuller said one elected official is encouraged, but Polk’s members can be staff or anyone interested in roads.  

Fuller said the CTP strives to anticipate future deficiencies and proposals to address each deficiency; gives due consideration to the human and natural environment and is accountable to the public through the formal public involvement process.  

The results of the plan help guide the development of projects to be considered by the state for their inclusion on the state’s Transportation Improvement Plan.  

The plan will include maps of highways, public transportation and rail, bicycle and pedestrian.  

The plan will include multimodal maps of highways, public transportation and rail, bicycle and pedestrian. The plan will also have recommendations on existing, needs improvement and recommended on new locations; as well as current and future conditions for lanes, right-of-ways and volume and capacity.  

The steering committee will coordinate with local councils and planning boards; assist with the public involvement; review the plan and assist with the adoption and endorsement.  

The steering committee will include two members from each county and one from each interested municipality, as well as members from the RPO and the NCDOT’s transportation planning division.