CHAMBERSBURG – The Franklin County Metropolitan Planning Organization has released the results of its public long-range transportation plan survey. The data provides valuable information as the FCMPO develops the 2045 Long-Range Transportation Plan and establishes priorities to meet the county’s transportation needs over the next 20 years.
Residents and stakeholders had the opportunity to provide survey feedback on transportation priorities and needs across Franklin County. During that period, 486 participants offered input and identified their top priorities: safety, maintenance and preservation, and traffic operations.
Respondents also rated a series of potential strategies and initiatives for implementation. The top-rated strategies included: investing in roadway and bridge maintenance, developing plans and studies to address congestion, prioritizing improvements on corridors critical to freight movement, and implementing new transportation technologies.
Finally, survey respondents suggested project needs throughout Franklin County by dropping a marker on the survey’s interactive map, noting the location and type of transportation concern, such as: safety, congestion, freight, roadways, bridges, bicycle and pedestrian needs, and others. The public identified over 1,200 transportation concerns countywide; more than half consisted of congestion (451) and safety concerns (326).
“I’m grateful for the time and effort that everyone took to share their transportation concerns,” said Steve Thomas, director of the Franklin County Planning Department. “Of particular note was the number of concerns regarding non-motorized safety, which includes pedestrians, bicyclists and even horse-and-buggy travelers. The planning team will use the feedback we received to develop and identify strategies and initiatives to address the identified concerns.”
The LRTP is the 20-year, multi-modal blueprint for improving, operating and maintaining the county’s transportation system for both existing and potential transportation needs through the year 2045. Current and future land use, economic development and environmental concerns are all factors that are considered in the strategic development of the LRTP to achieve regional goals and objectives. Performance-based planning is used in the development of the LRTP to ensure effective and efficient use of public resources.
The LRTP will also serve as the transportation element of the Franklin County Comprehensive Plan, Imagine Franklin 2035, and will outline specific transportation priorities to help the county plan for the future.
The FCMPO, which serves as the decision-making body for Franklin County’s transportation projects and programs that use federal funding, is leading the transportation plan update, in cooperation with PennDOT and with technical consulting assistance from Michael Baker International, Inc. A project advisory committee consisting of representatives of transportation agencies and interests across Franklin County is guiding the LRTP.
“Everyone who lives or works in Franklin County has a stake in our long-term plans to address transportation and traffic concerns,” said Franklin County Commissioner Chairman Dave Keller. “We are appreciative of everyone who took the time to submit feedback, as those comments and suggestions will help guide our decisions moving forward.”
More in-depth LRTP survey results are available online at https://bit.ly/3OONjow. For more information on Imagine Franklin 2035, visit compplan.franklincountypa.gov.
