Communities in Motion 2040: Now the Real Work Begins…

I often hear complaints that all COMPASS does is plan…as soon as we finish one plan we start on the “next” plan, and leave the plan we just finished sitting on the shelf.

I must admit, the part about starting on the “next” plan almost immediately after one plan is adopted is true. We must update the long-range transportation plan (Communities in Motion) every four years, and it takes nearly four years to complete the process, so we do start again right away. In fact, our current plan, Communities in Motion 2040, was adopted by our Board in July, and in October our Board approved the scope of work to update that plan.

BUT…that’s not the whole story. One thing that is different this time around is that we have kept the horizon year (the ending year of the plan) at 2040, instead of moving it ahead as we have done in the past. Communities in Motion 2040 provides excellent “bones” for a long-range transportation plan, and the update will add more “meat” to the bones. Keeping the horizon year at 2040 allows COMPASS to refine the plan and to focus our efforts on implementation.

Below I share just a sample of the work COMPASS has already begun to implement Communities in Motion 2040; each of these addresses specific goals outlined in the plan.

ü  Grant Implementation Program. In early 2014 COMPASS kicked off a program to provide small grants to COMPASS member agencies to assist with local projects that implement the goals of Communities in Motion. COMPASS awarded grants in 2014 to the Cities of Middleton, Kuna, and Wilder, and will open applications for 2015 grants in January. Learn more. 

ü  Farm Freight Study. Agriculture is one of the primary economic drivers in the area, particularly in Canyon County, yet very little is known about the transportation routes and needs associated with farm freight. In July, COMPASS began work on a farm freight study to identify important routes used for hauling farm produce from fields to processors, and from processors to market. Identification of those key routes is a first step in ensuring they are preserved and well-maintained so they can continue to serve the agricultural community.

ü  Look! Save a Life! Bicyclists and pedestrians are a vital and growing segment of our population and our transportation users. To promote safety, COMPASS spread the word about the importance of sharing the road by sponsoring the Boise Police Department’s Look! Save a Life! television campaign in September and October 2014, and is co-sponsoring a workshop on urban bikeway design hosted by Boise State University. We will continue to work with our partners to increase safety and reduce bicycle and pedestrian collisions.

ü  Regional Pathway Plan. Ada and Canyon Counties have a myriad of pathways, most notably the Boise River Greenbelt, and even more pathways are in various stages of planning. While just about any pathway can provide amenities for exercise and enjoyment, for a pathway to truly be used for transportation, it must go somewhere or connect to something. COMPASS is developing a regional pathway plan to map the locations of current and future pathways across the two-county area, identify gaps in the pathway system, and establish priorities for pathway funding to create a more comprehensive, useable pathway system across the valley.

ü  The biggest issue raised in Communities in Motion 2040 was the fact that there is not enough funding to complete transportation corridors and projects needed to be prepared for the future. To help raise the awareness of this issue, and the dire need to do something about it, COMPASS has initiated the Don’t let the Treasure Valley fall through the cracks! campaign. The campaign includes a new web page, weekly Facebook posts, education series speakers, radio messages, blogs, and more that will continue throughout 2015.

ü  Last, but not least, COMPASS has been working on a “performance-based planning” approach – basically, how do we take what we learn through implementing this plan and use it to inform, and improve, the “next” plan? This is something that all metropolitan planning organizations in the nation must do, and COMPASS is on the leading edge. Through Communities in Motion 2040, we have developed 56 performance measures and targets. We are tracking progress toward targets to document progress (or not) and better comprehend what changes need to be made to improve our success. Anyone can view our targets and data at any time via an online performance dashboard or the biennial Change in Motion report.