system as soon as they start being selected for consideration locally.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310 fund projects are prioritized by transit TAC’s. The Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Plan Commission has a staff member on a regional TAC coordinated by the LifeStream Services. This TAC prioritizes FTA Section 5310 projects submitted by human services agencies within a multi-county area including Delaware County and the projects within Delaware County are submitted for inclusion in the DMTIP.

The New InterUrban Transit TAC meets quarterly to discuss the coordination of rural transit resources to meet the needs of clients of the human service agencies in a six county area, to plan shared transit driver training, and to discuss solutions to transit service problems common to human service agencies within Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, and Randolph Counties.

STAGING PERIODS

Here, improvements of similar urgency are grouped by phase (Preliminary Engineering, Right-Of-Way, and Construction or Purchase) into appropriate time periods. Although each agency implementing a project is responsible for this step, efforts are made to ensure that proposed expenditures during the program period correspond to anticipated revenues. If revenue availability changes, the shifting of improvements into earlier or later time periods are a natural part of the process.

DMTIP DOCUMENT PROCESS

This step begins with the implementing agencies submitting the necessary information to adequately explain the improvements and costs for each phase. This information is reported by the State to the federal government. The implementing agencies develop the improvement projects using the steps outlined in the DMTIP process. The DMTIP Coordinating Committee reviews the project information and determines the project priorities concerning federal funding sources. The DMMPC staff compiles project descriptions, priorities, and funding information into one cohesive document.

The DMTIP draft document is presented in public meeting in the County Commissioners’ Courtroom. The draft DMTIP goes to the Technical Advisory Committee and the Transportation Policy Committee for public input, review and some revision. A final DMTIP goes before the Technical Advisory Committee and the Transportation Policy Committee for local approvals. The DMTIP document is then submitted to the state for incorporation into the Indiana State Transportation Improvement Program (INSTIP), which guides the distribution of all federal transportation improvement funds in Indiana.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS

The public participation process focuses on encouraging public direct input in the transportation planning process during the local review of the Transportation Plan (TP) and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Notification of transportation committee meetings that involve the TP or TIP is done by letter to private transportation providers, by DMMPC newsletter articles for those involved with the DMMPC, and by public notice in the local newspapers for the general public. The DMMPC accepts verbal public comments at committee meetings and written comments at its office.