Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Designation Change Wouldn't Change Much For Transportation

If you've had your TV or radio on or read any local print media lately, you've most likely noticed items regarding Spokane and Kootenai counties being merged into one statistical area, such as this one from the Spokesman-Review and this article from the Coeur d'Alene Press.

Well folks, the media may have jumped on this one a little early, because while it's likely, the U.S. Census Bureau says no official designation change will happen for at least a year, and more likely closer to 2013. As far as how that affects the workings of a Metropolitan Planning Organization such as SRTC or Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization, or transportation funding, we're not expecting any changes.

The only big change this is expected to bring about is how the area markets itself.

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About SRTC

SRTC is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Spokane County. Urbanized areas with populations exceeding 50,000 people are required to have an MPO. SRTC was formed to address the county's transportation planning needs. It provides coordination in planning between the public, cities, small towns, the county, the state, transit providers, and tribes.

SRTC offers services including transportation monitoring, transportation modeling, census information analysis, travel demand forecasting, historical traffic count analysis, geographic information systems, and trip generation rates.