The Tuscaloosa Area transportation planning process is conducted by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The MPO is composed of four committees. The Policy Committee is the official decision making body of the process. The Policy Committee is served by three advisory committees: the Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC), the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC), and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee (BPC). The Policy Committee has the ultimate authority on transportation planning matters, but the work and recommendations from the advisory committees shape all of the outputs of the transportation planning process. The activities of the committees are governed by the MPO Bylaws. The MPO Bylaws are available on the Documents page.

Metropolitan Planning Organization (Policy Committee)
The MPO Policy Committee serves as the official decision making body for the Tuscaloosa Area transportation planning process. In this capacity the Committee determines how federal transportation funds are spent in the study area. The responsibilities of the Policy Committee include providing overall guidance to the planning process, review and approval of all process plans and programs, and appointing TCC and CTAC members. The MPO usually meets on the last Monday of even-numbered months.

The MPO Policy Committee is composed of eleven members, five voting and six non-voting. The five voting members are the Mayor of Tuscaloosa, the Mayor of Northport, the Tuscaloosa County Commission Chairman, the 5th Division Engineer from the Alabama Department of Transportation, and the Executive Director of the West Alabama Regional Commission. The six non-voting members are a representative from the Federal Highway Administration, a representative from the Bureau of Transportation Planning at the Alabama Department of Transportation, the Chairman of the Technical Coordinating Committee, the Chairman of the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee, the Chairman of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, and the Chairman of the West Alabama Rural Planning Organization.

Members - Metropolitan Planning Organization (Policy Committee) (October 2010)

Voting:
Bobby Herndon - Chair - Mayor, City of Northport
Robert Lake - WARC Executive Director
Walter Maddox - Vice Chair - Mayor, City of Tuscaloosa
W. Hardy McCollum - Chairman, Tuscaloosa County Commission
L. Dee Rowe - ALDOT 5th Division Engineer

Non-voting:
Mark D. Bartlett, Federal Highway Administration
Bill Herz, Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee Chairman
Robert J. Jilla, Alabama Department of Transportation
Ricky Hubbard, West Alabama RPO Chairman
Joe Robinson, Technical Coordinating Committee Chairman
Tim Stone, Citizens Advisory Committee Chairman

Technical Coordinating Committee
The Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) provides technical support to the MPO in producing the necessary plans and programs. The TCC reviews MPO documents, studies, reports, plans, and programs and provides the MPO with recommendations concerning these items. The TCC members review the planning process products from a technical perspective making certain that all appropriate concerns are addressed, including local planning issues, engineering details, environmental questions, and future growth, among many others. The TCC also has the ability to make alternative recommendations for any of the products.

The TCC coordinates the work of the various departments and agencies involved in the transportation planning process. All of the local governments, the State DOT, and selected other transportation interests are represented on the TCC. The TCC members share information and data that builds and improves the planning processes and products. The TCC members also work together to ensure that all of the transportation projects mesh. The TCC usually meets on the third Thursday of even-numbered months.

Members - Technical Coordinating Committee (October 2010)

Voting:
Doug Behm, University of Alabama Representative
Scott Bridges - Chairman, Northport Planning Commission
Jimmie Cain - Manager, Tuscaloosa County Parking and Transit Authority
Wayne Cameron, Airport Manager
Katherine Ennis, Director, Northport Planning Department
Bobby Hagler, County Engineer
David Kemp - Vice Chair - ALDOT 5th Division
Alex King, Railroad Representative
John McConnell, Director, Tuscaloosa City Planning Department
David Norris, West Alabama Regional Commission
Emmanuel Oranika, ALDOT Bureau of Transportation Planning
Joe Robinson - Chair - Director, Tuscaloosa DOT
Joe Romanek, Chairman, Tuscaloosa City Planning Commission
Farrington Snipes, Director, Tuscaloosa Co. Planning Department
Charles Swann, Northport City Engineer & Public Works Director
Maxi Thomas, Coordinator, West Alabama Highway Safety Office
Representative, Federal Highway Administration
Representative, Federal Transit Administration
** Vacant **, Trucking Representative
** Vacant **, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Representative

Non-voting:
Representative, Town of Brookwood
Representative, Town of Brookwood
Representative, Town of Coaling
Representative, Town of Coker
Representative, Town of Lake View
Representative, Town of Moundville
Representative, Town of Vance
Representative, Alabama Department of Public Safety (Local Office)
Representative, Northport City Police Department
Representative, Tuscaloosa City Police Department
Representative, Tuscaloosa County Sheriffs Office

The CTAC was established to provide active public participation in the transportation planning process. Prior to the formation of the CTAC the MPO relied primarily on public meetings for citizen input on transportation planning issues. There are a number of problems with public meetings of this nature. The biggest drawback to the public meeting is the lack of participation.

Another shortcoming of the public meeting is the background knowledge that is required to understand the planning process. While the MPO staff tries to make the process easy to understand, transportation planning is not usually taught in school and is not widely understood. People are not familiar with the topic and therefore are not willing to participate. The CTAC provides the MPO with a standing committee of citizens who have a good knowledge of the planning process and can pass on public concerns related to transportation in a structured fashion.

The CTAC reviews MPO documents, studies, reports, plans, and programs and provides the MPO with recommendations concerning these items. The CTAC also informs the MPO of public concerns related to transportation projects and issues. A CTAC member once suggested that the committee members act as antennas in the community gathering opinions and ideas in their everyday life and passing the information on to the MPO. The CTAC usually meets on the third Tuesday of even-numbered months.

In addition to the CTAC, the MPO adopted a public participation policy in 1993. The policy is available on the Documents page. The policy describes the steps that the MPO will take to encourage public participation in the transportation planning process. The CTAC is included as one of several methods to garner public involvement.

Members - Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee (October 2010)

Tuscaloosa City:
A.D. Christian
James C. (Jimmy) Hamner- Vice Chair
Bill Herz
Harold Horton
Tommy Nix
Willis Reynolds
Curtis Travis
Mike Wright

Northport:
Lewis (Lew) C. Drummond
Robert Green
Glenn Griffin
Thomas Peters
Tim Stone - Chair
David Leon Tucker
Dewitt Williams
** Vacant **

Tuscaloosa County:
Rod Coleman
Lenny Fulmer
Bruce Higginbotham
Beverly Roboski
Steve Terry - Vice Chair
** Vacant **
** Vacant **
** Vacant **

Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee

The MPO (Policy Committee) authorized the formation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee (BPC)in 1997. The committee assists the MPO in developing plans, programs, and projects related to bicycle and pedestrian activities. The BPC consists of individuals from many areas of the community who share a common interest in improving bicycling and walking in Tuscaloosa County. Membership on the committee ranges from professional planners to avid bicyclists. The MPO left the organization of this committee unstructured in order to encourage participation. There is no set membership list. Anyone who attends the BPC meetings is considered a member and has voting privileges. The BPC usually meets on the second or third Monday of even numbered months.