The UPWP is organized by work element. Each work element is formatted to indicate purpose, objective, methodology, major accomplishments for the previous fiscal year, expected products for the current fiscal year, and schedule. PPACG’s Accounting Program uses account codes to monitor and report expenditures for work activities. Therefore, account code numbers are included for reference purposes.
4.1 Work Element 610 – Program Administration and Coordination
Work Element 610 provides for the ongoing management and administrative responsibilities of the Transportation Planning Program. This work element also facilitates ongoing regional participation by PPACG staff, elected officials, member entity staffs, regulatory agencies, and the public in the Transportation Planning Program.
Objectives and Tasks
- Participation in FHWA/FTA’s certification review.
- Maintain current planning agreements and execute annual contracts and amendments for planning funds.
- Prepare and monitor annual operating budgets and submit monthly financial reports on UPWP tasks.
- Participate in statewide planning and resource allocation activities.
- Prepare mid-year and annual status reports on UPWP and post to PPACG website.
- Participate in semi-annual UPWP monitoring meetings (MMT/CDOT/FTA/FHWA)
- Prepare FY2026 and FY2027 UPWP.
- Support and participation in PPACG technical committees, including the TAC, CAC, AQTC, and MCC.
- Maintain, revise, and implement the strategies outlined in PPACG’s Public Participation Plan.
- Maintain regular communications with member entities to provide value and satisfy requests for technical assistance.
- Improve the professional capabilities of staff by attending and participating in local, regional, state, and national workshops, conferences and meetings.
- Participate in State and Federal legislation policy review.
- Coordinate, review and comply with new legislation and apprise member entities.
- Provide input on statewide, regional, and local planning issues as appropriate.
- Participation in local, regional, state, public transportation and federal transportation-related meetings, webinars, and workshops.
- Work with member entities to revise urban boundaries for transportation planning purposes based on 2020 Census data, if needed.
- Research and analyze MPO requirements to comply with state Green House Gas Roadmap, and GHG Rules, 2 CCR 601-22, and other state regulations.
- Comply with federal IIJA Complete Streets requirements.*
- Coordinate translation services.
- Research and assist jurisdictions in identifying potential discretionary grant funding.**
*PPACG will utilize consultant to develop a Regional Complete Street toolbox of model policies, standards and practices for voluntary use by the PPACG jurisdictions as they deem appropriate. PPACG feels that the development of these voluntary model standards and polices is the best context-sensitive solution for compliance of this federal requirement. Consultant efforts will be billed to Work Element 617.
** PPACG has received funding through DOLA to hire a consultant to assist in grant research and application preparation for regional transportation projects seeking IIJA discretionary grant funding. This cost is not captured in the expenditures matrix because it does not affect CPG funds but is reported in this section for transparency.
Deliverables and Schedule
- CPG Contracts and Budgets, May each year
- Amendments to the UPWP, as needed
- Mid-year and Year-end UPWP Reports, April and December each year
- Annual Self Certification, January each year
- Board, TAC, CAC meeting materials, monthly
- FY2026 and FY2027 UPWP, Summer 2025
Consultant Support
- Complete Streets Toolbox development (funded by 2.5% of the FHWA portion of CPG)
Note: All consultant effort is charged to Work Element 617, but efforts that are linked to the above Work Element are listed for transparency.
4.2 Work Element 611 – Data Development and Information Management
Work Element 611 maintains and expands the Transportation Planning GIS, which includes transportation, socioeconomic, environmental, and land-use data. The database is designed to support statistical analysis for a wide variety of transportation planning-related activities. Work Element 611 also provides for the development and maintenance of the MPO regional models. The travel demand model is an essential planning tool used by the MPO to develop and test various transportation system alternatives and impacts. The model is also used to evaluate the effect of the proposed transportation system on regional air quality. The regional land use forecasting and analysis process results in the socioeconomic inputs to the travel demand model.
Objectives and Tasks
- Acquire, update, and enhance the available databases including transportation, socioeconomic, environmental, and land-use data to support transportation planning and transportation-related air quality analysis activities.
- Support enhancement of the data management and delivery system and incorporate available data sets in the system and develop data for forecasting travel demand scenarios.
- Integrate PPACG’s socioeconomic forecasting and travel demand modeling capabilities within the GIS framework so data can move as seamlessly as possible between these applications.
- Create a library of spatial and tabular data that enhances and supports the analysis of transportation improvements and state and local planned growth and economic development patterns across the MPO area.
- Build upon the data collected by PPACG through the GIS program in order to maintain and enhance the ability of PPACG to provide timely, objective, and useful forecasts of travel and land use in the MPO area.
- Maintain a land use model and associated data inputs.
- Develop a post report analysis for the land use model to document methodologies and assumptions and identify future needs.
- Maintain the travel demand model and inputs.
- Provide technical support and assistance to users of the PPACG regional travel demand and land use models.
- Continue support of the statewide travel demand model.
- Analyze data and work with members entities to revise urbanized area based on 2020 Census Data, if needed
Note: PPACG anticipates increasing staffing by one full-time position to fulfill GIS and modeling needs to support regional planning.
Deliverables and Schedule
- Data collection for Travel Model input and travel demand model updates/improvements, ongoing
- Update of a regional traffic crash dataset, ongoing
- Regional data hub for municipal and county planning document, ongoing
- Updated socioeconomic and land use data, ongoing
- Work with the travel demand models and CDOT for GHG evaluation and work to cooperatively meet GHG reduction targets if possible, 2025
Consultant Support
- Travel Model development and support (funded in part by CPG and in part by state MMOF to support the GHG rulemaking)
Note: All consultant effort is charged to Work Element 617, but efforts that are linked to the above Work Element are listed for transparency.
4.3 Work Element 612 – Transportation Improvement Program
One of the primary responsibilities of the MPO is the development of a TIP. The TIP includes all transportation and transit projects within the Colorado Springs Metropolitan Planning Area for which federal and/or state funds will be used as well as all projects that have regional significance and are funded using local or private funds. The TIP identifies prioritized projects consistent with the long-range transportation plan that are to be implemented during the next four years.
Objectives and Tasks
- Monitor, maintain, and amend, as necessary, the FY2023-2027 TIP.
- Develop, adopt, and monitor the FY2025-2029 TIP including a Call for Projects stakeholder workshops, public comment period, and open houses. Programming in the TIP will include federal STBG, Transportation Alternatives Program, and Carbon Reduction Program funding, as well as the State of Colorado funds created by SB 21-260.
- Coordinate with MMT and jurisdictions to incorporate other funding sources into the TIP as necessary. Most importantly, MMT is the direct recipient of FTA 5307 funding in the region and performs the planning functions for those funds. PPACG must coordinate closely with MMT to ensure that TIP adoptions and amendments reflect 5307 funding.
- Coordinate with CDOT and MMT to develop allocations and project lists for the TIP.
- Monitor progress of TIP project obligations.
- Develop, approve, and monitor FHWA required performance measures and targets as necessary. Monitor the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan targets as needed.
- Provide for the coordinated implementation of federally funded and other regionally significant transportation improvements in the Colorado Springs MPA.
- Monitor the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) targets and Transit Asset Management (TAM) targets as needed in coordination with MMT.
Deliverables and Schedule
- Administrative changes and amendments to the TIP, ongoing
- Annual Listing of Projects Report, December 2024
- Performance measures – Safety Target Setting, January 2025
- Performance measures – Target Setting (PM2, PM3 and Transit Safety), February 2025 (TAM targets are handled by MMT but are coordinated with PPACG)
Consultant Support
- None at this time
Note: All consultant effort is charged to Work Element 617, but efforts that are linked to the above Work Element are listed for transparency.
4.4 Work Element 613 – Regional Transportation Planning
Work Element 613 reflects efforts in support of developing and maintaining the long-range transportation plan and other regional transportation planning activities including the Specialized Human Services Plan and Transit Plan. Key activities in this Work Element for FFY2024 and FFY2025 will be processing any necessary plan amendments; evaluating the process used in plan development and proposing improved methodologies; and anticipating potential impacts from new federal legislation. Pre-plan activities and plans associated with the 2050 LRTP and initial development of the 2050 LRTP will be conducted during this UPWP time period. This Work Element also provides for staff participation in and support of activities implementing the long-range transportation plan.
Objectives and Tasks
Staff will support implementation of the preferred strategies within the 2045 LRTP. These activities will include:
- Technical support and coordinating transportation plan development with ongoing local transportation planning activities.
- Pursuing innovative funding strategies to accelerate needed improvements.
- Participation in statewide and Front Range Rail long-range transportation planning activities.
- Providing transit planning assistance to member entities.
- Continued coordination for implementation of the recommendations from the Specialized Human Services Plan and Transit Plan.
- Continuing coordination with TSMO/ITS tasks.
- Preparing and processing amendments to the 2045 LRTP, if necessary.
- Develop, approve, and monitor federal performance measures and targets as necessary.
- Research and analyze MPO requirements to comply with state Green House Gas Roadmap, and GHG Rules, 2 CCR 601-22, and other state regulations.
- Develop and complete the 2050 LRTP. Planning in the LRTP will include federal STBG, Transportation Alternatives Program, and Carbon Reduction Program funding, as well as the State of Colorado funds created by SB 21-260.
- Develop mobility elements and conduct other regional planning activities, including studies, that will be incorporated into the 2050 LRTP and the 2055 LRTP.
These mobility elements and activities include:
- Completing the Transit Plan*
- Completing the Specialized Human Services Plan (Coordinated Plan)*
- Completing the Active Transportation Plan
- Initiate a Regional Freight Plan (funded through CDOT SPR dollars, which were converted to CPG and included in the CPG contract between CDOT and PPACG)
*Note: MMT will handle development of the 2050 Regional Transit Plan and the 2050 Regional Specialized Human Services Plan (Coordinated Plan). PPACG has transferred $100,000 of federal planning dollars to MMT. MMT will provide the necessary $25,000 of match for that $100,000 of federal planning dollars.
In addition, PPACG will develop a Complete Streets Toolbox*, in accordance with the IIJA, which will constitute 2.5% of the FHWA metropolitan planning funds allocated to PPACG. Per FHWA guidelines, this task will be accomplished with no local match. This contract amount will be $31,091.
*PPACG will utilize consultant to develop a Regional Complete Street toolbox of model policies, standards and practices for voluntary use by the PPACG jurisdictions as they deem appropriate. This project may be ongoing. PPACG feels that the development of these voluntary model standards and polices is the best context-sensitive solution for compliance of this federal requirement.
In FFY23 PPACG began the following activities with the support of CDOT toll credits. All these efforts either feed into the PPACG 2050 LRTP effort or are part of that effort and will continue through 2024 and 2025
- Active Transportation Plan- $120,788.00 ($100,000 PPACG CPG and $20,788 CDOT toll credits)
- LRTP – Land Use Update – $120,788.00 ($100,000 PPACG CPG and $20,788 CDOT toll credits)
- LRTP – Public Outreach – $120,788.00 ($100,000 PPACG CPG and $20,788 CDOT toll credits)
Note: None of the projects listed above utilize local dues. Toll credits allow the federal portion of the CPG to be reimbursed at 100%.
In FFY24 PPACG began the following activities with the support of CDOT toll credits. These efforts either feed into the PPACG 2050 LRTP effort or are part of that effort and may continue into 2025.
- LRTP – Public Outreach Phase 2 – $60,394 ($50,000 PPACG CPG and $10,394 CDOT toll credits)
- Safety Campaign – $60,394 ($50,000 PPACG CPG and $10,394 CDOT toll credits)
Deliverables and Schedule
- Active Transportation Plan, Fall 2024
- Transit Plan, January 2025
- Updated Specialized Human Services (Coordinated Plan), January 2025
- Long Range Transportation Plan, January 2025
- Complete Streets Toolbox, 2025
- Regional Freight Plan, 2025
Consultant Support
- Active Transportation Plan development (funded through CPG and toll credits)
- Transit Plan development (through MMT) (funded through CPG and MMT funding)
- Updated Specialized Human Services (Coordinated Plan) development (through MMT) (funded through CPG and MMT funding)
- Long-Range Transportation Plan public outreach assistance (funded through CPG and toll credits)
- Complete Streets Toolbox development (funded through 2.5% of the FHWA portion of CPG)
- Regional Freight Plan development (funded through SPR and toll credits)
Note: All consultant effort is charged to Work Element 617, but efforts that are linked to the above
Work Element are listed for transparency
4.5 Work Element 614 – Regional Transportation Environmental Planning
Work Element 614 reflects efforts in support of regional transportation planning to address mitigation of storm water impacts and air quality impacts of transportation in alignment of environmentally related performance measures.
Objectives and Tasks
Staff will support Regional Transportation Related Environmental Planning. These activities will include:
- Roadway storm water mitigation.
- Air quality planning and conformity.
- Travel reduction strategies.
- Emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system.
- Provide staff support for preparation of SIP development and revisions, if needed.
- Research and analyze MPO requirements to comply with state Green House Gas Roadmap and other state regulations.
Deliverables and Schedule
- Strategies developed and in various stages of implementation to reduce emissions that lead to ground level Ozone, ongoing.
Consultant Support
- None at this time
Note: All consultant effort is charged to Work Element 617, but efforts that are linked to the above
Work Element are listed for transparency
4.6 Work Element 615 – Regional Specialized Mobility Services
Work Element 615 reflects efforts in support of regional transportation planning to address transportation and mobility needs for specialized populations in the Pikes Peak region.
Objectives and Tasks
- PPACG staff and the Mobility Coordinating Committee will develop goals and objectives to address themes identified in the current Specialized Human Services Plan. Benchmarks will be established to ensure activities track towards meeting each goal.
- Identify funding opportunities to expand and enhance services in the Pikes Peak region.
- PPACG staff will work with the Mobility Coordinating Committee and individuals who depend on specialized transportation to identify gaps in services, opportunities for coordination, and strategies to increase access across the Pikes Peak Region. These strategies, opportunities, and identified gaps will be used to develop the updated 2050 Specialized Human Services Plan.
- PPACG staff will coordinate with CDOT and Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging to increase participation in CDOT’s Transportation Planning Region studies and the State Unit on Aging Surveys. These surveys are targeted at older adults and individuals with disabilities. They contain questions related to transportation access and service delivery quality.
- Administer pass-through grants for programs and plans as needed.
Deliverables and Schedule
- Identification of additional funding for specialized transportation, ongoing
- Updated Specialized Human Services Plan (Coordinated Plan), January 2025
Consultant Support
- None at this time
Note: All consultant effort is charged to Work Element 617, but efforts that are linked to the above
Work Element are listed for transparency
4.7 Work Element 616 – Regional Safety Activities
Work Element 616 reflects efforts in support of regional transportation planning to address transportation safety.
Objectives and Tasks
- Assist in coordination and improvement of regional crash data.
- Support and coordinate public messaging campaigns to improve the driving culture in the region, reducing injury and fatality crashes.
- Provide traffic safety briefings and reports to the Board and relevant committees on a variety of traffic safety-related topics.
- Help create and oversee a traffic safety-oriented non-profit within the MPO; pursue and manage grants and other applicable sources of funding for that entity.
Note: PPACG received an CDOT Office of Transportation Safety (OTS) Highway Safety Office (HSO) grant, which provides funding for a staff member to serve as a traffic safety education champion and coordinator in the region. The grant also provides for safety media and publications. This cost is not captured in the expenditures matrix because it does not affect CPG funds but is reported in this section for transparency.
Deliverables and Schedule
- Regular briefings and reports, ongoing
- Non-profit bylaws and articles of incorporation, ongoing
- Grant proposals, ongoing
- Public messaging campaign debriefs and reports, ongoing
Consultant Support
- Public messaging campaign development (funded through CPG, toll credits, and a separate HSO grant)
Note: All consultant effort is charged to Work Element 617, but efforts that are linked to the above
Work Element are listed for transparency
4.8 Work Element 617 – Direct Expenditures
Budget items shown below for direct expenses are detailed below.
WE-617 (76030) Contract Services & Software
Work includes annual software maintenance agreements costs. Budgeted dollars shown in the table (Figures 6 and 7) may also include consultation services for the following efforts during FFY2024 and FFY2025:
- ArcGIS and other data acquisition;
- Azure – interactive GIS data;
- Crash analysis software and data;
- Accessibility data and analysis;
- Public participation/information;
- Traffic counts and other transportation-related data acquisition;
- eTIP and eLRTP online database and support; EcoInteractive;
- Acquisition of data and expertise – UCCS Economic Forum and economic data analysis;
- Other future enhancements to the Regional Modeling System;
- Long Range Transportation Plan Public Involvement Assistance Phase 2, utilizing toll credits from CDOT;
- Additional consultant support efforts that may include air quality, housing, land use, public participation/limited English proficiency, and safety campaign, utilizing toll credits from CDOT (to be defined as discussion with CDOT and scoping is developed);
- Planning and programming consultant support;
- Spanish Translation Services;
- Colorado HT – Tech support;
- Travel demand model software, support, and maintenance to include PTV and modeling support;
- Regional Traffic Data (This will be purchased for the region using STBG, with the local match coming from PPACG jurisdictions in the form of an additional donation to the region beyond their local dues*);
- Complete Streets Toolbox; and
- Safety media campaign (This will be supported by a separate toll credit project initiated in FFY24 that may continue in FFY25 and by CPG in FFY25).
*In 2022 the State Transportation Commission set aside $1,000,000 in MMOF to assist the MPOs around the state with updating their modeling capabilities – both in model upgrades and data purchases to help the MPOs better comply with requirements of the recently adopted GHG Rule, 2 CCR 601-22. PPACG has contracted with a consultant for $350,000 of those MMOF dollars to be used to improve the PPACG model, and this work is ongoing at the time of this UPWP. The $350,000 of MMOF is not captured in the expenditures matrix because the grant is running through CDOT but is reported in this section for transparency.
**The jurisdictions within the region desire the purchase of Regional Traffic Data utilizing STBG funding. When authorized by the PPACG Board of Directors, PPACG staff will purchase Regional Traffic Data through a procurement process. Local match is provided by local jurisdictions for this purchase. This will be completed annually as directed by the Transportation Advisory Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. This cost is not captured in the expenditures matrix because it does not affect CPG funds but is reported in this section for transparency.
Several efforts that began in FFY23 and FFY24 may be ongoing and are included below. These consultant service costs are not included in the previous matrix as they were not anticipated in the roll-forward of funds.
- Long-range Transit Plan (partnership with MMT – with MMT handling the procurement);
- Updated Specialized Human Services Plan (Coordinated Plan) (partnership with MMT – with MMT handling the procurement);
- Active Transportation Plan, utilizing toll credits from CDOT;
- Long Range Transportation Plan Public Involvement Assistance, utilizing toll credits from CDOT;
- Long Range Transportation Plan Land Use Modeling, utilizing toll credits from CDOT;
Specific work scopes and funding details for activities not eligible for the on-call contracts will be provided to CDOT prior to release of any requests for proposals. The PPACG Board of Directors and/or the Executive Director must approve all contractual support services. The actual budget for contract services is heavily dependent upon the amount of carry-over.
All arrangements necessary to retain funding for multi-year contract services are subject to approval by CDOT.
WE 617 (76060) Printing/Reproduction Services
Expenses include document printing and related services when outside (vendor) services are used.
WE 617 (77000) Education/Training/Conference
Expenses include registration and related fees for education, training and conferences for Transportation Planning Program staff development. Conferences and training may include Association of Metropolitan Organizations, American Planning Association, ESRI (GIS), National Association of Regional Councils, Transportation Research Board, travel demand model user groups and others as necessary to support Transportation Planning Program goals.
WE 617 (77150) Travel Out-of-State
Expenses include travel, lodging, subsistence expenses and related items of expense incurred for Transportation Planning Program staff traveling out-of-State on official business. Trips may include, but are not limited to, conferences or trainings associated with the Association of Metropolitan Organizations, American Planning Association, ESRI (GIS), National Association of Regional Councils, Transportation Research Board, National Highway Institute, and FHWA.
WE 617 (77160) Travel In-State
Expenses include travel, lodging, subsistence expenses and related items of expense incurred for Transportation Planning Program staff traveling within the State of Colorado on official business.
WE 617 (77200) Supplies
Expenses include purchase of materials and supplies specifically for accomplishing UPWP tasks.
WE 617 (77350) Support Services
Expenses include advertising for public meetings, filling staff positions and miscellaneous support needs, such as communication interpreters for public meetings.
WE 617 (77450) Memberships/Subscriptions/Publications
Expenses include the costs of the PPACG’s membership in business, technical, and professional organizations; subscriptions to or purchase of business, professional and technical periodicals/books.
WE 617 (77500) Maintenance – Equipment
Expenses include general computer maintenance costs, as needed.
WE 617 (77660) Capital – Furniture/Equipment
The budgeted dollar amount is to support computer hardware and other furniture and/or equipment necessities.