Public Comment Period Notice: 2050 MTP Environmental Analyses

Public Invited to Provide Feedback on Air Quality, Environmental Justice, and Environmental Mitigation Reports for Upcoming Metropolitan Transportation Plan

The public is invited to comment on the draft analyses for Air Conformity, Environmental Justice, and Environmental Mitigation for the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) during a September 9 – 23 public comment period. The analyses are anticipated to be approved by Tri-County’s Board of Commissioners at their September 24th meeting.

Residents of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties are encouraged to review and provide feedback on the analyses conducted to assess potential environmental and social impacts of transportation projects included in the upcoming MTP. The MTP, titled Moving Mid-Michigan, is a 25-year plan addressing the future transportation needs of the Greater Lansing area. Tri-County is currently updating the region’s 2045 MTP to extend its planning horizon to 2050, proposing over $5.2 billion in projects over the next 25 years. This update establishes a long-term vision for enhancing the region's transportation systems and infrastructure. It includes everything from biking and pedestrian trails (non-motorized facilities) to traffic congestion, safety concerns, road conditions, and public transit.

The draft Air Conformity Determination Report is intended to ensure regional emissions resulting from new transportation projects will not negatively impact the tri-county region’s ability to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. These standards establish the criteria and procedures for transportation agencies to demonstrate that air pollutant emissions from the proposed MTP projects conform to the state’s air quality goals and prevent projects from worsening air quality conditions beyond what is budgeted for the region. While Tri-County is not currently required to model emissions due to the region’s air quality status, staff consult with state and federal transportation and environmental agencies to evaluate the MTP’s proposed projects for potential impacts on roadway capacity. This report includes the results of this determination and describes the region's legal requirements and attainment status.

The draft Environmental Justice Analysis identifies populations and geographical areas where residents have not traditionally participated in the planning process or have been negatively impacted by transportation decisions. This analysis considers minority, low-income, elderly, disabled, carless, and Limited English Proficiency populations and determines if any proposed projects in the upcoming MTP may have disproportionately adverse impacts on these populations’ health, accessibility, mobility, or delivery of services.

Lastly, the draft Environmental Mitigation Analysis identifies environmentally sensitive resources in the region and provides guidelines to mitigate the negative impacts of proposed transportation projects in the upcoming MTP on our natural environment. Resources examined in the analysis include water features (lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams), wetlands, flood zones, woodlands, parks and recreation areas, cemeteries, and historic sites.

To view the draft reports, visit movingmidmichigan.org. Comments may be submitted at mitcrpc.org/public-comment until September 23^rd. Contact Tri-County with any questions or for general assistance.