Public Participation Policy

According to GTC's Public Engagement Policy, adopted in February 2021

Definition & Purpose:

Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), including Genesee Transportation Council (GTC), are required to develop  aUnified Planning Work Program (UPWP) to govern work programs for the expenditure of Federal Highway and Federal Transit planning funds. The UPWP is GTC’s operating plan and annual budget. The Program lists the federally funded transportation planning activities that GTC, its member agencies, and other municipalities in the nine-county Genesee-Finger Lakes Region will advance during the fiscal year. The UPWP includes a description of the planning work and resulting products, who will perform the work, schedules, cost, and the source(s) of funds. 

View past year's programs by clicking the tabs above. Learn more about the UPWP program on the GTC website. 

Public Participation Process

Call for Project Partnerships
Each year, GTC reaches out to eligible applicants seeking project partnerships to carry out transportation planning activities using federal planning funds. Successful applications fall under three general areas of interest related to:

• planning for physical improvements to the transportation system.

• non-infrastructure transportation services and programs; and

• integration of transportation and land use.

GTC contacts municipalities and members agencies through a combination of written and electronic notifications.

Prospective applicants can consult the program handbook and seek guidance from GTC staff to fully understand the process and commitment of the program.

The UPWP Development Committee (UDC), a sub-committee of the Planning Committee, guides the development of the Unified Planning Work Program. The sub-committee consists of representative member agencies. The sub-committee reviews and prioritizes the applications and recommends a list of projects to be funded for consideration by the Planning Committee.

Public Review Period

The GTC Planning Committee considers and approves a draft UPWP and a draft project list for a 30-day public review period. 

GTC will publicize the public review period by publishing a legal notice in the daily newspaper with the largest circulation in the region (currently the Democrat and Chronicle), notifying the local news media, sharing on social media, sending out mass e-mail campaigns, and other means as appropriate. The public will be able review the draft document online or view hard copies upon request. Alternative formats will be available upon request to allow people with disabilities or limited proficiency in English to review the draft plan and provide their comments.

People can submit written comments online by e-mail or US mail. 

The Planning Committee will review a summary of the public comments and revise the draft UPWP, if appropriate, prior to recommending a final version to the GTC Board for consideration. Planning Committee and Board meetings are open to the public.

Updates and Amendments:

GTC updates the Unified Planning Work Program annually before end of the fiscal year. Amendments are first reviewed by the Planning Committee prior to consideration by the GTC Board.