Transportation | Transportation Planning

In a growing and diverse area like the Catawba Region, solutions are a vital necessity for the continued growth and vitality of the region. The region’s proximity to the major economic hub of Charlotte, North Carolina, via Interstate I-77, combined with the transaction of the counties within the region by several critical U.S. and South Carolina highways, make proper transportation planning all the more important to the region’s healthy growth.

Through our extensive expertise in transportation planning, the Catawba Regional Council of Governments has assisted the region’s communities in securing funding for the expansion and rehabilitation of numerous vital transportation corridors. In addition, services such as transportation corridor planning, long-range transportation plan development, and our long-standing cooperative relationship with the South Carolina Department of Transportation have all served to help ensure that funds are being spent prudently to best serve the communities in the Catawba Region.

CRCOG’s Role in Regional Transportation Planning

The Catawba Regional Council of Governments (CRCOG) is committed to developing an efficient, multi-modal transportation system that will increase the mobility of people and goods within the Catawba Region. A successful partnership with the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has enabled CRCOG to take a more active role in regional transportation issues The CRCOG assists SCDOT in the long-range planning of regional transportation improvements, including highway infrastructure, public transit, planning studies, and other needs as appropriate. The COG works with jurisdictions in the region to prioritize local needs and make recommendations to SCDOT for funding of highway and transit projects.

CRCOG Transportation Advisory Committee

Each COG maintains a regional transportation advisory committee (TAC) with representatives from local government, transportation providers, and special interest groups. The COGs are encouraged to include representatives from the SCDOT, MPO staff if appropriate, a representative from the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) if appropriate, transportation providers, County Transportation Committee (CTC), planning, zoning, and public works officials, community leaders, school district representatives, as well as underserved populations.

Regional Transportation Partners

South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT)
SCDOT District 4 and County Contact Information
Rock Hill-Fort Mill Area Transportation Study (RFATS) Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
York County Pennies for Progress
Lancaster County Transportation
Chester County
Charlotte Reginal Alliance for Transportation (CRAFT)
Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (MPO)
Centralina Regional Council
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Planning Documents and Programs

SCDOT Strategic 10-Year Asset Management Plan System Performance Report

Transportation asset management is defined as a “strategic and systematic process of operating, maintaining, and improving physical assets, with a focus on engineering and economic analysis based upon quality information to identify a structured sequence of maintenance, preservation, repair, rehabilitation, and replacement actions that will achieve and sustain a desired state of good repair over the lifecycle of the assets at minimum practicable cost (23 U.S.C.1010(a)(2)).

FY 2021-2026 CRCOG Public Participation Plan

The CRCOG Rural Transportation Public Participation Plan is intended to provide direction for public participation activities conducted by the CRCOG regional TAC and contains the vision, goals, objectives, and techniques CRCOG uses for public participation.

SCDOT Public Participation Plan

FY 2023-2024 Rural Planning Work Program (RPWP)

The 2021-2023 Rural Planning Work Program (RPWP) describes the transportation planning activities undertaken by our office and is produced annually. Tasks included in the RPWP result from issues identified by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and the CRCOG Board, which serves as the Policy Committee. In the fall of 2022, State Planning and Research funding from the SCDOT increased from $85,000 to $125,000 annually, with a 20% local match funding totaling $156,250.

Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

The 2015-2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) is a comprehensive transportation planning document for the Catawba region’s four-county. The LRTP defines our region’s overarching goals for transportation, establishes the region’s current and future transportation needs, and allocates projected revenue to transportation programs and projects that address those needs.

Appendix B – Priority Projects List
Appendix F – 2022 State of South Carolina State Transportation Asset Management Plan (STAMP) System Performance Report
Appendix F – 2020-2024 Saftey Targets

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

The Catawba Region TIP outlines the planning objectives, priority status, and funding source for all projects scheduled for construction over a seven-year period (Current TIP window). The TIP is submitted to SCDOT for approval and inclusion in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The STIP accounts for federal highway funds approved by the SCDOT Commission for roadway improvements and specific public transit allocations. In 2023, the SCDOT announced that the state would initiate an update to the current FY 21-27 STIP window. The proposed update will effectively increase the STIP window from seven to ten years. Accordingly, the local TIP windows will also increase from seven to ten years. Below are the links to the current FY 2021-2027 TIP Financial Sheet and TIP Narrative and the Draft FY 2024-2033 TIP Financial Sheet and TIP Narrative. The Draft TIP will be presented to the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting at their October 24, 2023 meeting.

FY 2024-2033 TIP Narrative
FY 2024-2033 TIP Financial Sheet

State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP)

The STIP is organized according to DOT District Offices. The Catawba Region is covered by SCDOT District 4, which is responsible for the Catawba Region and other District 4 counties.

Transportation Alternative Program (TAP)

The Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) (officially known as the “Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside”) is a Federal reimbursement grant program funded through the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The Transportation Alternatives Program allows local governments and other eligible entities to apply for grants for a variety of non-motorized transportation projects. The Transportation Alternatives Program was initially authorized under the 2012 Federal Transportation Funding Act, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), and it replaced the early Transportation Enhancement grant program. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) continues funding the TA set aside through 2026.

Projects and Data

SCDOT Active Projects

SCDOT maintains a listing of active projects in the Catawba Region and statewide.

Transportation Planning