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Supplemental GCATS Planning
Updated 3/27/07


Presentation to the Gulf Coast Business Council on the Status of the Long Range Plan &Supplemental Components

 
 
 

Gulf Coast Area Transportation Study (GCATS)

Development Process

The GCATS is a long-range transportation plan that provides a vision for transportation projects to be constructed out to the years 2030.  The MGCATS will present a fiscally constrained, staged improvement program for the Gulf Coast.  The projects that will be included in the MGCATS will be constrained within “real” estimates of funding availability.  In order for a transportation project to receive federal funding, it must be identified in this document.

 

 

Goals and Objectives

The first step to the study process is the development of the goals and objectives to guide the planning to be undertaken for the study.  This is achieved with input from the public through meetings held in each of the three counties in the study area.  The MPO also makes available a “stakeholders survey” that was sent out to various private and public agencies to garner input regarding the goals and objectives.  To conclude this process, the MPO technical and policy committees adopted the final version of the goals and objectives.  


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Transportation Model Development

The transportation model is a planning tool that allows us to take a look a future traffic on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  Planning assumptions are made for the year 2030 for population, employment, casino development, hotel development, and school enrollment for the study area.  This data is organized into Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs) that are used to generate traffic, distribute the traffic by origin and destination, and then assign the traffic to the transportation system.  Using this tool will help planners get an idea of which streets will have congestion problems in the future.

 

The data in the model is currently being reviewed and updated as a result of Hurricane Katrina. 

 


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Development of Transportation Alternatives

This stage of the process is used to take inventory of all transportation projects ideas and that the public and public agencies would like to have considered for inclusion in the GCATS.  At this point all projects are welcome no matter the cost or scope of the project.  This is the region’s opportunity to add their ideas to a wish list of projects.  The following maps show a “draft” list of regional transportation concerns and projects that will be considered for inclusion into the Gulf Coast Area Transportation Study (GCATS). 

 

Please take a moment to review and make comment on the following lists and maps to make sure that all projects that you want to have considered for inclusion in the GCATS are included. 

Projects Wish List
(Click to view)

 

 

Projects for Evaluation
(Click on the picture or text for a larger view)

Biloxi

D'Iberville

Ocean Springs

Stennis
 



Gulfport

Hancock County

Harrison County

West Harrison County
 



Gautier

Jackson County

Moss Point

 

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Evaluation of Transportation Alternatives

The GCATS will be a financially constrained plan.  This will be accomplished by an estimation of all transportation funding expected between now and the year 2030.  With these constraints in mind, the list wish list of transportation alternatives will be evaluated based on the goals and objectives that were set at the beginning of the process.  Each project will be considered to determine how effectively provides relief of traffic congestion, improves regional connectivity, helps with safety problems, impacts to the environment, etc.  The best projects will be selected for inclusion into the “Draft Plan”.


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Draft Plan

The Draft Staged Improvement Program is ready for your review.  These are the projects that have been selected for inclusion into the Gulf Coast Area Transportation Study (GCATS) as a vision for our future transportation system and will be eligible for federal funding.  Public comment can be received in by any of the following:

 

  • Mail your comments to GRPC, 1232 Pass Road, Gulfport, MS 39501
  • Visit our office in Gulfport
  • Make comment online below
  • Make plans to attend the following public meeting that will be held at the following locations:

 

October 23rd – D’Iberville City Hall, 10383 Automall Pkwy, D’Iberville, MS

 

October 24th – Kiln Public Library, 17065 Hwy 603, Kiln, MS

 

October 25th – MS Gulf Coast Community College, 2300 Hwy 90, Gautier, MS

 

The public review and comment period will end on Tuesday October 31st.  Please have your comment in by this time. If you have any questions please call Kenneth Yarrow at 228-864-1167.

 

Projects for Review
(Click on the picture or text for a larger view)

Biloxi & DIberville

Bay St. Louis & Waveland

Mississippi Gulf Coast
Draft 2030 Staged Improvement Program
 Staged Improvement Program List

 



Gulfport

Hancock County

Ocean Springs

South West Harrison County
 



Gautier

Moss Point & Pascagoula
       
     
       
       

 

 
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Final Plan


The Gulf Coast Area Transportation Study (GCATS), 2030 Roadway Project Staged
Improvements Plan
. Below are the final maps/pdf files available for review.

 

Bay_Wave GCATS 2006.pdf Hancock_1GCATS 2006.pdf
Biloxi_D'iberville GCATS 2006.pdf Hancock_2GCATS 2006.pdf
Gautier GCATS 2006.pdf Hancock_3GCATS 2006.pdf
GCATS 2030.pdf Harrison_1GCATS 2006.pdf
Gulfport GCATS 2006.pdf    


 

 

 

 

Update 4/11/07:

 

Comments from the Jackson County public meeting,

Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Gautier, MS


The meeting Wednesday in Gautier included citizens interested in learning about the planning process and others with specific questions about projects.  The most repeated comment was to finish with the planning and get started implementation.  Most everyone favored the bicycle/pedestrian plans and agreed with the safety issues, but the MS Hwy 57 project, Hwy 90 and Martin Bluff Road drew the most discussion.  Another roadway not in Jackson County the participants talked about was the need to improve the Hwy 15 corridor to facilitate north-south traffic north of I-10, and which would provide an additional evacuation route. 

The attached link to the Mississippi Press covers much of the discussion.  http://www.gulflive.com/news/mississippipress/index.ssf?/base/news/1176372904231900.xml

 

Comments from the Harrison County public meeting,

Tuesday, April 10, 2007, at the Donal Snyder Center, Biloxi


Over fifty citizens attended the first of three public meetings to be held on the Gulf Coast long range plan and supplemental planning studies.  The response cards indicate they found our planning work satisfactory and they were pleased to have the opportunity to see the plans and talk with the GRPC staff. 

There were concerns expressed by a number of residents over a potential project that would connect Popps Ferry to I-10 at the Woolmarket exit by means of a new corridor that could traverse their neighborhood.  This project had been included as an alternative to the “H” alternative presented by MDOT to connect I-10 to HWY 90, which met with serious opposition and was subsequently removed from the long range plan due to a lack of financial commitment.  The current project was included in order to prepare a regional transportation network to accommodate the need for another north-south connection to the interstate.  At this time, there are issues that must be addressed before this project could move forward, in particular those concerning the environment and funding.   This project is listed as a Stage Three (Year 2030) project, meaning it is not a high priority for local funding support and is not expected to be implemented for the twenty-plus years. 

Because of the high level of interest in the project GRPC will talk with the City of Biloxi, Harrison County, MDOT and FHWA to provide further information on this project, the issues of the environmental process, local sponsorship and support for the project. 

 

Please check our website for Project Updates as they become available.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright© 2007 Gulf Regional Planning Commission