The N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is making headlines, and it's for all the right reasons: The department's Transportation Planning Division, along with the Foothills and Northwest Piedmont Rural Planning Organizations, has been honored by the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for their collaborative success in crafting Comprehensive Transportation Plans (CTPs) for western North Carolina regions.
In feats of foresight and coordination, these CTPs outline the transportation system's progress over the next quarter-century or more, reflecting a blend of data-driven strategies and hearty local engagement to pin down and solve the travel necessities for these communities, said Andy Bailey, NCDOT's Western Piedmont Planning Group Supervisor, acknowledged the accolade by saying, "This recognition highlights our efforts on two Regional Comprehensive Transportation Plans and reflects the strong partnerships and planning work across our region," in a statement obtained by NCDOT news release.
Hailed for pushing the envelope in regional transportation planning and implementation, the NADO Excellence in Regional Transportation Awards put a spotlight on practices that enhance flow and functionality in less urbanized locales; the two award-winning CTPs devised by NCDOT tackle areas spanning McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Davie, Surry, and Yadkin counties, every territory chalking up its own set of transportation aspirations and challenges.
"The Excellence in Regional Transportation Awards program showcases effective and creative transportation initiatives that improve accessibility, mobility, safety, and quality of life in regions around the United States. Programs and projects like these two in North Carolina foster community and economic connections and promote effective transportation networks," NADO President and Region XII Council of Governments Executive Director Rick Hunsaker explained, was quoted in the same NCDOT press release.
