Mission
The AMPO Core Products Interest Group focuses on the core metropolitan transportation planning and programming efforts that all MPOs are federally required to maintain regardless of size or structure. These core products such as the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) and the Public Participation Plan (PPP). This interest group grew out of the previous Public Involvement Working Group to include a more comprehensive scope.
Goals
Provide a forum for the MPO community to share best practices, guidance, and resources that support:
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in meeting federal requirements related to core products
- The use of a wide range of public involvement strategies, techniques, and methods to meet the diverse needs of MPO stakeholders, projects, programs, and activities.
- Identify opportunities, challenges, needs, and emerging issues in developing and maintaining these products
- Communicate and share best practices, guidance, resources, and activities with other AMPO committees and at AMPO events, as appropriate.
Core Products Discussion Forum
Join the Core Products Interest Group leadership team and its members on the My AMPO discussion forum. Click My AMPO on the top right side of this page and log in to join the discussion. If you have any questions, click the how-to instructions below.
Leadership Team
Alvan-Bidal Sanchez
DRCOG
Alvan-Bidal Sanchez, AICP (he, him, el) is a senior transportation planner with the Denver Regional Council of Governments, a planning organization covering 10 counties and home to 3.4 million people. He assists in the development and maintenance of the Metro Vision Regional Transportation Plan, which sets the Denver region’s long-range vision and investment framework for the multimodal transportation system. He also leads DRCOG’s federal performance management efforts and nondiscrimination program.
Asia Hernton
CORE MPO
As a transportation planner with over 2 years of experience, Asia primarily works with bike/pedestrian planning, Title VI compliance, and resiliency. Much of what I do as a planner aligns with my personal interest in creating safe and vibrant communities for all people. I have gone through several completed and ongoing plan updates, including the CORE MPO’s Participation Plan, Title VI Plan, Non-Motorized Transportation Plan, and Metropolitan Transportation Plan. I have also updated the Savannah Area’s “Plan 2040” Comprehensive Plan.
My goal as a planner is to not just create plans that meet basic requirements, but write plans that are understandable, usable, and comprehensive.
Shawn Eliot
Mountainland Association of Governments
Shawn has worked with the MPO 26 years. He has a BS in Geography Urban Planning at Brigham Young University and a MPA at Southern Utah University. He’s been the MPO Transportation Director for one year, Planning group manager for 7 years. He has worked extensively on the RTP and TIP. The TIP program manages 50m a year of federal and local funding.
Sean Pfalzer
GNRC
Sean has been with the Greater Nashville Regional Council since 2016. He currently serves as the Transportation Planning Manager and coordinates the transportation planning process carried out by the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Previously, he served as the Capital Improvements Program Manager and worked with local governments across Middle Tennessee to understand and address their infrastructure needs.
Prior to joining GNRC, he worked at the Boston Region MPO for seven years on planning and programming for the transportation infrastructure needs of the region’s 101 cities and towns.
Committee Liaison
Mark Garrity
Oahu MPO
Technical Committee
Mark Garrity is a certified urban planner with more than 30 years of experience who is passionate about creating sustainable transportation solutions. He served as the Deputy Director of Transportation Services for the City and County of Honolulu from 2013-2017, where he oversaw implementation of Complete Streets policies and programs, integration of the City’s bus system with the future rail system, encouraging transit-oriented development, establishing protected bike lanes and parklets, and supporting establishment of new bike share and car share systems. Mark installed Hawaii’s first protected bike lane project, on South King Street. In January 2022, Mark became the Executive Director of the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, where he conducts long-range planning to help shape the future of transportation on Oahu and coordinates access to federal transportation funds.
Ron Papsdorf
DRCOG
Policy Committee
Ron Papsdorf has over 30 years of experience developing and implementing innovative, multi-modal transportation plans, projects and policies. He’s worked in dynamic organizations and communities where he has been involved in transportation planning, community development, business recruitment and economic development, and intergovernmental relations.
Ron joined the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) in March 2018 to lead the organization’s Transportation Planning and Operations Division. Under his leadership, DRCOG is partnering with local and regional agencies to address significant transportation issues, with a focus on safety and multimodal solutions.
FHWA Liaison
Matt Smoker
AMPO Contact
Caitlin Cook: ccook@ampo.org
