The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO), during its meeting on April 19, 2012, approved the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) for fiscal year 2013. The UPWP describes the transportation planning work and associated funding for the Hampton Roads metropolitan planning area (MPA) for the period from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. The UPWP is developed by the HRTPO in coordination with Hampton Roads Transit, Williamsburg Area Transit Authority, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

In addition to detailing the work associated with HRTPO core functions - the Long-Range Transportation Plan, the Transportation Improvement Program, the Congestion Management Process, and Public Participation - the UPWP includes a discussion of the planning priorities facing the MPA. It is in the determination of these planning priorities that the HRTPO Board endures its vision and goals are carried forward in the UPWP. The FY 2013 planning priorities for the HRTPO are:

Transportation Programming - Involves selecting projects on which to allocate scarce transportation funding and striving to ensure that those scarce dollars are used in the most cost-effective manner.

Military Transportation Needs – Building on the work of the past two years, the HRTPO will continue to focus on ways to improve transportation for the military, thereby furthering national defense and the economic well-being of the region.

Passenger Rail – Since the HRTPO Board approved a resolution in October 2009 in support of establishing passenger rail service between Richmond and Norfolk and enhancing the existing rail service between Richmond and Newport News, the HRTPO has worked diligently to improve the region’s potential for passenger rail service.

Regional Freight Planning – The Port of Hampton Roads is the third largest seaport on the East Coast, attracting more than 80% of the world’s major shipping lines and connecting the region with more than 100 nations and over 300 ports of call. The HRTPO will continue to consider and incorporate freight as a critical element of the region’s transportation planning process.