Meeting Agendas	Meeting Minutes
April 10, 2008	April 10, 2008

The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) is the designated state agency that receives and administers federal transportation funds. The NMDOT has both state and federal transportation programs.


In order to manage transportation programs more efficiently, the State Transportation Commission created seven regional transportation planning organizations to work closely with NMDOT. The NMDOT has contracted with the regional planning organization, Southeastern New Mexico Economic Development /District Council of Governments (SNMEDD/COG):

• To serve as a forum and to elicit informed recommendations for multimodal transportation and enhancement projects.
• To submit projects to the NMDOT after prioritizing them.
• To promote the implementation of an efficient transportation network in the eight county southeast region of New Mexico.

Membership of the Southeast Regional Planning Organization (SERPO) consists of the local, county and tribal governments in its jurisdiction. SERPO covers eight counties in the south­eastern portion of the State: Chaves, Curry,  DeBaca, Eddy, Lea, Lincoln, Otero and Roosevelt Counties.  SERPO’s boundaries are consistent with the boundaries of NMDOT District Two.  NMDOT has contracted with the two Councils of Governments (COGS) that serve these areas. SERPO consists of Policy and Technical Committee members who are appointed by the chief, elected local official.

View the Policy and Technical Committee Membership for SERPO

While various transportation programs are available through federal and state funding, SERPO focuses on federal programs included in the NMDOT’s State­wide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).  Major programs include:


Roadway Improvement Program
Concentrates on construction, maintenance and improvement of roadways.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:  Local, county and tribal governments

Click Here for NMDOT Roadway Classification Map for Chaves County
Click Here for NMDOT Roadway Classification Map for Eddy County
Click Here for NMDOT Roadway Classification Map for Lea County
Click Here for NMDOT Roadway Classification Map for Lincoln County
Click Here for NMDOT Roadway Classification Map for Otero County


Enhancement Program
Focuses on the enhancement of the quality of life in or around transportation facilities.  Qualifying categories are:

• Provision of facilities for pedestrians and bicycles
• Provision of safety & education activities for pedestrians and bicyclists
• Acquisition of scenic easements and scenic or historic sites
• Scenic or historic highways program
• Landscaping and other scenic beautification
• Historic preservation
• Rehabilitation and operation of historic transportation buildings, structures or facilities
• Preservation of abandoned railway corridors, including conversion and use for pedestrian or bicycle trails
• Control and removal of outdoor advertising
• Archeological planning and research
• Environmental mitigation to address specific issues
• Establishment of transportation museums

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:  Local, county and tribal governments


Scenic and Historic Byways Program
Centers on the preservation and protection of scenic, recreational, cultural, natural and archeological areas on or adjacent to a designated scenic byway.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:  Private, nonprofit organizations


Public Transit Programs
The Section 5310 program provides funding for the elderly and disabled for the acquisition of vehicles modified to conform to the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:  Private, nonprofit organizations
The Section 5311 program has funding available for capital, administrative, and operating assistance in rural areas for rural transit programs.  

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:  State agencies, local public bodies, private nonprofit organizations and operators of public transportation services.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program
The SRTS program is intended to promote health and safety for school children by walking and bicycling to school. The program provides for non-infrastructure and infrastructure activities.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: Local, county and tribal governments and school districts


Other federal programs include:

• Traffic signal programs
• Highway bridge improvements
• Highway safety improvements
• Public lands highway programs
• State infrastructure bank

Applying for Transportation Funds
Application procedures may vary between programs.  Eligible applicants should recognize that a local match is usually required with requests for federal funding.  Additional information on application processes may  be obtained from the SERPO transportation planners. Once local, county and tribal governments (or other eligible applicants) submit their applications, projects are rated and ranked by the designated Policy and Technical Committees of SERPO.  Recommenda­tions are forwarded to the NMDOT for possible inclusion in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). As with most federal programs, funding availability is limited.  Once the review process has been completed, funding awards are announced.

Click Here for Application Cycle Guideline for Roadway Program
Click Here for Application Cycle Guideline for Enhancement and Scenic Byways Programs
Click Here for Application Cycle Guidelines for Transit Programs

Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) 
The Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) is available to everyone on the New Mexico Department of Transportation Website. The document below is an excerpt from the most recently available and approved STIP. This STIP lists multiple transportation projects within SERPO's jurisdiction. Descriptive information includes location, name of lead agency, funding fiscal year planned and estimated project costs.

Click Here for Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) SERPO only

Long Range Transportation Plan
SERPO has a Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) that provides preliminary regional transportation goals, needs, issues and possible solutions over a twenty year period which are derived from local, elected and/or appointed officials. The document also includes an inventory of planned projects that incorporate the eight planning factors required. The LRTP is updated every five years. The most current update was completed in February 2008 and is provided below.


View the Regional Long Range Transportation Plan for Southeastern New Mexico

Public Comment. SERPO will accept public comment for a period of thirty days from the date this document has been posted. If you wish to comment, please contact the RPO Planner at the contact information provided below. Posted: May 20, 2008.

Southeast Regional Planning Organization (SERPO)
1600 SE Main, Suite D
Roswell, NM 88203
Phone (575) 624-6131
Fax (575) 624-6134

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