North Carolina
The 2010 Census reported continued growth for the area and, for the first time, the Myrtle Beach UZA (renamed the Myrtle Beach-Socastee SC/NC Urbanized Area) extended into the southern portions of Brunswick County, North Carolina. As a result, in 2012 GSATS entered into a memorandum of understanding with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), Brunswick County, and the towns of Calabash, Carolina Shores, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Shallotte, Sunset Beach, and Varnamtown. The effect of this memorandum was to create a bi-state MPO with expanded representation on the GSATS Policy Committee.
Grand Strand MPO Annual Authorizations for FFY 2023
Grand Stand Area Transportation Study Transit Authorizations FFY 2023
Brunswick County CTP
The NCDOT Transportation Planning Division in partnership with the Cape Fear Regional COG, GSATS MPO, and Brunswick County is in the process of updating the Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) for Brunswick County. For more information on the progress of the CTP update visit the following website:
https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/Pages/CTP-Details.aspx?study_id=Brunswick+County
NC Prioritization 7.0
NCDOT’s Strategic Prioritization Office (SPOT) oversees a process to rank and select projects to be included in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). NCDOT is currently in the seventh iteration of the process, referred to SPOT 7.0. At the beginning of the process, GSATS is allowed to submit up to 14 projects per mode for evaluation and scoring. There are three levels of funding within the SPOT process- Statewide Mobility, Regional Impact, and Division Needs. At the Regional Impact and Division Needs project level, GSATS is allowed to provide local input via points assignment, which gets factored into the final project scoring. The project submission deadline was September 29, 2023.
Please see the attached file for a detailed schedule:
For more information about the SPOT prioritization process visit NCDOT’s website at:
https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/Pages/PrioritizationResources.aspx
NC Moves 2050
NCDOT is also engaged in a statewide long-range transportation visioning process to examine transportation issues and corresponding needs in 2050. The NC Moves 2050 planning initiative was a two year effort with input from transportation industry stakeholders across the state along with public engagement opportunities including online surveys, and public meetings.
To learn more about the NC Moves 2050 process visit the following link:
Great State Trail Plan
Another long-range transportation planning effort in North Carolina is focused on exploring opportunities to expand upon the network of trail systems that exist in local communities and interconnect on a regional level. NCDOT is seeking public input via an online survey.
To find more information about the Great State Trails Plan effort, visit the following link:
NCDOT: Integrated Mobility Division – Great Trails State Plan