At the Valdosta-Lowndes Planning Organization (VLMPO) meetings held in March, the Citizen and Technical Advisory as well as the Policy Committee unanimously approved the FY2020 Work Program and Budget for the regional transportation planning organization. The budget is set at $222,000 and includes the primary goal of completing a new transportation plan for Valdosta, Lowndes County and surrounding areas.
 
The annual Work Program is a required document the VLMPO uses to seek grant funds from the Federal Highway and Transit Administrations through the Georgia Department of Transportation to complete transportation planning activities in the Valdosta and Lowndes County area. Regular activities of the VLMPO include planning for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, freight traffic, road and bridge improvements, public transit planning, and crash data analysis among other areas.
 
The primary focus of the work to be completed in FY2020, which runs from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020, is to complete the required 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan to analyze the current transportation network and identify future projects in the Valdosta and Lowndes County area. The process to complete the plan will include public input opportunities, transportation system data analysis, project prioritization, the development of a financial plan, identification of how each project will support the achievement of national, state, and local goal targets for safety, mobility, congestion, and among other areas.