General Background
For over 30 years, the
federally mandated "continuing, coordinated and comprehensive" (3C)
urban transportation planning process in Washtenaw County has occurred at two
levels: the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study or WATS (previously known as
the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti Urban Area Transportation Study or UATS), comprised
of those governmental units and related agencies within Washtenaw County; and
regionally at the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), the Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO) for the seven-county region of southeast Michigan.
Because the 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan Update for Washtenaw County
is incorporated into the Regional Transportation Plan for the seven county Southeast
Michigan area as previous plans have been, both agencies are responsible for
its completion.