Local Concept Development
Following project intake, Local Concept Development (LCD) is the first phase of work for the Local Capital Project Delivery Program. The NJTPA will co-manage the consultant with the respective subregion. Please refer to the Guidance Manual and Administrative Procedures for further assistance regarding the administrative procedures. During this phase, project sponsors will identify and compare reasonable alternatives and strategies that address the purpose and need statement and will select a preliminary preferred alternative (PPA).
The LCD Phase involves drafting a well-defined and well-justified Purpose and Need Statement focusing on the primary transportation need to be addressed. The LCD Phase elements include, but are not limited to: data collection, coordination, development of a reasonable number of prudent and feasible conceptual alternatives and investigation of all aspects of a project: Environmental, Right-of-Way (ROW), Access, Utilities, Design, Community Involvement, Constructability, etc. at a “Planning level of effort”, and addressing requirements of the NJTPA Congestion Management Process (CMP).
During the LCD Phase, the project team (i.e., Subregion, NJTPA, and Consultant) initiates coordination with both internal and external stakeholders with technical expertise or local knowledge of the project area/problem statement. This collaboration enables further analysis and interpretation of the collected data that can either support the project or lead to its termination. A primary task of the project team is to develop “conceptual alternatives” in line with their requirements/guidelines and ranking criteria, identify possible fatal flaws and select the Preliminary Preferred Alternative (PPA) based on the Purpose and Need Statement. These alternatives and the PPA are analyzed in “planning level detail” based on the impacts to right-of-way, the environment, utilities, the community, etc. A Resolution of Support endorsing the project will be requested from the effected municipalities. As part of addressing the CMP, alternatives to highway capacity expansion must be considered first, and complementary travel demand and operational management strategies must be packaged with any final project that includes capacity expansion.
An Interagency Review Committee (IRC) will also be formed in this phase and will continue throughout the process, tasked with conducting periodic reviews as well as determining if a project is eligible to advance to the next phase.