Urban Partnership Agreement

rdf:langString Urban Partnership Agreement

rdf:langString The Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) is an effort of the United States Department of Transportation and agencies in four metropolitan areas across the country which are testing out several technologies as an effort to reduce congestion in urban areas. The metro areas of Miami, Florida, Minneapolis, Minnesota, San Francisco, California, and Seattle, Washington are participants. The technologies being used include bus rapid transit (BRT), high-occupancy toll lane (HOT) lanes and other congestion pricing, dynamic message signs, and other lane management signage. The federal Department of Transportation sent out requests for cities willing to participate in December 2006. The cities with the most aggressive plans to mitigate congestion were to be selected. Five participants were announced in August 2007, which included the regions listed above as well as New York City, but New York eventually failed to meet the terms of the agreement they had struck, and was removed from the program. The UPA is focused on using what it calls "the 4Ts" to reduce traffic congestion: tolling, transit, telecommuting, and technology.