McCook County Master Transportation Plan

Challenge: McCook County, South Dakota, needed help to balance and prioritize its needs with available funding to maintain over 120 miles of paved roadway. HR Green was retained to develop the McCook County Master Transportation Plan (MTP) to provide a robust, documented baseline for existing and future conditions and to help them plan for the next 20 years.

Solution: As the foundation of the MTP, HR Green conducted a baseline conditions analysis to assess the existing transportation network. Staff obtained and reviewed base mapping and pavement core data, current ordinances, and traffic counts to develop a County Issues and Needs map.

Working with the Study Advisory Team (SAT), HR Green created an existing roadway network and cross-section standards for future development in the study area. To promote support of the MTP, the team conducted public and key stakeholder meetings to gather input from constituents on the baseline analysis and final report.

At the conclusion of the project, the final MTP document listed location-specific issues, as well as associated needs identified by the SAT, stakeholders, public, and HR Green team. Staff included short-term and long-term treatments to road segments identified from the Issues and Needs map. This MTP complimented and strengthened other established plans used by County staff and helped to provide more detailed information for other County plan revisions.

Benefit: The County received an understandable and relatable MTP with the flexibility to adjust to future conditions and inevitable changes. Through the McCook County Master Transportation Plan, the County had a documented process and series of recommendations to guide decision-making in the area for the 20+ years. With stakeholder and public comments accounted for within the document, County staff can devote their time and effort solely on funding and executing these select projects.