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Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element sophisticated signal operations. Despite increasing costs, the vast majority of highways in Indian River County have been maintained in acceptable condition, achieving a rating of 3.0 or better on the 5 -point FHWA pavement rating scale. Continuing to maintain the transportation system will be essential and will become a challenge in a climate of increasing costs and limited resources. Therefore, the county should adopt a formal policy to continuously monitor and evaluate its bridges and roadways and to perform all maintenance as warranted to ensure that the majority of the system remains safe and in good condition. Intergovernmental Coordination Since its inception in 1993, the MPO has continuously coordinated transportation planning functions in Indian River County. As a result of the 2000 Census, one School Board Member and one additional City of Sebastian member was added to the MPO governing board. Other than these, there have been no significant changes to the MPO's organization or planning functions. One major change in the MPO's responsibilities, however, occurred in 2006 with the adoption of the TCTC interlocal agreement. Through this agreement, the MPO committed to developing a regional transportation plan and setting regional priorities with the two other MPOs on the Treasure Coast. Because the MPO provides a forum for the public and elected officials to discuss transportation topics, a number of non -agenda topics are often discussed at MPO meetings. These topics usually pertain to short-range or operational issues, such as safety and maintenance. On an informal basis, these issues are referred to the appropriate implementing agency. There is, however, no formal mechanism for discussing and resolving operational issues. Since 1993, the MPO Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has been the primary means for the county traffic engineering department to coordinate its activities with municipalities, law enforcement officials, and FDOT. Another means for the county and law enforcement agencies to share information is through the Community Traffic Safety Team (CTST). In addition, the county incorporates safety into its bike/ped plan, long range plan, and enhancement prioritization methodology. In so doing, the county directly addresses a number of high -crash locations through near-term construction projects. Despite these efforts, the county lacks an effective forum with a primary emphasis on safety. To address the lack of an effective forum to discuss short range and operational deficiencies, the county should create and participate in a safety and operational subcommittee. Such a committee, which could function within the MPO board structure, would provide a mechanism for addressing short-range issues across multiple jurisdictions without detracting from conventional MPO agenda topics. To improve regional transportation planning, the county should formalize its transportation planning process with adjacent counties, particularly Brevard County, that are not currently members of the TCTC. Community Development Department Indian River County 122