AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING DIVISION
January 2001
BY-LAWS
Article 1: Name
The name of the Division shall be the Transportation Planning Division (hereinafter “Division? of the American Planning Association (hereinafter “APA?.
Article 2: Purposes
The purposes of the Division shall be to:
- Advocate for comprehensive planning as the basis for transportation planning, programming, and project development and encourage better understanding of transportation issues and techniques among general planners.
- Provide opportunities to encourage continuing professional development of Division members.
- Encourage networking among the members of the Division, between the members of this Division and related planning disciplines within APA, and between the members of this Division and other national or international organizations having interests related to the Division’s.
- Assist APA with development of legislative and policy positions and a research agenda related to transportation planning issues.
Article 3: Membership
Membership in the Division shall be open to any having a special interest in transportation planning individual, whether or not a member of APA. Individuals become members upon application and payment of Division dues to the APA.
Article 4: Officers
The Division members shall elect a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. The term of office for all officers is two years; officers may be re-elected up to three times. Officers of the Division shall all be members of the Division in good standing; the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Division shall also be members of APA. All officers are expected to attend the regular business meetings of the Division and make reasonable attempt to fulfill both regular and assigned duties and act in the on-going best interests of the Division and its membership.
1.1 Duties of the Division Chair.
The Division Chair shall act as the executive officer of the Division and is generally responsible for ensuring the on-going vitality and health of the Division. Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
- Ensuring that the Division meets minimum guidelines and standards for Divisions set by APA
- Convening and presiding at the two annual business meetings of the Division
- Preparation of annual reports of Division activities for submission to the APA Board of Directors
- Representing the Division on the APA Divisions Council and attending semi-annual APA Leadership meetings called by the APA Board of Directors
- Appointing committees and subcommittees of the Division
- Responding to requests for policy advice from the APA Board, staff, and leadership
- Representing the Division's interests among non-Division members as well as in national and professional forums
- Providing a primary point of contact between the Division leadership, Division members, and APA Chapters and non-division members.
The Vice-Chair shall act at the direction of the Chair of the Division and shall generally provide operational back-up for the Division Chair. The Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair and may be designated as proxy for the Division in votes of Division Council. The Division Vice-Chair takes lead responsibility for developing the Division's two by-right panel sessions for the Annual Conference of the APA.
1.3 Duties of the Division Secretary.
The Secretary acts at the direction of the Chair of the Division. Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Notification of the members through the newsletter, the website, or other means of the dates, times, and location of business or special meetings of the Division
- Preparation and distribution of minutes of business meetings of the Division
- Submission of proposed by-laws changes or amendments to the membership, including oversight of the adoption and distribution of any changes
- Tabulation of any votes by the membership, except tabulation of votes by the Election Committee as described in Article 8.
The Division Treasurer acts at the direction of the Chair of the Division and attend both business meetings of the Division. Specific responsibilities include by are not limited to:
- Establish and maintain bank accounts for Division funds
- Carry-out all financial transactions of the Division, including signing checks, collecting fees, and reimbursing officer expenses
- Maintain all current financial records and documentation for the Division, retaining records for five years
- Provide quarterly and/or annual reports of income and expenses to the Chair of the Division and the APA Divisions Council program assistant as requested and report on financial health of the Division at each business meeting.
- Submit any changes in the Division dues to the APA within two weeks of their adoption by the membership
- Assist the Chair and other officers in developing the draft annual budget for the Division.
The four elected officers of the Division together with the editor of the newsletter, the appointed chairs of active Division committees, and the immediate past-chair of the Division shall form the Division's Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall meet from time to time. A meeting may be called by any of the four elected officers of the Division. The purpose of the Executive Committee is to act as principal advisor to the chair and elected officers on matters such as preparation of the annual program and budget for the Division, proposals for revision of the by-laws, establishment or discharge of committees, development of Division plans, programs or activities, and development of position statements regarding transportation policy issues for consideration by APA. When required to achieve a majority vote, the actions of the Executive Committee shall be by affirmative vote of the majority of current Executive Committee members.
1.6 Removal of an elected officer.
An elected officer of the Division may be removed for cause or significant lack of performance by either of the following means: 1) Affirmative votes of the majority of the current Executive Committee equal to the size of the committee without the offending officer less one; or 2) Petition to the Executive Committee by members of the Division equal to the number of members that voted in the last election of officers plus one.
Article 5: Member Services
To implement its purposes, the Division shall carry out the following minimum activities for its members:
5.1 Business Meetings.
The Chair of the Division shall call at least two business meetings each year. One meeting shall be in conjunction with the annual conference of the Transportation Research Board in Washington DC and one meeting shall be in conjunction with the annual national conference of the APA.
5.1a
The quorum for a business meeting shall be two percent (2%) of the membership of the Division including either the Chair or Vice-Chair of the Division and at least two (2) other members of the Executive Committee.
5.1b
Non-members of the Division may not vote on official business.
5.2 Newsletters.
The Division shall publish and disseminate at least three newsletters to its membership each year.
5.3 Member Directory.
The Division shall publish and disseminate to its members a directory containing the names, professional association, and current contact information of the current Division membership. This directory may be maintained on-line or published as hard-copy at least once every three years.
5.4 Web Site.
The Division may develop and maintain a web site for its membership and to describe the activities of the Division for the general public.
5.5 Conference Sessions.
The Division shall organize and sponsor at least two panel sessions for the annual APA conference each year. The Division’s program chair, who is also the Vice-Chair of the Division, may also provide assistance to Division members who are proposing panel sessions not to be sponsored by the Division.
5.6 Student Awards.
The Division shall organize and maintain a program of student awards and activities to encourage students to consider careers in transportation. Depending on availability of funding, these activities may include a student paper competition and a student scholarship program. Activities shall be organized and carried out by the Student Award Committee and shall be available to students in accredited planning programs. Any competitive award shall be managed with high ethical standards and equal opportunity.
5.7 Work Program and Budget.
The Division shall adopt an annual work-program and self-sustaining budget that meet requirements for APA divisions at the spring business meeting each year. The adopted program and annual budget shall be disseminated to the membership.
Article 6: Committees
Committees of the Division may be formed to further the purposes of the Division, carry-out here-in specified member services, and to increase opportunities for members of the Division to actively contribute to and participate in the Division. The Chair of the Division shall appoint all committee chairs and approve all committee members, with advice from the Executive Committee. Committee chairs serve at the will of the Division Chair. The Chair shall provide a committee with a description of the committee's functions and responsibilities, budget, reporting requirements and times, and, in some cases, a sunset date.
An elected officer of the Division may serve as chair of a committee. All committee chairs and members shall be members in good standing of the Division. In the event an APA Committee exists with a charge similar to that of a proposed Division committee, the Chair of the Division shall consult with the Executive Director of APA to resolve any potential conflicts of interest.
Regular committees of the Division include but are not limited to:- The Executive Committee (see Article 4.5)
- The Student Awards Committee (see Article 5.6)
- The Election Committee (see Article 8.1)
Dues for Division membership are set by the Division and adopted with the annual Division Budget at the April business meeting. The Division may set differential dues for APA members, for students, and for individuals who are not members of APA. Dues are collected by APA National Headquarters and rebated to the Treasurer of the Division minus service rates determined by the APA Board.
Article 8: Elections
Division elections will be held every two years. Officers shall take office on April 1 of even numbered years and be formally installed at the Spring Business Meeting of the Division.
8.1 Election Committee.
The Chair of the Division shall appoint a election committee by August 1 of the year preceding the April installation of elected officers. The committee shall consist of no fewer than three and no more than five members, including a committee chair. All members of the committee shall be members in good standing of the Division. Each member of the committee shall represent a different APA District. Current officers in the Division may not serve on the Election Committee. No member of the Election Committee may be a candidate for office.
8.2 Duties of the Election Committee.
The election committee is responsible for carrying out all activities associated with the election of officers for the Division, from the call for nominations to the announcement of results. The committee shall carry out its duties with the highest ethical standards.
8.3 Identification of candidates.The Election Committee will issue a general “Call for Candidates?to all members of the Division no later than October 1 preceding the installation of elected officers. Candidates may self-nominate or, with permission from a potential candidate, nominate another. The Election Committee members will also actively seek out and encourage Division members who have been active on Division committees and participants at the Division business meetings to run for office. The Committee shall make a reasonable effort to develop a slate of candidates with a minimum of two candidates for each position. Incumbents may run for re-election up to three times. Each candidate for office shall provide the Election Committee with a brief campaign statement and description of qualifications for office based on guidelines established by the Election Committee.
8.4 Election procedures.
The Election Committee will develop and distribute an election ballot to all members of the Division. The ballot shall include statements from the candidates and opportunities for write-in candidates. The actual election may be carried out by any technical means that provides accessibility to the process for all members of the Division, whether mail, fax, e-mail, or internet . Winners shall be selected by affirmative majority of those voting in the election. With approval of the Division Chair, the Chair of the Election Committee may appoint a separate subcommittee of Division members to act as a Teller Committee to validate the results of the election. The Chair of the Election Committee shall announce the winners of the election to the candidates, the current officers of the Division, and the APA Division's Council staff program assistant as soon as possible after the election deadline. The Chair of the Election Committee shall keep the ballots in her or his possession for two years after the election. The Chair of the Election Committee shall transmit the names, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses of new officers for announcement on the Division's website and in the newsletter.
8.5 Election Schedule
- August 1: Appointment of the Election Committee
- October 1: Call for Candidates
- January 1: Announcement of the slate of candidates
- February 1: Ballot mailing
- March 15: Deadline for receipt of ballots
- April 1: Announcement of election results
8.6 Special elections.
When an officer of the Division vacates his or her position, the Chair or Vice-Chair of the Division shall poll the remaining officers to determine whether to hold a special election, leave the seat empty until the next election, or appoint an existing or past officer of the Division to carry-out of the duties of the position until the next election.
Article 9: Relationships within APA
9.1 Relationship with National APA and AICP
9.1a
The Division will carry out its activities in a manner complying with requirements for Divisions as described by APA National bylaws and guidelines for Divisions.
9.1b
Division leadership will participate in activities of the APA Divisions Council and the APA Board of Directors to represent the interests of the Transportation Division and ensure coordination between the Division and APA.
9.1c
The Division through its leadership may coordinate Division activities and participate in activities of AICP to carry out purposes of the Division.
9.2 Coordination with Chapters.
The Division through its leadership may coordinate Division activities with APA State Chapters, including defining and supporting state-based Division sections. The Division through its leadership may also coordinate and cooperate with other APA Divisions to carry out purposes of the Division and provide service to its members.
Article 10: Partnerships with other organizations
The Division may through its officers from time to time form formal or informal partnerships with other organizations for the purposes benefiting Division members. No partnership agreement may supercede any article or activity described in these by-laws or the by-laws of APA. Members of a partner organization may attend business or other meetings of the Division but shall not vote on official business of the Division.
Article 11: Amendment
Proposed amendment to this bylaws or any bylaw changes shall be distributed to the membership of the Division for comment at least two months before they are presented for a vote at one of the two duly convened business meetings of the Division. Adoption of a change is achieved by a majority vote of the members present at a duly convened business meeting for which a quorum is present