What is the RCA? The RCA process is simply a step in Orange County's overall roadway improvement process. The overall process includes the following phases:

1. Needs
2. Funding
3. Roadway Conceptual Analysis
4. Roadway Design
5. Right-of-Way Acquisition
6. Roadway Construction
7. Roadway Maintenance

The RCA is a crucial step in the development of the County's transportation system. The RCA process informs and involves the public in the improvement planning process, confirms the need for a roadway improvement, determines the most suitable alignment for the improvement, estimates cost, and estimates community and environmental impacts. To ensure that transportation improvements are in the best interest of the public, the County utilizes sound engineering practices and transportation planning principles during the RCA process and throughout the overall roadway improvement process.

The RCA process consists of extensive data collection of existing conditions, including traffic counts, accident data, cultural, archaeological/historical features, natural and hydraulic features, and threatened and endangered species information. Once data collection on existing conditions is completed, it is used in the subsequent technical analysis and evaluation of various improvement alternatives. Finally, after various refinement steps, the study team will determine a recommended alternative.

Throughout the entire process, there is ongoing public involvement and input from the community, including citizens, business owners, elected officials, and other stakeholders. The key to the RCA process is the merging of technical data collection and analysis with dialogue from citizens to produce acceptable and appropriate solutions to transportation demand. Following approval of the RCA recommendation by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, the resulting roadway concept will be used in the remaining phases of the overall process (design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction).