SECTION 1

A New Path Forward

Overview—The Master Planning

Process

Greater Hattiesburg Profiles

Transportation

Maps

1.1
SECTION 1.1

Overview

Grounded in its commitment to nurture a sustainable quality of life for

“We cannot solve our
problems with the the Hattiesburg region, the Area Development Partnership (ADP), in
same the summer of 2006, commissioned a team of consultants to prepare
thinking we used a Master Plan for Metropolitan Hattiesburg that would provide both
when we created short- and long-term strategies for continued economic growth and
them.” enhanced quality of life. The ADP is a private, not-for-profit
organization that seeks to stimulate economic growth through the
Albert Einstein resources of its members and partners. With a membership of over
1000, the ADP is in a unique position to initiate and manage positive
change for the region. Rapid population growth, intergovernmental
complexities, and funding challenges have all combined to create a
window of urgency as well as opportunity to move the region
forward. For Hattiesburg, growth is not at the doorstep; it has already
crossed the threshold, and the region’s civic leadership no longer
assumes that any development is good development. This planning
process was inspired by the ADP’s commitment to encourage local
economies to grow and expand while preserving the heritage,
character, and environment of the region.

Until the late nineteenth century a large portion of South Mississippi,

including the Hattiesburg area, teemed with longleaf yellow pine.
Prior to the 1880s, timber was cut and
transported by horses or oxen from the heart
of the forest to the river where it was loaded
onto rafts and transported downstream.
From humble beginnings depending
solely on the seasonal streams and
freshets, the timber industry did not
reach its full potential until the arrival of
the first railway, the New Orleans and Northern Railroad.
Hattiesburg became a major sawmill center with the intersection of
four separate rail lines marking the city as a major rail hub for the
region. Today Hattiesburg is still referred to as the “Hub City”.

Today, the Greater Hattiesburg Area enjoys an excellent quality of

life rooted in some of the finest educational, medical, commercial,
cultural, retirement and recreational opportunities in the state for
more than a quarter of a million people who live in the southeast
Mississippi region. Designated a Metropolitan Statistical Area in
1994, the region that comprises of Lamar County, Forrest County
and includes the municipalities of Hattiesburg, Petal, Purvis, Sumrall
and Lumberton; as well as numerous rural communities, has a

1.2
combined population of more than 100,000. It is the home of the
University of Southern Mississippi, William Carey University, and
Camp Shelby.

This study area, located in the Pine Belt region of the state, is
situated to the south between the capital city of Jackson and the Gulf
Coast. The area enjoys a close proximity to New Orleans, the Gulf
Coast, Mobile, and Jackson. Within the Pine Belt region, the study
area focuses on Forrest County including the cities of Hattiesburg
and Petal; along with Lamar County including the cities of Purvis,
Sumrall, Lumberton and annexed areas of the City of Hattiesburg.

The master plan study area, for the purposes of this report, will be
referred to as the Greater Hattiesburg Area. The two counties
comprise approximately 966
square miles with 547 people
per square mile. The City of
Hattiesburg corporate limits
contain 49.7 square miles
and approximately 909
persons per square mile.
Hattiesburg has been
located primarily in Forrest
County until recent
commercial annexations into
Lamar County occurring
along U. S. Highway 98 from
Interstate 59 to Old U.S.
Highway 11.

1.3
 The Master Planning Process
The information gleaned from listening sessions, interviews, and
workshops held as part of this planning process indicates a clear
appreciation for sustainable growth management and utilization
of best management practices as they apply to land use,
transportation, and economic development. Recommendations
made in this report are based on a thorough and analytical
process that included review of jurisdictional planning
documents, economic indicators, regional and national trends, as
well as interviews and workshops with the ADP membership.
The ADP understands that making special places requires
people, public officials, and private businesses to work together.
They understand that a new kind of thinking will be required to
respond to the needs of a changing region. They understand that
with leadership, collaboration, and patience, Metropolitan
Hattiesburg can be a dynamic and engaging community.
Hattiesburg has a number of strengths to build upon. The region
has a wealth of visionaries and pragmatists, bold entrepreneurs
and wise scientists. The input that many of these individuals
provided to this study is reflected in the pages that follow.

Acknowledgments
We wish to thank the following for their insights which helped invaluably in informing this
study.

Dr. Angie Godwin President ADP

Mr. Bill Ray Asbury Foundation
Mr. Holt McMullan Chair, ADP
Mr. Frank McWhorter Past Chair, ADP
Conference Attendees/Members ADP
Mr. Fred Hatten President, Board of Supervisors, Lamar County
Mr. Chuck Bennett Administrator, Lamar County
Mr. Willie Horton Director of Urban Development, City of Hattiesburg
Ms. Kara Drane Planner, Forrest County
Mr. Jay Estes Consultant Planner, City of Petal
SECTION 1.2

Greater Hattiesburg Profiles

Hattiesburg

Petal

Forrest County

West Hattiesburg

Purvis

Sumrall

Lumberton

Lamar County

1.5
 Hattiesburg
QUICK FACTS

Land Area:
49.7 sq. miles

Population Per Square Mile:

909 persons Photo

School Districts:
Hattiesburg Public
Forrest County

DEMOGRAPHICS

2000 Census Population: 44,779

Race Categories:
White 22,365 49.9%
African American 21,200 47.3%
Native American 68 0.2%
Asian 547 1.2%
Other 240 0.5%
Two or More Races 359 0.8%
Hispanic/Latino (any race) 630 1.4%

WORK FORCE

Occupation:
Management and Professional 6,290 31.9%
HOUSING Service 3,925 19.9%
Sales and Office 5,565 28.2%
Total Housing Units: 19,258 Farming, Fishing and Forestry 71 0.4%
Occupied Housing Units 17,295 89.8% Construction, Extracting
Owner Occupied 7,707 44.6% and Maintenance 1,228 6.2%
Renter Occupied 9,588 55.4% Production, Transportation
Vacant 1,963 10.2% and Material Moving 2,622 13.3%
 Petal
QUICK FACTS

Land Area:
9.7 sq. miles

Population Per Square Mile:

783.8 persons

School District:
Petal Public

DEMOGRAPHICS

2000 Census Population: 7,579

Race Categories:
White 7,119 93.9%
African American 336 4.4%
Native American 22 0.3%
Asian 6 0.1%
Other 40 0.5%
Two or More Races 56 0.7%

Hispanic/Latino (any race) 109 1.4%

WORK FORCE

Occupation:
Management and Professional 957 28.5%
HOUSING Service 560 16.7%
Sales and Office 965 28.8%
Total Housing Units: 3,208 Farming, Fishing and Forestry 3 0.1%
Occupied Housing Units 2,979 92.9% Construction, Extracting
Owner Occupied 2,053 68.9% and Maintenance 456 13.6%
Renter Occupied 926 31.1% Production, Transportation
Vacant 229 7.1% and Material Moving 412 12.3%
 Forrest County
QUICK FACTS

Land Area:
466 sq. miles

Population Per Square Mile:

155.5 persons

School District:
Forrest County, Hattiesburg
Public, Petal Public and
Brooklyn

DEMOGRAPHICS

2000 Census Population: 69,608

Race Categories:
White 46,717 64.3%
African American 24,360 33.6%
Native American 140 0.2%
Asian 536 0.7%
Other 305 0.4%
Two or More Races 546 0.8%

Hispanic/Latino (any race) 912 1.3%

WORK FORCE

Occupation:
Management and Professional 9,578 30.1%
HOUSING Service 5,670 17.8%
Sales and Office 8,883 27.9%
Total Housing Units: 31,703 Farming, Fishing and Forestry 167 0.5%
Occupied Housing Units 28,806 90.9% Construction, Extracting
Owner Occupied 16,329 56.7% and Maintenance 2,978 9.3%
Renter Occupied 12,477 43.3% Production, Transportation
Vacant 2,897 9.1% and Material Moving 4,576 14.4%
 West Hattiesburg -
Oak Grove
QUICK FACTS

Land Area:
2.2 sq. miles

Population Per Square Mile:

468.6 persons

School District:
Lamar County

DEMOGRAPHICS

2000 Census Population: 6,305

Race Categories:
White 4,721 74.9%
African American 1,394 22.1%
Native American 4 0.1%
Asian 103 1.6%
Other 18 0.3%
Two or More Races 65 1.0%

Hispanic/Latino (any race) 87 1.4%

WORK FORCE

Occupation:
Management and Professional 1,301 39.9%
HOUSING Service 576 17.7%
Sales and Office 903 27.7%
Total Housing Units: 2,633 Farming, Fishing and Forestry 0 0.0%
Occupied Housing Units 2,464 93.6% Construction, Extracting
Owner Occupied 1.595 64.7% and Maintenance 197 6.0%
Renter Occupied 869 35.3% Production, Transportation
Vacant 169 6.4% and Material Moving 281 8.6%
 Purvis
QUICK FACTS

Land Area:
3.9 sq. miles

Population Per Square Mile:

551 persons

School District:
Lamar County

HOUSING DEMOGRAPHICS

Total Housing Units: 844 2000 Census Population: 2,164

Occupied Housing Units 786 93.1%
Owner Occupied 583 74.2% Race Categories:
Renter Occupied 203 25.8% White 2,144 99.1%
Vacant 58 6.9% African American 1,533 70.8%
Native American 599 27.7%
Asian 4 0.2%
Other 5 0.2%
Two or More Races 20 0.9%

Hispanic/Latino (any race) 23 1.1%

WORK FORCE

Occupation:
Management and Professional 209 23.4%
Service 150 16.8%
Sales and Office 262 29.3%
Farming, Fishing and Forestry 2 0.2%
Construction, Extracting
and Maintenance 118 13.2%
Production, Transportation
and Material Moving 154 17.2%
 Sumrall
QUICK FACTS

Land Area:
2.2 sq. miles

Population Per Square Mile:

468.6 persons

School District:
Lamar County

HOUSING DEMOGRAPHICS

Total Housing Units: 436 2000 Census Population: 1,005

Occupied Housing Units 406 93.1%
Owner Occupied 300 73.9% Race Categories:
Renter Occupied 106 26.1% White 770 76.6%
Vacant 30 6.9% African American 224 22.3%
Native American 1 0.1%
Asian 0 0.0%
Other 1 0.1%
Two or More Races 9 0.9%

Hispanic/Latino (any race) 7 0.7%

WORK FORCE

Occupation:
Management and Professional 125 29.8%
Service 54 12.9%
Sales and Office 110 26.3%
Farming, Fishing and Forestry 0 0.0%
Construction, Extracting
and Maintenance 46 11.0%
Production, Transportation
and Material Moving 84 20.0%
 Lumberton
QUICK FACTS

Land Area:
7.3 sq. miles

Population Per Square Mile:

307.1 persons

School District:
Lumberton

HOUSING DEMOGRAPHICS

Total Housing Units: 920 2000 Census Population: 2,228

Occupied Housing Units 829 90.1%
Owner Occupied 535 64.5% Race Categories:
Renter Occupied 294 35.5% White 1,015 45.6%
Vacant 91 9.9% African American 1,195 53.6%
Native American 6 0.3%
Asian 2 0.1%
Other 1 0.0%
Two or More Races 9 0.4%

Hispanic/Latino (any race) 10 0.4%

WORK FORCE

Occupation:
Management and Professional 144 17.8%
Service 136 16.8%
Sales and Office 187 23.1%
Farming, Fishing and Forestry 5 0.6%
Construction, Extracting
and Maintenance 104 12.8%
Production, Transportation
and Material Moving 235 29.0%
 Lamar County
QUICK FACTS

Land Area:
500 sq. miles

Population Per Square Mile:

79 persons

School District:
Lamar County and Lumberton

DEMOGRAPHICS

2000 Census Population: 39,070

Race Categories:
White 33,342 85.3%
African American 5,040 12.9%
Native American 65 0.2%
Asian 254 0.7%
Other 120 0.3%
Two or More Races 249 0.6%

Hispanic/Latino (any race) 426 1.1%

WORK FORCE

Occupation:
Management and Professional 6,004 32.9%
HOUSING Service 2,491 13.7%
Sales and Office 5,214 28.6%
Total Housing Units: 15,433 Farming, Fishing and Forestry 161 0.9%
Occupied Housing Units 14,396 93.3% Construction, Extracting
Owner Occupied 10,909 75.8% and Maintenance 1,982 10.9%
Renter Occupied 3,487 24.2% Production, Transportation
Vacant 1,037 6.7% and Material Moving 2,395 13.1%
SECTION 1.3

Transportation

Overview

Documentation of Need

Western Parkway

Hurricane Evacuation

Implementation Strategies

Action Items

1.15
SECTION 1.3

Transportation

A. Overview

The transportation system of a place can be described as the

arteries through which the life of a community flows. Healthy arteries
contribute to a healthy community. For decades leaders in the
Hattiesburg metropolitan area have recognized the importance of a
transportation system that serves the community in a way that
benefits the overall well being of this special place.

Transportation planning has demonstrated the need for an improved

transportation system since the Metropolitan Planning Organization
completed its first Transportation Plan in 1987. However, recent
events have drawn attention to the transportation needs in the region
through scientific research and practical application. Three of these
events are as follows:

• Experiencing unprecedented growth accompanied by

demographic shifts.
• Providing a transportation hub for hurricane evacuation and
recovery.
• Completing the area’s first comprehensive Travel Demand
Model.

Transportation is directly linked to a region’s economy and quality of

life. Leaders recognize that to have a sustainable place there must
be balanced social, environmental and economic initiatives for

1.16
community development. Now more than ever before the people
of this community recognize how mobility is essential to a better
future in the place that we live, work, play and learn.

With the experience and planning as guides, leaders of the

metropolitan area intent to set a course that that will lead to an
efficient and safe transportation system to ensure a healthy and
sustainable community.

B. Documentation of Need

The Metropolitan Planning Organization representing Hattiesburg,

Petal, Forrest and Lamar began planning for transportation
improvements with its “Transportation Plan” of 1987. This initial
plan recognized the need for comprehensive transportation
improvements that would manage growth, accommodate economic
development and reduce traffic congestion.

The Transportation Plan was updated in 1996 and in 2001.

Additionally, the transportation component of the Area
Development Partnership’s Metropolitan Master Plan, completed in
December of 2006, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s
lan Travel Demand Model, completed in March of 2007, both
identify transportation improvements as essential to the community
(see map next page).

These planning projects over the past two decades have been
completed with local communities working together. Also, there
has been full cooperation with the Mississippi Department of
Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.

C. Western Parkway

The Western Parkway is a project that has been recognized for its
potential of having a greater impact than any other project recently
planned for the Hattiesburg, Forrest, Lamar urbanized area. The
project will have a positive impact on the quality of life for the
citizens in the region by providing safe and efficient transportation
along a corridor that will be designed with context sensitivity.

Business and industry will realize economic development benefits

as traffic congestion is reduced thereby increasing the ability to
transport goods and improving access to sites. The efficiency of
the corridors will reduce energy consumption and the traffic safety
aspects of the corridor will save lives and reduce losses from
Documentation of Need
accidents.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization “Transportation Plan” of

1987 recognized components of the Western Parkway as an integral
part of the transportation network. The updated Transportation Plan
of 1996 and 2001 continued the demonstration of need for the
Western Parkway. Early in the planning process for the Area
Development Partnership’s Metropolitan Master Plan, the Western
Parkway became central to improvement strategies for the region.
Finally, the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Travel Demand
Model, completed in March of 2007, provides scientific
documentation of the need for this Western Parkway.

The Western Parkway has a

character unlike other
transportation corridors in the
region. The character is that of a
corridor that represents the best of
engineering designs that are
context sensitive to the highest and
best use of the land along the
corridor. The implementation of the
Parkway must reflect the character
intended for the corridor. Then the
result will be the greatest economic
development with an aesthetically
pleasing corridor that enhances
quality of life.

Some character defining features of the Western Parkway are as

follows:

• Four lane divided roadway

• Center median with sufficient width to accommodate lighting,
landscape and turn lanes at strategic locations
• Architectural lighting
• Wide sidewalk on each side of the roadway with enough adjacent
area to add bike lanes
• Green space between roadway and sideway to provide
separation for safety and room for planting
• Green space between sidewalk and property line to provide for
recreation trails, tree planting and landscape
• Restricted driveway access for aesthetics and safety

The result of a context sensitive design will be a corridor that

enhances the quality of life for the community while providing for
economic development.
 Context Sensitive Design

D. Hurricane Evacuation

Improvements to the transportation system and specifically the

Western Parkway will have a direct benefit during hurricane
evacuation for the Mississippi Gulf Coast as well as New Orleans
and Mobile. The Mississippi Department of Transportation’s
“Hurricane Evacuation Guide” shown below demonstrates that Hat-
tiesburg is the “hub” of principal evacuation routes.

The experience has been that during these events severe traffic
congestion occurs on the transportation system in the Hattiesburg
urbanized area. Transportation improvements are needed to in-
crease capacity and to safely and efficiently provide for evacuation.

E. Implementation Strategies

The leaders of the area stand united in their support for this project
as one that benefits the entire community. Additionally they recog-
nize that this project benefits the State and the Region from eco-
nomic development, safety and disaster mitigation viewpoints.
Hattiesburg, Forrest and Lamar have carefully planned with the
Mississippi Department of Transportation and all agree that this
project is worthy of a strategy that will result in full funding and im-
plementation.

Understanding the chronology of events leading to improvement

strategies is an important step establishing action items. The fol-
lowing is a listing of the events that occurred since the 1987 Trans-
portation Plan.

• January, 1987 – Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

completed its transportation plan.
• January, 1995 – MPO completed its update of the transporta-
tion plan addressing each of the fifteen factors of planning as
outlined in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
(ISTEA) of 1991.
• January 2001 – Mississippi Department of Transportation
(MDOT) assisted MPO in updating transportation plan as a
 component of its statewide Mississippi Unified Long-Range
Transportation Infrastructure Plan (MULTIPLAN).
• 2005-2006 – MDOT completed its Hurricane Evacuation
Guide in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administra-
tion indicating Hattiesburg as a hub.
• June 29, 2006 – Area Development Partnership held Trans-
portation Planning Workshop as part of its Metropolitan Plan.
• July 25, 2006 – Area Development Partnership completed
Transportation Analysis Briefing and identified action steps
for implementation strategies.
• July 28, 2006 – Area Development Partnership briefed MDOT
on Western Parkway strategies and established cooperation
partnership for implementation.
• October 2006 – Area Development Partnership published a
brochure depicting concepts, budgets and schedules for the
Western Parkway.
• December, 2006 – Area Development Partnership completed
the transportation component of its Metropolitan Master Plan.
• January 4, 2007 – Area Development Partnership met with
local officials to discuss action items for implementation of the
Western Parkway.
• January 9, 2007 – Area Development Partnership along with
Hattiesburg, Forrest, Lamar officials met with Commissioner
Wayne Brown and Director Butch Brown of the MDOT to dis-
cuss implementation strategies for the Western Parkway.
• March, 2007 – Metropolitan Planning Organization completed
the Metropolitan Transportation Plan in cooperation with the
MDOT and the FHWA.
• March 9, 2007 – Area Development Partnership prepared a
“Congressional Briefing”, a collaborative effort of the Area
Development Partnership, the City of Hattiesburg, Forrest
County, MDOT and the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
• March 12, 2007 – Area Development Partnership along with
Hattiesburg, Forrest, Lamar officials traveled to Washington
D.C. to meet with officials about implementation of the West-
ern Parkway.

The chronology of events listed indicates that the Area Develop-

ment Partnership and leaders of the metropolitan area are dedi-
cated to the initiative of transportation improvements. They be-
gan a cooperative effort to solve transportation projects in the
Metropolitan Area with the completion of the Metropolitan Plan-
ning Organization’s Transportation Plan in January of 1987 and
the effort continues today.

The Area Development Partnership has carefully communicated

and coordinated with local officials as well as the Mississippi De-
partment of Transportation and the Federal Highway Depart-
ment. These agencies have representatives that participate in
meetings, workshops and overall efforts to improve transporta-
tion in the urbanized area. Additionally, the Mississippi Depart-
ment of transportation has recognized through its own planning
efforts the need for transportation upgrades related to the West-
ern Beltway. These efforts are demonstrated in MDOT’s Vision
21, MULTIPLAN, and Disaster Mitigation Planning.

The Western Parkway is included in the Needs Plans for the Met-
ropolitan Transportation Plan. However, funding limitations for
the project will result in 30 years or more to get this project com-
pleted. The Area Development Partnership along with Hatties-
burg, Forrest, Lamar believes that an accelerated project sched-
ule saving more than 10 years of time on completion is in the
best interest of the region. If fact, delaying this project will cer-
tainly increase traffic congestion resulting in an unacceptable
level of service while accelerating the project schedule will ad-
dress traffic congestion while saving lives and reducing future
losses through improved traffic operations and safety.

The Western Beltway will have additional benefits in that the cor-
ridor will provide an enhancement to hurricane evacuation ef-
forts; positively impact economic development; and provide for
quality of life improvements for the citizens of the region.

F. Action Items

The Area Development Partnership has recognized the impor-

tance of this project for the region by adopting the Western Belt-
way as the primary project promoted through its Metropolitan
Master Plan. The following action items represent a continuation
of initiative presently underway.

• Communicate the benefits of the Western Parkway to local

officials and the community.
• Monitor the appropriation of funds on a Local, State and Fed-
eral level.
• Plan and host a Metropolitan Transportation Summit involving
Local, State and Federal officials in sharing information.

Transportation improvements are necessary to ensure economic

prosperity, quality of life and livability of this region. The Area
Development Partnership is committed to making these transpor-
tation plans become reality.
SECTION 1.4

Maps

Hattiesburg Urbanized Areas:

Stage I Projects: 2007-2011

Stage II Projects: 2012-2020

Stage III Projects: 2021-2030

Stage I-III Projects: 2007-2030

1.25