Monday, February 3, 2014

TMACOG Mentors Transportation Planning

TMACOG works closely with other Councils of Government throughout Ohio and coordinates many transportation efforts with the Southeast Michigan Council of Government (SEMCOG). Now, with a new mentoring program, TMACOG is partnering with the Maumee Valley Planning Organization (MVPO) in western Ohio.

Transportation planning for larger population areas in Ohio is done by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) like TMACOG. An MPO coordinates plans throughout the region, building a well-integrated, multimodal system that serves residents and industry.  The current federal transportation bill, MAP-21, includes a recommendation to build transportation planning expertise in more rural regions and areas where the population is less concentrated. In Ohio, ODOT has organized a mentorship program that pairs TMACOG with MVPO. Western Ohio’s MVPO includes the counties of Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Paulding and Williams, and the cities of Bryan, Napoleon, and Defiance.

TMACOG Senior Planner Janet Arcuicci is partnered with MVPO Transportation Planner Ellen Barry.  Both TMACOG and MVPO are in the early stages of developing their long range transportation plans.  MVPO has completed a transportation option survey to assist in their initial planning efforts. The needs analysis, which is comprised of current infrastructure conditions, is almost complete. On February 6, TMACOG will meet at the MVPO offices to provide technical assistance regarding Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data collection and analysis. In the coming months, TMACOG and MVPO will continue to work together to improve transportation planning in the wider region. 

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