Five non-MPO regional development organizations were selected to participate in the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)’s Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) Pilot Program. The program was designed to expand transportation planning activities in the rural and traditionally underserved areas of the state, ensuring that all communities have a voice when it comes to transportation planning.
Since the program began in 2013, the pilot participants have each established a new, dedicated transportation committee to provide rural insight and input for regional transportation plans. The new committees have been critical in understanding the infrastructure, capacity, and conditions that exist in these previously underrepresented communities. The program has also provided local leaders with the data and resources they need to make better informed investments and policy decisions for their residents.
During the pilot period, ODOT provided a 90% cost share to participating regional development organizations. Viewed as an overwhelming success so far, the regional partners hope that this is the first step in establishing a long-term RTPO program. The regional development organizations in the pilot program include: Buckeye Hills-Hocking Valley Regional Development District, Logan-Union-Champaign Regional Planning Commission (LUC), Maumee Valley Planning Organization, Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA), and Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission.
Ohio’s RTPO Pilot Program was awarded a 2014 Excellence in Regional Transportation Award. View descriptions of other award winning projects here.
