County transit plan is nearly complete

0

Stakeholders neared completion of their work Wednesday on an update of the Wood County Coordinated
Transportation Plan.
The document is the key to many Wood County social service agencies being able to seek grants that will
help pay for vehicles to transport clients. The document will replace one completed in 2008.
The document also outlines steps that could lead to development of a coordinated transportation system
for the county, using systems in neighboring counties as models. Estimated time lines in the documents
indicate a county system could take two to three years to develop. Much would depend on how the
stakeholders can work together and how many would step forward to take leadership roles.
On Friday stakeholders will receive electronic copies of the final draft from Ben Kenny, of WSOS
Community Action. Stakeholders who have been attending recent meetings will then be able to indicate
their approval electronically, Robin Richter, director of senior and transportation services for WSOS
said. Richter has been coordinating the update for approximately a year.
Tuesday morning Richter and others will meet with the Wood County Commissioners to update them on the
effort and hear feedback. In mid-March the commissioners will be asked to approve the plan.
By March 21 the plan must be submitted to the Ohio Department of Transportation, which oversees grant
applications for the transportation vehicles.
Richter said it typically takes the ODOT 30 to 60 days to review a plan and offer feedback.
Often mentioned during the series of meetings was the belief that many people in Wood County are unaware
of the existing transportation operations of groups like the Wood County Committee on Aging, Wood County
Jobs and Family Services and other agencies. Dialing United Way’s 2-1-1 will help a caller become aware
of the options. United Way is nearing completion of an online listing of services.
The next formal meeting of the stakeholders probably won’t take place until April or May, at which time
the group will determine its next steps.

No posts to display