By: Angel Steiner
Maumee Valley Planning Organization has been working since 2021 on a Transportation Coordinated Plan for Paulding County Ohio. In 2021 surveys were created for which Paulding County residents and stakeholders were asked to participate to generate data about the need for public transportation in the county. With these survey results, ODOT and MVPO analysed this data and developed a draft of the Transportation Coordinated Plan that was presented to those in attendance at the Public Meeting held at the Paulding County Senior Center on Monday, July 11, 2022.
Kim Lammers, Mobility Manager at MVPO, presented and highlighted the Plan that was developed from the survey which included the data collection, unmet needs, goals for this Plan and the timeline for implementing the Coordinated Plan.
For this Plan to succeed, cooperation from many entities will need to be coordinated — transportation provides, planning agencies, passengers and advocates, human service partners, health providers, private industry educational institutions, and government officials will all need to be congruent in achieving the goals of this Plan for Paulding County.
Currently, the resources available for for transportation in the County include American Cancer Society – Road to Recovery Program, Job and Family Services, Easy transit, Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission, Paulding Area Support Society, Paulding County Board of DD, Paulding County Senior Center, K&P Medical, Paulding County Veterans Services, and PC Workshop.
Prioritizing the needs of transportation in the county involves public transportation for people to get to work or household duties such as grocery shopping; drivers are needed; resources and funding for transportation services will be needed; need of education about transportation programs and providers; need for extended hours for transportation such as 2nd shift and 3rd shift employment rides or weekends; accessible vehicles; and active transportation options are being discussed as well – bike trails, walking paths, sidewalks, etc.
July is the Open Public Comment period, which means anyone may go to www.nwomobility.com and make a public comment about this Coordinated Plan for consideration by the Committee. The Committee was formed in November 2021 just prior to the Survey period opening. This Committee is comprised of : seniors, individuals with disabilities, people with low incomes, public, private and non-profit transpiration providers, human services providers, and the general public.
This Public meeting was very informational about what MVPO and ODOT are attempting to do for county residents to assure that everyone has access to transportation when it is needed, whether for work purposes, household or medical purposes.
Remember the Public Comment period is open for public comment on www.nwomobility.com until July 31, 2022. If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this Transportation Survey or Coordinated Plan, please contact Kim Lammers, MVPO mobility manager at 419-956-2211 or email, mobility@mvpo.org or visit their Facebook page, Northwest Ohio Mobility.
