A map displaying the counties currently represented by a transportation planning organization shows a glaring fact — many northwest Ohio counties are excluded.
Chris Hughes, Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 deputy director, sought to remedy that and introduced the idea of forming a regional transportation planning organization (RTPO) to serve Van Wert, Putnam, Hancock, Hardin, Wyandot, Auglaize and Mercer counties.
The new RTPO will provide local public agencies access to more funding. “Within the BIL (Bypartisan Infrastructure Legislation), an RTPO may apply for federal grants. It’s not a lot of money yet, but it’s something. If you’re not part of an RTPO, you don’t have access to that. As time goes on, you will be more and more left out if you’re not part of one of these organizations,” said Hughes.
The RTPO will provide local entities assistance with planning their transportation projects. “The RTPO can bring their projects to us. It will truly help rural counties identify transportation issues and get those issues solved. It will provide them an avenue they don’t currently have to get things done,” said Hughes.
All seven of the counties have submitted resolutions stating they plan to be part of the new agency, titled West Central Ohio Regional Planning Organization (WORPO). WORPO will be administered by the Lima-Allen County Regional Planning Commission which is currently working to secure the needed staff. The new RTPO is expected to be operating in 2023.
