On the Move 2007-2035 Transportation Plan

TMACOG Web site: http://www.tmacog.org

• On the Move (PDF files at TMACOG Web site)
  • Projects
  • Initiatives
  • Policies
  • Proposed core projects map
  • Additional priority projects map

Also on the TMACOG Web site:

• Traffic Count Database - Enter a location and time of day to get traffic volume.
• 2005 Traffic Flow Map (8mb PDF file)

2007 public meetings

Where the plan will be introduced and citizens can comment and ask questions. Copies of the projects, initiatives, and policies PDF files are distributed to meeting attendees, along with a couple of maps and the "introduction" page that is listed below.

Friday, March 2, 2007 meeting:

More photos are uploaded at flickr.com.

Introduction

(From a handout distributed at the meeting)

What will the Toledo metropolitan area look like in 30 years? Over the next three decades, what improvements in transportation do we need for better freight movement, personal mobility, and regional strength?

These are the core questions for TMACOG and the people of our region (Lucas and Wood counties in northwest Ohio, plus southern Monroe County, Michigan). The answers will be found in the "On the Move: 2007-2035 Regional Transportation Plan."

A broad-based leadership team is working with TMACOG staff. The plan task force has heard from the public, looked at technical analysis, brainstormed solutions, and made tough decisions on priorities. The result is a draft list of major projects addressing needs and opportunities, plus a list of regional initiatives.

The draft list of projects :

• addresses regional goals
• includes multiple modes of transportation (cars, trains, buses, bicycles, etc.)
• is fiscally constrained based on expected federal, state, and local resources

In addition to these projects, the plan will include:

• initiatives (major studies, other strategic actions)
• policies (to guide future action in the region)
• system preservation projects (to reconstruct deficient bridges and road pavements)
• a time line for implementation beginning in fiscal year 2008 (July 2007)

To finalize the plan, the task force invites public review and comment. The plan is posted on the TMACOG website, http://www.tmacog.org. A series of six public meetings is slated for March 2nd through 12th. In addition, displays have been placed at all public libraries in the region.

Making this plan a reality will call for focused effort and effective partnering. We invite you to support the On the Move Plan -- because great things happen when we work together!

For more information or to comment on the draft Plan, visit http://www.tmacog.org, or contact:

Diane Reamer-Evans
Transportation Project Manager
Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG)
300 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
P.O. Box 9508, Toledo OH 43697
419-241-9155 ext 117; fax 419-241-9116

evans@tmacog.org

Pics of slides

The Power Point presentation given at the meeting is not available for download on the TMACOG Web site. A few of the slides were enlarged and displayed in the meeting room.

Click to enlarge:

Pics of maps

Several maps were on display in the meeting room. I took pictures of a few of the maps, but not all because I was told they were available on the TMACOG Web site, but I haven't been able to find them all. A couple of these pictures are of maps given to meeting attendees.

Click to enlarge:

Roundabouts

At the meeting, a video was shown of the roundabout in Howard, Wisconsin, but I don't see this video on the TMACOG Web site, but you can view an excerpt of the video on the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Web site.

Playing time: 2:08

• Video clip- high bandwidth (9 MB, WMV file)
• Video clip - low bandwidth (2 MB, WMV file)
• Transcript

From the meeting:

• Roundabouts greatly reduce head-on and t-bone collisions, which reduces the number of serious injuries. The crashes that do occur are mostly side-swipes.

Additional info :

Roundabouts move traffic safely through an intersection because of:

• Slower speeds
• Fewer conflict points
• Easier decision-making

Studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that roundabouts provide a:

• 90% reduction in fatal crashes
• 76% reduction in injury crashes
• 30-40% reduction in pedestrian crashes
• 10% reduction in bicycle crashes

Roundabouts are planned for the following intersections:

• Douglas/Laskey/Tremainsville
• Detroit/Telegraph/Laskey
• Heatherdowns/Garden Rd.

Although not listed in the projects file, it was mentioned at the meeting that a roundabout is planned in 2008 for the Nebraska/King intersection, unless I heard that wrong.

Related Web site: http://www.roundaboutsusa.com

Toledo Express Airport

A couple things mentioned at the meeting:

• Airport Master Plan
  • expanding runways
  • constructing a new air traffic control tower in 2009 (they think)

Light rail

During the question and answer period, an attendee wondered why more of the region would not have light rail.

Answer from TMACOG:

• It's not feasible to cover the entire region with light rail due to our land use practices. No changes in the Ohio legislature are expected that will govern how we use or development land. In other words, we're continuing to spread further and further outward. No containment borders are expected that would control how we expand.