Good Works Columbus: March 4, 2024
Kick Butt Columbus, MORPC public comment, and StrongTowns
Intro
Hi everyone, happy Monday and happy March! It’s the last chance to get in your FRA public comments this week. There’s another chance for transportation related feedback for the region with MORPC’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan 2024-2050. I’ll provide some guidance on that later this month.
If you have an upcoming event or a link you’d like to share for the newsletter, feel free to send suggestions. Please let me know if I missed something!
Things you can do in person
(3/9/24 9am-12pm) It's time to kick butt, Columbus! Cigarette butt, that is!
Strong Towns Columbus is meeting tomorrow (03/05/24) at 6:30pm at the Columbus main library in meeting room 3B. The meeting will go over what Strong Towns is all about and focus on the upcoming zoning changes for Columbus.
Things you can do online
The MTP is a long-range planning document that identifies transportation policies, strategies, and projects in MORPC’s federally designated transportation planning area. This area includes Delaware County; Franklin County; Bloom and Violet townships in Fairfield County; New Albany, Pataskala, and Etna Township in Licking County; and Jerome Township in Union County.
Draft strategies have been identified and are available for review and comment. These strategies will be used to create an efficient and comprehensive transportation system for the region. In addition to the strategies, MORPC also identifies transportation projects to be included in the MTP.
Public comments can be submitted directly on the MTP interactive map, by e-mail to mtp@morpc.org or submitted in writing to:
MORPC
111 Liberty Street, Suite 100, Columbus, Ohio 43215
Attn: Maria Schaper
Public comments on the proposed projects must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 29, 2024.
Save the Date
Transit Columbus monthly meeting next Tuesday at 7pm (location TBD)
A complete draft of the 2024-2050 MTP will be available for review and comment in late February at the 2024-2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan webpage. MORPC will host an open house at its office from 3:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. A formal presentation to review the proposed changes will take place at 5:30 p.m.
In Case You Missed It
FRA Public Comment
In case you missed it, Columbus was included in two routes of the FRA long distance passenger train study. The first one is from Detroit to New Orleans:
The second one going from Dallas to New York:
Public feedback is a consideration in the routes and during the last round Columbus (and the rest of Ohio) was barely a blip on the map. For more information and an opportunity to provide comment (tell the FRA Columbus wants trains!) visit:
https://fralongdistancerailstudy.org/
(Public comment is at the bottom of the page).
Primary elections
Voting for the primary elections are now under way. You can vote early at your board of elections. Highly recommend following Senator Meow’s sample ballot. Go here for Meow’s reasoning and give their newsletter a follow if you haven’t already.
LinkUS Engagement Survey (2 minutes)
“Two new bills—from Senators Ed Markey and John Fetterman respectively—set Complete Streets as a minimum design mandate, taking a step towards safer streets for all road users. With over 40,000 pedestrian deaths on our roadways in the last decade, there’s no time to lose. Tell your senator to cosponsor the Building Better Streets Act and Complete Streets Act!”
“The City of Gahanna is working to develop an Active Transportation Plan to improve walking and biking in the community. The Plan will include infrastructure and program and policy recommendations.
We are in the information gathering phase and interested in learning from you about opportunities and barriers to walking and biking in the City of Gahanna. Please take this survey to share your input.”
Mark up the Vision Zero Columbus map. Have a close call walking, biking, or getting around town? Do you know a dangerous intersection that can be improved? Help identify these spots on the Vision Zero map.
Upper Arlington Public Library workers are forming a union. Tell the UA Library board to recognize their union!
(Housing Survey: 5-10 minutes) “The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) has launched its latest survey in the “Leaders Listen” series, in partnership with Measurement Resources Company and The Columbus Dispatch, to gauge Central Ohio residents’ opinions on experiences and services related to housing in the region.”
(2 minutes) Tell your elected officials to stop highway expansions! “A coalition of 200 organizations nationwide is calling on elected leaders to adopt a moratorium on expanding highways and a pause on existing projects until climate, equity, and maintenance goals are met. Tell your elected leaders to end the destructive, unsustainable practice of highway building and set a responsible course toward a cleaner and more equitable future.”
Sign up to gather signatures for the “Citizens Not Politicians” Amendment and help end gerrymandering in the state of Ohio through this ballot initiative. Link to become a signature gatherer.
Have a great day everyone!