DRAFT WEST CENTRAL OHIO PPP

In the summer of 2021, the Lima Allen County Regional Planning Commission (LACRPC) began discussions with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Districts 1 and 7 in Western Ohio about the opportunity to form a Rural Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO). Discussions continued in 2022 with county engineers and local elected officials in seven counties of interest: Auglaize, Hardin, Hancock, Mercer, Putnam, Van Wert, and Wyandot. The West Central Ohio Rural Planning Organization (WORPO) was officially established December 10, 2023, with all seven counties agreeing to join the RTPO.

WORPO is a committee of the Lima/Allen County Regional Planning Commission, which provides technical, administrative, and staffing support to WORPO’s members via funding provided by ODOT.

WORPO member counties are represented by The WORPO Rural Planning Committee and the WORPO Rural Planning Subcommittee.  The WORPO Rural Planning Committee provides representation from elected officials and other stakeholders from WORPO-member counties to develop a rural transportation plan. This committee will meet at least once per year and consist of three individuals from each county. Two of the members will be selected by county subcommittees, and the third member from each county will be chosen by the WORPO collectively.

WORPO Rural Planning County Subcommittees are composed of representatives from diverse backgrounds. These include local municipalities, transportation agencies, transit services providers, mobility managers, public utilities, economic development organizations, the private sector, academia, and others. The subcommittees advise and guide WORPO in the development of all elements of the transportation plan, as well as carry out most of the public involvement in this process.

The goal of the West Central Ohio Rural Planning Organization is to conduct coordinated, comprehensive and continuing regional transportation planning for non-metropolitan areas. The RTPO will assist the member governments in identifying the unique issues and needs that come with living in rural communities and help them to obtain the funding and resources needed to ensure that they are better integrated in the development and implementation of regional transportation goals.