Today, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) announced it is seeking comments on its policies that determine how MORPC-attributable federal transportation funding is committed to projects.
Approximately $60 million is awarded to projects every two years in MORPC’s transportation planning area that consists of: Delaware and Franklin counties; Bloom and Violet townships in Fairfield County; Pataskala, New Albany and Etna Township in Licking County; and Jerome Township in Union County.
Prior to requesting funding applications, MORPC reviews, revises as necessary, and readopts the Policies for Managing MORPC-Attributable Funds. The document describes the process for local governments to apply for MORPC-attributable transportation funds and for MORPC to select projects to receive a commitment of funds.
During the past several months, MORPC convened the Attributable Funds Committee to review and update the policies. The policy document includes a schedule, eligibility requirements, application requirements, evaluation criteria, procedures for ranking and selecting projects for funding, requirements for sponsors receiving a funding commitment and other policies for managing the funding program.
“One change from the current policy is that several data items that projects are scored on will be available as applicants are putting their applications together,” said MORPC Assistant Director of Transportation & Infrastructure Development Nick Gill. “The committee requested this to better understand how their projects are likely to score ahead of the final submittal.”
The submission deadlines are pushed back a couple months from previous cycles. Screening applications will be due in July with final applications due in October.
The draft Policies for Managing MORPC-Attributable Funds are available for public review and comment on the MORPC website by clicking here.
MORPC will be accepting public comments on the policies from Dec. 20, 2019 through Jan. 21, 2020.
Comments may be submitted via email to tip@morpc.org or in writing to Thea J. Walsh, Director of Transportation & Infrastructure Development, 111 Liberty Street, Suite 100, Columbus, OH, 43215-5222.
The Transportation Policy Committee is scheduled to consider adopting the policies on March 12, 2020. For more information, contact Nick Gill at 614.233.4151, or via email at ngill@morpc.org.
