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News and Topics of Interest

CAMPO finished off a very successful 2007.  Milestones for the year included:

• Delivery of five new buses for ColumBUS Transit
• Construction start for Phases III and IV of Rocky Ford Rd
• Completion of database design for the City / County GIS project
• 25 Year Transportation Plan update
• Completion of a Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan

The delivery of five new buses to ColumBUS Transit was partially financed by a transfer of STP funds from the MPO, an FTA 5309 grant and funding from the City.  In the best traditions of Columbus and Bartholomew County, multiple persons and entities came together to make a difficult project happen.  The new under 30’ buses from Gillig feature Allison transmissions, Cummins diesel engines, and exterior graphics in keeping with the new City of Columbus corporate identity.  They are a real step up in quality and comfort compared to the last buses.  The five retired buses of ColumBUS Transit have found a new home with the Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy.  

The second big benchmark of the year was the start of construction on the first MPO funded road reconstruction projects.  Phases III and IV of the Rocky Ford Rd project were given a new lease on life with funds from the MPO.  Completion of these projects is expected to be in the summer of 2008, complementing the upcoming City Utilities capacity work in this corner of the city.

The MPO in cooperation with City Utilities, the Office of the City Engineer, the County Surveyors Office, Columbus Bartholomew Planning Department, and the Bartholomew County Highway Engineer have been working to take the local GIS to a new level of performance.  All GIS efforts of the past had been mostly concentrated in the County Surveyor’s Office.  The data contained in the GIS is a reflection of this, mostly parcel oriented in nature.  The goal of the joint expansion of the GIS is to increase data sharing, storage, and analysis capabilities in order to increase work, planning, and process efficiencies of local government.  2007 marked the completion of database design,the start of pilot data collection, and ARCGis server installation.  2008 and 2009 will involve full scale data collection and data fielding.

In other news, the City of Columbus started construction on its first downtown parking structure, construction of a Hotel Indigo in downtown started, and the reconstruction of the Commons Mall was decided which will include a second hotel and office space for five hundred new Cummins employees.  In support of these growth efforts, the MPO is aiding in the pursuit of federal funds to rebuild Fourth Street to support a more pedestrian / night life oriented culture.

In September of 2007, the Director of CAMPO who is a National Guardsman was called to active duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  He promises to send an MPO’s view of Iraq back to his MPO Council colleagues and looks forward to being back in 2009.