Register now for TMACOG’s 2024 Summer General Assembly

Reserve your seat to hear about TMACOG’s new strategic plan and caucus with your colleagues on important issues at the Summer General Assembly, scheduled Wednesday, July 24. 

Click here to access a full schedule, event documents, and registration. Make sure to secure your spot by July 17. 

Our breakfast reception begins at 8 a.m., followed by 90 minutes of scheduled caucus time where you can share strategies and success stories with people from across the region, representing our cities, counties, villages, townships, special districts, educational organizations, and community partners. 

TMACOG begins planning for infrastructure resiliency 

To help access funding and prepare for the impact of climate change on infrastructure, TMACOG hosted a kickoff meeting in June as partners begin to develop a Resiliency Improvement Plan (RIP) for the region. 

A RIP is a voluntary, risk-based assessment of vulnerable transportation assets in immediate and long-term transportation planning that demonstrates a systemic approach to surface transportation system resilience.  

In addition to planning for resilience of the transportation system, our region’s plan will address the resilience of assets and infrastructure relating to water quality and economic development. 

The importance of assessing resiliency and addressing climate change risks and the vulnerabilities to infrastructure and assets is becoming a high priority across multiple federal agencies, including the Federal Highway Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Consequently, many current grant opportunities require an adopted RIP to be eligible for funding. The plan can also lower match requirements and create more competitive applications. 

The RIP will include the counties of Lucas, Wood, Sandusky, Ottawa, and Seneca in Ohio and Monroe County in Michigan. 

Partners across the region are beginning to discuss regional resilience and start understanding regional risk to assets and infrastructure. The plan will include a list of resilience projects, and TMACOG will eventually be reaching out to jurisdictions and agencies to seek projects to incorporate in the plan. 

To learn more about the plan or get involved, contact Marissa Bechstein: bechstein@tmacog.org or 419-241-9155 ext. 1117. 

TRANSPORTATION

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Roundabouts and other projects receive state funding 

Multiple projects in the region were selected to receive funding through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) administered by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). 

HSIP will award nearly $87 million for 28 roadway safety projects, the majority of which focus on improving dangerous intersections. According to ODOT, crashes at intersections account for roughly 30 percent of all traffic deaths each year, killing 362 people in 2023 and 104 people so far this year. 

Local projects selected for funding include: 

• $5 million for ODOT District 2 to build a single-lane roundabout at Five Point and Dunbridge roads in Wood County. 
• $4.6 million for ODOT District 2 to build a single-lane roundabout at State Route 199 and State Route 582 in Wood County. 
• $4.4 million for ODOT District 2 to build a single-lane roundabout at State Route 64 and Bishop Road in Wood County. 
• $3.49 million for the Village of Archbold to build a single-lane roundabout at State Route 2 and Township Road 24 in Fulton County. 
• $829,229 for the City of Toledo to complete intersection improvements at Telegraph and Alexis roads. Additional funding was announced separately for $40.9 million for safety projects focused on protecting pedestrians and preventing roadway departures. 

Roadway departures are the top factor in fatal crashes, accounting for more than half of all traffic deaths in Ohio each year. In 2023, 615 people lost their lives in roadway departure crashes. Pedestrian-involved crashed resulted in 150 deaths last year. 

Safety projects that aim to prevent pedestrian fatalities include upgrading or installing pedestrian hybrid beacons at mid-block crosswalks, raised enhanced crosswalks, new sidewalks or multi-use paths, curb bump outs, buffered bike lanes, and traffic calming measures. 

Local projects selected for funding include: 

• $1.1 million for the City of Sylvania to upgrade existing beacons at crosswalks around four local schools to pedestrian hybrid beacon crosswalks. 
• $481,548 for the City of Rossford to upgrade existing beacons at crosswalks to pedestrian hybrid beacon crosswalks along Superior Street. 
• $560,000 for the City of Bowling Green to install two new crossings with pedestrian hybrid beacons along South Main Street near Napoleon Road. 

WATER QUALITY

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Check it out at https://waterworksforyou.org/jobs  

More than half of students in the first Water Workforce Coalition have already taken and passed the Class 1 operator exam and are ready to begin work as water and wastewater operators in training. 

We want to share as many open positions as possible, but we need your help! If you represent an organization that is hiring in these fields, click here to access a form that will allow you to share information about open positions. 

To complete the form, you’ll need the following information: 

• Your name and email address 
• Hiring organization 
• Title of open position 
• Position closing date 
• A link or PDF with the official job posting containing application instructions 

You may also include other positions in your organization that Water Workforce Coalition graduates would qualify for, especially those that could be considered a step toward employment as an operator in training. 

If you have questions about this resource, contact Ann Nair: nair@tmacog.org or 419-241-9155 ext. 1128. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Air Quality Awareness Season

Air quality awareness campaign | April - September

Summer General Assembly

Wednesday, July 24 | Penta Career Center