PARTA to host student forum
April 8, 2013
The Portage Area Region Transportation Authority is conducting a planning session to discuss the Transportation Development Plan Tuesday at 6 p.m. in room 302 of the Kent State University Student Center.
The TPD provides an opportunity for the transit system to examine its performance and plan for the future. It is also a requirement for all federally supported transit systems and are conducted on a seven to 10 year interval.
April 9th KENT STATE U. Room 302 KSU Student Center – KSU
April 23rd Streetsboro – Streetsboro
April 30th Garrettsville Village Hall – Hiram, Nelson, Windham, Freedom Twps., Hiram Garrettsville and Windham Villages
May 7th Mantua Park Lodge – Mantua and Shalersville Townships, Mantua Village
May 14 Kent Council Chambers – Franklin Township, Brady Lake Village, City of Kent
May 21st Brimfield Township Hall -Brimfield, Suffield
May 28th Palmyra Fire Department Meeting room -Charlestown, Paris, Edinburg, Palmyra and Deerfield Townships
June 4th Ravenna City Council Chambers– Ravenna Township and City of Ravenna
June 11th NEOMED Conference Center-Rootstown
June 18th Aurora Masonic Lodge – Aurora
The Federal Transit Administration requires that TDP planning incorporate public comment.
Tuesday’s facilitated forum is one of 11 meetings being conducted throughout Portage County to discuss TDP between April and June 2013.
“PARTA is asking for the many communities it serves to help set the agenda,” said David Kotting, who has been contracted by PARTA to oversee the TDP process.
“The concerns of the Kent State community are probably different from those in rural Portage County…” Kotting said. “Those differences are important because PARTA [itself] is not a “one-size-fits-all” organization.”
Kotting said whoever wishes to contribute during the 90-minute session will have the opportunity, and each idea presented will be recorded for further discussion. Each group will also establish what issues are the most important during their session.
“There is no way to say if there will be something so momentous in this plan, but unless we sit down together and think about the future in an organized fashion, investments [such as the Kent Central Gateway] simply don’t happen,” Kotting said.
Contact Jackie Bergeron at [email protected].
