County to host public workshop for 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan

If you drive, walk, bike or take public transportation, Orange County officials want to hear from you.

The final public workshop for the county’s 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Nov. 6, from 7-9 p.m. at the South Orange Family YMCA, located at 45 Gilbert Street Extension.

According to Orange County Planning Department Deputy Commissioner Julie Richmond, the long range transportation plan is basically a road map for how people get around and the public’s feedback is a much-needed component.

Richmond said her department’s staff, as well as the Orange County Transportation Council are responsible for making long-term decisions that impact how people get around in the county.

“It’s important that these decisions align with the goals and the priorities of the people who live and work here and utilize the (transportation) system,” she said.

The previous two public workshops seeking feedback were not very well attended, Richmond said, although the department did see a better response with surveys it posted online.

“We plan to do the same thing with this meeting,” Richmond said. “We’re working on the survey now.”

Part of the problem, she said, has to do with visibility.

“I don’t think this is on the public’s radar,” Richmond said. “Probably for the average user of the (transportation) system, I don’t know that they understand what we do or the importance of this. We’re trying to change that.”

Instead of making a formal presentation at the Nov. 6 meeting, Richmond said they’re going to try a different kind of format.

“We’re going to try to do an interactive thing,” she said. “We’ll have posters up around the room and then we’ll ask specific questions and we can get feedback from participants.”

The draft 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan can be found at https://www.orangecountygov.com/DocumentCenter/View/14469/OCTC-Draft-Long-Range-Transportation-Plan-2045-for-Public-Review.

Public comment on the draft began on Oct. 18 and will close on Nov. 16.

Comments can be submitted by emailing OCTC@orangecountygov.com or by calling (845) 615-3840.