Council of Governments seeks public comment

The Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments (CWCOG) invites the public to comment on the draft Integrated Metropolitan/Regional Transportation Plan (M/RTP).

The M/RTP is a planning document that establishes the strategic framework for meeting the existing and future transportation needs of the Longview-Kelso-Rainier Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Planning Organization (SWRTPO).

The SWRTPO covers a five-county area, including Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Pacific and Wahkiakum counties and includes the cities, transit authorities, tribal governments, port districts and non-profit transit providers within them.

The SWRTPO also include members from regional planning agencies, the state and federal Departments of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and representation from economic development councils. MPO membership includes the cities of Longview, Kelso and Rainier, OR as well as RiverCities Transit and Columbia County, OR Transit Authority.

The current Metropolitan/Regional Transportation Plan was adopted in 2009 and identified transportation improvements needed through the year 2030. This update is provided as an Interim Update to extend the applicability of the 2009 plan until the next major update.

In 2015, the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments will conduct an in-depth, comprehensive update to the plan in order to develop an M/RTP that will serve as a management and investment guide for the MPO and SWRTPO transportation systems through the year 2035.

This document is available online at http://www.cwcog.org or by request at: CWCOG, Administration Annex, 207 North 4th Ave., Kelso, WA 98626, (360) 577-3041.

Written comments may be submitted to Melissa Taylor at CWCOG, by mail, email (cwcog@cwcog.org), or FAX at (360) 425-7760. Comments should be received by 5:00 p.m. on November 12, 2014.

If you need special accommodations to participate in this process, call (360) 577-3041 by 5:00 p.m., November 7, 2014. Ask for the ADA Coordinator. For TDD users, use the state’s toll-free relay service, (800) 833-6388, and ask the operator to dial (360) 956-7575.