This open house is today. Sorry for the short notice.

Open house on Westerville Road improvements July 29

The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission has completed its analysis of options for improvements to Westerville Road (state Route 3).
The results will be displayed at an open house scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. July 29 at the Blendon Township Senior Center, 6330 S. Hempstead Road, Westerville, MORPC Public Information Officer Bernice Cage said in a press release. A short presentation will be held at 6 p.m.
The study reviews current travel conditions in the Westerville Road corridor from north of Morse Road to south of Interstate 270 and has identified options for improvements that include additional travel lanes, access management, transit service upgrades and improved bicycle and pedestrian access. The study was funded by the city of Columbus, Franklin County and the Ohio Department of Transportation. Community members, local officials and MORPC transportation planners met in November to share insights and concerns about the corridor and “gaps” needing to be addressed to serve the community and region effectively, said Northland Community Council President Dave Paul.
“The July 29 open house will enable local stakeholders to learn MORPC planners’ recommendations for improving the corridor, and the data they have collected about current and future usage of the corridor,” Paul said in the release. The public is encouraged to attend and provide comments, Cage said. Comments on the study will be accepted through Aug. 13. For more information, e-mail Ethan Ortman at eortman@morpc.org, call him at 614-233-4153 or visit the website morpc.org/transportation/study/SR3CorridorStudy.asp

Can people unable to attend the meeting still submit comments, and how long do they have?

Two questions that I have are:  How will the Olentangy-Alum Creek Connector be affected by the improvement, and can the connector (the part being impacted by the corridor improvement) be included in the improvement? and, Why wasn’t the I-270 interchange included in the study?  Any improvements to the Ohio 3 corridor will end at I-270, leaving Westerville cut off from the Northland area, and requiring cyclists to negotiate the interchange to go from Northland to Westerville and vice versa.

I didn’t attend the meeting, so I don’t know. Perhaps someone else who did attend could answer your questions. I would suggest sending your comments to the contact on the announcement.

At this point you really should contact MORPC (Bernice Cage) for details and perhaps get on their email notification lists to help keep you abreast with plans underway and various public meetings. They were the consultants funded to conduct the long term study-that started around 2007 (due to the NExT project aftermath).
Keep in mind this is the THIRD study of the SR-3 northern corridor over the past decade. ODOT did first, Blendon Township via Franklin County conducted 2nd – as part of their master community plan.  While the latest MORPC focus is between SR-161 and Morse Rd , no matter which of the eight possible ‘concepts’ is selected, there is NO funding, timetable or yet plans by ODOT to do anything in that area. 
However ODOT will be selling (bidding) their SR-3 ’safety enhancement’ project by end of this year! That area falls  between SR-161 and Huber Village Blvd (Westerville) including I-270 and Emrick-Dempsey intersection. After much pressure and many budget postponements, on & off years of meetings from local residents and biking activists, there will be bikelanes which then mostly likely be followed by sidewalks. 
BTW – The final  east/west OLAC connector will fall along SR-3 to align with Valley Park Ave following the AEP overhead power lines. That is contingent upon CRPD obtaining the AEP ROW and funding to construct that dedicated SUP corridor just south of the NCAA baseball fields, near Bretton Woods  (west of SR-3). This also has been mapped out for years (as Columbus bikeway route #540).

PS – There is also the abandoned railroad ‘tunnel’ under I-270 just west of SR-3/State.  (ODOT owns that ROW spot) That will connect Columbus Northland (Emrick) to Westerville (Heatherdown)via future trail if you don’t want to use streets or future sidewalks. This is on Westerville’s internal bikeplan.
Happy?

While I appreciate the information,  I make no pretentions as to being “all knowing”.  You apparently have more access to information than I have.  Nevertheless,  I will be contacting the entities you mentioned and perhaps I can be as knowing as you are.  Thank you. 

I hope MORPC will allow more lead time in making their announcements of public meetings.