Executive Director's Update

June 2019 Update

Roundabouts in the Miami Valley
Roundabouts are a circular intersection where traffic moves in one direction around a central island. There are no traffic signals which allow traffic to flow continually to reduce delays and crashes. Watch this short video to learn more about roundabouts and their benefits.

Get to Know Your MVRPC Staff, Matt Lindsay – Manager of Environmental Planning
Matt Lindsay, MVRPC’s Manager of Environmental Planning, grew up in a suburb of Washington D.C. and pursued his higher education nearby at The John Hopkins University and The George Washington University. In 1991, halfway through his undergraduate program, the Berlin Wall fell which led him to change his studies from politics, which might not be in the forefront, to focus more on global issues, such as the environment. Specifically, Matt chose to get involved with how communities make decisions about resource conservation and the environment. After graduating, Matt moved to Ohio and held a position with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. He started at MVRPC in January of 2005 as Manager of Environmental Planning where he helped develop the agency’s Regional Complete Streets Policy, oversees water quality planning, and most recently, the sustainability roundtables. The aspect he enjoys most about his job is the variety; he can work on something different every day.  In his spare time, Matt enjoys acting in Community Theater productions and he is on the Board of Directors of the Dayton Playhouse. He is also one of the official scorers for the Dayton Dragons baseball team. In August, he and his wife, Karen, are looking forward to being “empty-nesters” when their youngest heads off to college.

MVRPC Hosts another successful GIS Training for its members
MVRPC hosted its sixth Geographic Information System (GIS) training on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at Wright State University’s GIS Lab.

Intended for intermediate GIS users, this training session focused on a new topic of creating, editing, and working with GPS data using ArcGIS Desktop software. MVRPC staff along with Mr. Doug Kotnik from Precision Laser & Instrument Inc. served as instructors providing hands-on learning opportunities using GPS and ArcGIS software.

For more information about MVRPC’s GIS program, visit our website at https://www.mvrpc.org/data-mapping/geographic-information-systems-gis-mvrpc.

Grants & Funding Resources
On a monthly basis, MVRPC is highlighting several funding opportunities on our website that could benefit communities in the Region. We include a description, contact information and program links. We have also listed other valuable resources for finding funding opportunities.

See more at: mvrpc.org/grant-and-funding-opportunities

This month we are featuring information on:

  • Integrated Mobility Innovation Demonstration Program – Deadline: August 6, 2019
  • Our Town – Deadline: August 8, 2019

If you need assistance with your grant pursuit or further research, please contact Martin Kim, Director of Regional Planning, at 937.223.6323 or mkim@mvrpc.org

Diesel Engine Mitigation Grants Through Ohio EPA
The 2019 Request for Applications for Ohio’s VW Mitigation Grant program will be released Monday June 3rd at 8:00 a.m. This cycle, Ohio EPA is offering $15 million in grants to support projects to replace or repower aging diesel vehicles and equipment with new diesel or alternative-fueled vehicles and equipment. Five million dollars will be awarded to replace or repower diesel school buses, 5 million for public transit buses, and the remaining 5 million will be allocated among projects involving medium and heavy-duty trucks, switcher locomotives, tugs and ferries, port cargo handling equipment, and airport ground support equipment. To be eligible for replacement or repower, diesel vehicles must be operating in 26 eligible counties.

Grant applications must be submitted online no later than 3:00 p.m. August 2nd. This cycle will not include funding for electric vehicle charging stations. Ohio EPA expects to offer a separate application opportunity for those in the fall of 2019. Ohio EPA will offer a webinar on Tuesday June 11, at 10:30 a.m. for those interested in applying to the 2019 grant cycle for the Diesel Mitigation Trust Fund, supported with dollars from the VW settlement.

Program staff Alan Harness and Carolyn Watkins will explain project eligibility, the application process, and changes from Ohio's 2018 application cycle.

Register at https://ohioepa.webex.com/mw3300/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=ohioepa&service=6

MVRPC Celebrates Bike Month
Bike Month is a very busy time for our staff. We break out of our four office walls and throw off the sweaters and lap blankets of winter, emerging into the spring eager to celebrate our cycling community. The month of activities kicked off with the 2019 Miami Valley Cycling Summit, held in Miamisburg and hosted by our partner, Bike Miami Valley. MVRPC is a founding member of the Cycling Summit team, hosting these free, local, education and advocacy focused conferences every other year since 2009. This year staff worked on the programming committee, organized volunteers, and led two experiential sessions around bike & walk audits and demonstration projects. The event brought about 350 cycling enthusiasts, bike-related businesses, government staff and elected officials together to share the transformative effects of cycling.

MVRPC staff also supported local Bike to School days, sharing the spotlight with Dayton Public Schools, Public Health, and Dayton Children’s Hospital, sharing the message of healthy, active transportation for students.  Safe streets for kids are safer for everyone. The month ended with pancakes at the Bike to Work Day breakfast.

Upcoming MVRPC Meetings
6/21/19   9:00 a.m.   Regional Bikeway Committee, Snyder Park Clubhouse, 1900 Park Street, Springfield
6/21/19   1:00 p.m.   Great Miami River Watershed Network, Urban Flooding & Resilience Seminar, Dayton Realtors, 1515 S. Main Street, Dayton
6/27/19   9:00 a.m.   Sustainability Roundtable: Community Resilience Planning Meeting, Part 2, MVRPC Office, 10 N. Ludlow Street, Suite 700

Download the June 2019 Executive Director's Update PDF