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About Transportation Planning

Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG) is designated as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Columbia region in accordance with federal law.  As the MPO, CMCOG, in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (CMRTA), is responsible for the development of regional transportation plans and programs for the Columbia Area Transportation Study (COATS).

Programs
2035 Plan
Publications
CMCOG
Tiger Discretionary Grant Application for the Completion of the John N. Hardee Expressway

The process of developing transportation plans and programs is continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive and provides for consideration of all modes of transportation.  Planning efforts include guidance from each of the MPO committees, which are the Technical Advisory Committee, Transportation Subcommittee, and COATS Policy Committee (a.k.a. the CMCOG Board of Directors).

The CMCOG Transportation Planning Division staff is responsible for projects identified in the annual Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).  Staff members prepare transportation planning, policy, and program recommendations as required to complete UPWP work tasks or in response to specific requests from the various agencies and MPO committees listed above and various local governments and agencies. 

In addition, CMCOG provides services such as sub-regional land use-transportation studies, traffic signal coordination, travel forecasting, air quality conformity, bicycle and pedestrian planning, and alternative transportation promotion. Click on the links in the top left to learn more about transportation planning in the Columbia region.

For a summary of our committee structure and for a list of participating jurisdictions, please click here.

Learn more about Transportation Planning and how you can become involved with these two booklets offered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA):

·         A Citizen's Guide to Transportation Planning

·         The Transportation Planning Process: A Briefing Book for Transportation Decision-makers, Officials, and Staff 

Central Midlands Council of Governments
236 Stoneridge Drive
Columbia, SC 29210
Phone: (803) 376-5390  Fax: (803) 376-5394
transportation@centralmidlands.org