Project Profile

short description

COTPA Strategic Planning Retreat – Session Facilitator

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Client: Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority

Project Summary: TGC was selected to act as facilitator for the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority's (COTPA) strategy session/retreat in May 1997.

Project Highlights

COTPA hosted a retreat in order to provide participants the opportunity to discuss the existing state of mobility and parking in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. TGC compiled a report to facilitate the retreat discussions. The report included status reports on the establishment of a Mobility and Parking Policy, the Transit Development Program Service to Standards Evaluation, the progress of MAPS Transportation System, dedicated transit funding options, and the Northeast Rail Corridor. As facilitator, TGC offered an alternative to the traditional facilitator role by participating in the discussion sessions at the retreat. TGC presented various topics for discussion by participants and served as a resource to offer guidance, suggestions, and opinions based on experience in Oklahoma City and throughout the United States. TGC provided the participants with an additional perspective shaped from an experienced viewpoint of the mobility issues facing COTPA and was able to provide insight into how other public transportation systems successfully or unsuccessfully dealt with developing and adhering to similar vision and mission statements.

A session agenda and schedule of topics was developed to address issues and questions facing COTPA in the development of a vision for the future. TGC reviewed COTPA’s improvements and plans for the future and found that COTPA spent the fewest dollars per resident on public transportation services, ranked very low in terms of vehicles, hours, and service miles, and transit ridership was well below average among peers. With this information in mind TGC created a challenge for the City Council, the COTPA Board of Trustees, and Staff to reassess the value and benefit of public transportation for the community by addressing the mission of COTPA, the role of public transportation in the greater Oklahoma City area, and the responsibilities of the City Council, the Board of Trustees, and staff in accomplishing COTPA’s mission.