The Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the launch of a joint project between the Chamber, the Community Transportation Association of America and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce was one of only four projects nationally selected by the Department of Agriculture for the Multimodal Passenger Transportation Technical Assistance Program. Working closely with Baldwin County and the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization, the focus of the project seeks to study and improve public transportation within Baldwin County, specifically in the rural area in and around Central Baldwin County.

The project will look at the areas of growing employment opportunities, and will seek to create and improve the availability of public transportation for Baldwin County residents to those jobs. Charles A. Rutkowski, assistant director of the CTA, a Washington D.C.-based non-profit organization, says that “The economic development occurring in and around Baldwin County is creating additional transportation demand, to access jobs, programs, services, shopping, health care and recreation. Our assistance will help develop strategies to help address these mobility needs.”

While the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce is the designated applicant for the program, and will serve as the designated recipient, the project will involve the CTA, the newly-created Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization, Baldwin Rural Area Transportation System (BRATS), and municipalities in and around Central Baldwin County.

The Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce is excited about the possibilities which will come from this study. Jamie Mangion, director of operations of the Chamber states “this is an important project for the Chamber, as well as for all the business and residents of Central Baldwin County. We have some of the best businesses in Alabama, and improving public transportation will create more ways to get people to our businesses.”

Jared Lyles, chairman of Governmental Affairs Committee, highlights another benefit. “In this County, we have extremely high-quality and dedicated workers. This project will help us get Baldwin County workers to jobs both locally and in surrounding areas, thus expanding the employment opportunities for our residents.”

The next planning meeting will occur at the CBCC Board meeting on Nov. 19. On the evening of Nov. 19 there will be a stakeholder’s meeting involving all interested entities and organizations, which will also be open to the public. The exact time and location of that meeting has not been established.