SEE WHY: Valdosta Metropolitan Planning Organization needs your input

• The Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization is updating its Metropolitan Transportation Plan to reflect transportation infrastructure and policy needs through 2050.
• Focus will be on roadways, transit, bicycles, and pedestrians.
• Watch the video to hear from neighbors about where the need is.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT

Valdosta's Metro Planning Organization needs your help with shaping our roadways.

"Sidewalks. There needs to be a lot more sidewalks."

I'm Malia Thomas, your neighborhood reporter in Valdosta, and I'm checking in with neighbors to see what they would like changed.

This is William "Bill" Laster. He moved to Valdosta from Fremont, California over a year ago.

"I'm a city boy, but I'm learning to adjust to the country."

He lives on one of the busiest roads in Valdosta, right on the edge of downtown.

Bill tells me one thing he misses from Fremont was access to public transport.

"Valdosta On-Demand just does not cut it as far as public transportation. Because I went to Walmart before I had a car and. Called them and they said it'd be 4 hours before they could pick me up."

He also tells me city roads could use some improvement.

SOT: "A lot of potholes. Those definitely need to be fixed."

These are some of the issues that Valdosta's Metro Planning Organization hopes to address in their 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan.

I spoke with a rep from Southern Georgia Regional Commission, who tells me that this plan aims to address infrastructure and policy needs of our community.

"The VLMPO study area includes all of Lowndes County and portions of Berrien, Brooks, and Lanier Counties."

Some infrastructure improvement are already in the works for Valdosta through the Transportation Investment Act referendum.

It provides $466 million to the region as a whole.

Valdosta and Lowndes County currently have 22 upcoming projects using TIA funds.

MTP is more focused on short and long term strategies for developing our roadways, transit, bicycles, and sidewalks.

The latter two Bill says we desperately need.

"There's really no bike lanes here, and then people bike in the streets which is dangerous."

Neighbors could see some of these road projects get off the ground if the TIA referendum goes through on May 21st. In Valdosta, I'm Malia Thomas, ABC27.