Transportation Planning

What is CATSO and why should you care?

The Columbia Area Transportation Study Organization (CATSO) is a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and is made up of members from three public entities: the City of Columbia, Boone County, and Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).

CATSO conducts long-term transportation planning for the Columbia area. CATSO's current Long-Range Transportation Plan extends through 2050 and is expected to cost more than $1.2 billion. More than $712 million in funding will come from the City of Columbia.

What is the issue?

Columbia City Council submitted a letter to CATSO regarding the “misalignment” between the 2050 Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). City Council requested the following:

1. Develop a Major Amendment to the current 2050 LRTP that includes:
   • Public input on transportation needs
   • Mode share goals consistent with those adopted in the CAAP
   • Transportation scorecard for rating projects
   • Project list that prioritizes walking, biking, and transit
   • Implementation accountability strategy
2. In the next version of the LRTP, create a "new and fundamentally different" community plan that includes:
   • Extensive public engagement
   • Input from traditionally underrepresented groups
   • Long-range transit master plan
   • Climate change adaptation planning
   • Format that is easy for the public to read and understand

CATSO's draft response dismisses Council’s concerns and takes no action on any item that City Council asked them to implement.

CATSO will meet to further discuss this draft response:

• Thursday, August 25, 2022
• 2:30pm
• City Council Chambers

Who makes decisions for CATSO?

CATSO’s decision-making body is called the Coordinating Committee and is comprised of eight members. Two of those members are elected officials. One elected official (Dan Atwill) has appointed a representative to attend in his place. That representative (Justin Aldred) has then appointed their own representative (Thad Yonke) to attend in his place. That leaves only one elected official in attendance (Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe) on the CATSO Coordinating Committee.

Only one elected official will have the opportunity to influence how $1.2 billion dollars of transportation funding is spent and what type of projects are built in the greater Columbia area.

Documents

• City Council Letter to CATSO (March 21, 2022)
  • Climate & Environment Commission Memo to City Council and Position Statement (December 20, 2021)
• CATSO Draft Response Letter (August 3, 2022)