Kukui Connection: OMPO Director Brian Gibson

On the next installment of "Kukui Connection," Representative Marilyn Lee sits down with Brian Gibson, the new director of the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization. Rep. Lee is the chair of the organization's Policy Committee. Gibson comes from North Dakota and has 9 years of experience in transportation planning. He has been at OMPO for 15 months. 

You can watch the episode on the following Sundays at 4 p.m. on Olelo Channel 54: August 28, September 4, and September 11

On the show, they discuss the roles of the three committees of OMPO, which are the Citizen Advisory Committee, Technical Advisory Committee, and Policy Committee.

Gibson also shares what he believes to be his biggest challenge in transportation planning on Oahu, and suggests that we may be seeing more planning organizations on the neighbor islands if the 2010 census shows a larger population growth. Maui and Hilo were very close to the threshold in the 2000 census, he said.

The Federal Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1973 requires the formation of a metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for any urbanized area with a population greater than 50,000. This mandate was based on the need to ensure that existing and future expenditures for transportation projects and programs were based on a comprehensive, cooperative, and continuing (3-C) planning process. Federal funding for transportation projects and programs are channeled through this planning process.

Get Olelo video certified!

If you're a staff member of the state legislature or state administration, the video production/certification seminars are free! If you have the time and the desire, I strongly recommend taking Olelo up on its offer to conduct seminars at the Olelo mini-studio located at the State Capitol on the 4th floor, Room 414.

Olelo is taking reservations (8 per class I believe) for each of the 6-day seminars to be held once a month in September, November and December, and two times in October.

The first one coming up will take place on September 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, & 30.

This is an opportunity to learn a new skill and reach many new viewers through public access television and the internet.

For more information and to sign up, call Olelo at the Capitol at 586-7198.