Picente & HOCTC Honored by Planning Association

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. and the Herkimer-Oneida Counties Transportation Council (HOCTC) have been honored by the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) for outstanding leadership and achievement in transportation planning.

Picente received AMPO’s 2023 Outstanding Elected Official Leadership Award and the HOCTC was honored with the 2023 Outstanding Overall Achievement for a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in a smaller-sized community at the organization’s annual conference in Cleveland, Ohio on Sept. 27^th.

“This region has been diligent in its planning as we strive to provide the safest and most efficient transportation methods to our residents and visitors,” said Picente, who also serves as HOCTC Chairman. “Working together has been the key to our success, and I thank all of those whose tireless effort and valued partnership made these awards possible. I am grateful to be recognized by AMPO and I thank them for honoring the hard work of our council.”  

Picente was recognized for his strategic efforts to successfully advance transportation planning in the public arena and improve the economy and daily life for the residents of Oneida County.

"County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. is a true trailblazer and visionary leader,” said AMPO Executive Director Bill Keyrouze. “With a historic tenure as the county's longest-serving executive, he has harnessed his position to drive transformative change in the realm of transportation planning. Under his leadership, the initiation of the Federal Highway Administration Planning and Environmental Linkages Study for the redesign of Interstate 90 and interchange 31 stands as a monumental milestone for central New York. With an unwavering focus on advancing economic development, County Executive Picente’s forward-thinking extends to embracing the future of transportation with open arms, championing the expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure.”

HOCTC was recognized for the production of its Transportation Atlas. The visual guide of Oneida and Herkimer counties condenses HOCTC’s 20-year long-range transportation plan “Going Places” into a visual atlas that highlights the region’s demographics, transportation network, economy and emerging trends in transportation.

"The Herkimer-Oneida Counties Transportation Council’s commitment to preserving the rich history of its region while seamlessly integrating it into forward-thinking transportation planning efforts across a predominantly rural landscape is nothing short of remarkable,” Keyrouze said. “The Council’s dedication to harmonizing the past and future exemplifies excellence in planning.”

AMPO is a nonprofit, membership organization established in 1994 to serve the needs and interests of “metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs)” nationwide. It offers member MPOs technical assistance and training, frequent updates on federal policy, research findings and analysis, and conferences, workshops, and forums for collaboration and peer sharing.

For more information on AMPO visit https://ampo.org/.