http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070328/NEWS24/703280428/-1/NEWS

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Article published March 28, 2007

 

Strickland keeps highway budget options open

 

By JIM PROVANCE

BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU

 

 

COLUMBUS - Gov. Ted Strickland is keeping his options open when it comes to possibly striking legislative language from Ohio's proposed two-year transportation budget designed to keep him from interfering with construction of the U.S. 24 upgrade and other top-priority highway projects.

 

A joint House-Senate conference committee dominated by Republicans voted 5-1 to approve a $7.8 billion transportation and public safety budget that gives the first-year Democrat most of what he wanted.

 

But the bill, expected to receive final approval in both chambers today, would prevent him from exercising his authority to re-evaluate projects at the top of the state's priority list to take into consideration their economic value.

 

.....

House Republicans previously argued that the Ohio Constitution requires revenue generated by motor fuels to be spent on transportation. Mr. Strickland, Democrats, and Senate Republicans, however, countered that the Commercial Activities Tax is a tax on business activity, not a direct tax on gas.

I see some logical reasoning here.  "Logical" in the sense that spending can be shifted from motoring & highways to "something else".

Lawmakers OK $7.8 billion transportation budget

BY JAMES NASH | [email protected]

March 29, 2007

 

COLUMBUS - Ohio lawmakers unanimously approved a $7.8 billion transportation budget yesterday that provides a little more money for road work, preserves funding for the State Highway Patrol and commits the state to high-priority projects such as upgrades of the I-270 interchanges at Rts. 315 and 23 and I-71 in northern Franklin County.

 

Legislative Republicans substantially rewrote Gov. Ted Strickland's tax provisions but left intact the two pillars of the budget: insulating the patrol from cuts and providing slightly more money for major road projects as well as maintenance.

 

In a last-minute change, lawmakers eliminated a provision in the state's 2-year-old business tax that would raise the rate on commercial activities if revenue dips 10 percent below projections.

 

"It will create a stable, predictable environment where businesses will want to come to Ohio and remain here," said Sen. Patricia M. Clancy, R-Cincinnati, chairwoman of the Senate's Highways and Transportation committee.

 

Strickland, who has 10 days to sign or veto the transportation budget, has not indicated whether he opposes the change. Spokesman Keith Dailey said the governor will thoroughly review all aspects of the budget.

 

Lawmakers have made several substantial changes to the document Strickland introduced a month ago. They required the Ohio Department of Transportation to finish all top-priority road projects before embarking on lower-priority ones. Strickland and ODOT had advocated more flexibility.

 

In central Ohio, the top-priority projects include the I-270 interchange upgrades, improving Rts. 161, 37 and 16 from New Albany to Granville, and upgrading the I-70/71 split through Downtown.

 

Lawmakers also overruled Strickland on how to spend an estimated $193 million expected when the Commercial Activities Tax is applied to gasoline sales this year. Strickland said the money should go toward the general state budget, while lawmakers said the money needs to be earmarked for transportation projects.

 

Among other things, the transportation budget also:

 

• Increases ODOT's maintenance budget from $487 million in fiscal 2008 to $508 million in fiscal 2009.

 

• Sets aside $387 million in fiscal year 2008 and $384 million in fiscal 2009 to help local governments defray the cost of road improvements.

 

• Creates the position of a deputy inspector general to investigate reports of waste, fraud and abuse within ODOT.

 

• Authorizes the state Department of Agriculture to create a program to monitor the quality of motor fuel sold in Ohio.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/03/29/TRANSPORT.ART_ART_03-29-07_B3_IE67L42.html

No warm and fuzzy feelings here.

I smell a line item veto coming for a few items the legislature stuck in there. We are going to see a tug of war over the direction of state transportation spending.

Townships want control of hometown speed limits

April 3, 2007 | ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

COLUMBUS - A state senator wants townships to have the same authority as municipalities in setting speed limits on roads, a proposal opposed by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

 

Sen. Tim Schaffer, a Lancaster Republican, has sponsored a bill that he said would help the people who regularly drive township roads decide how fast vehicles in their communities should go.

 

"The township trustees drive their roads every day," Schaffer said.

 

.......

 

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070403/NEWS01/704030376

^

"They know where they need to do improvements and enhancements in their transportation systems."

 

Yeah, because they are all engineers. It's easy to underpost a speed limit to make all the roads safer, but when is too low, too low?

 

We all know where this will head. Townships regain control of setting speed limits will lead to small communities and dots on the map begging to do the same. And we'll end up with more New Rome's or Steubenville's.

I just say that if you want to power of a municipality....then become a damn municipality!  Stop with the township shenanigans!

DOT press release:

 

DOT 37-07

Contact: Sarah Echols, Tel.: (202) 366 - 4570

Thursday, April 5, 2007

 

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters Announces A Substantial Life-Saving Technology

For All New Passenger Vehicles

 

In a move that could ultimately save up to 10,000 lives each year on U.S. roadways, the nation's top transportation official today announced plans to make new crash prevention technology standard equipment on every new passenger vehicle sold in America by 2012.

 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters and National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Nicole R. Nason announced the final rule to require the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) on all new passenger vehicles during a tour with auto makers at the New York International Auto Show today. ESC uses automatic computer controlled braking to keep drivers from losing control on slippery roads or in emergency maneuvers, in many cases preventing deadly rollovers from occurring.

 

“This technology will save thousands of lives. Like airbags and seat belts, ten years down the road we will look back at the new ESC technology and wonder how we ever drove a car without it.” Secretary Peters said.

 

“ESC technology will put the brakes on crashes and help drivers keep control of their cars in critical situations,” Administer Nason said. “ESC works, it will save lives, and it can give American drivers and passengers the peace of mind that comes from knowing their vehicles have some of the most technologically advanced safety equipment available.”

 

The final rule will require all manufacturers to begin equipping passenger vehicles with ESC starting with model year 2009, and to have the feature available as standard equipment on all new passenger vehicles by the 2012 model year (September 2011).

 

The agency estimates ESC will save between 5,300 and 9,600 lives annually and prevent between 168,000 and 238,000 injuries. The estimated average cost of ESC is approximately $111 per vehicle, assuming the model already features ABS brakes.

 

A copy of the final regulation and the accompanying regulatory analysis can obtained at http://www.safercar.gov/esc/Rule.pdf.

 

More information on the ESC technology can be found at http://nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.012c081c5966f0ca3253ab10cba046a0/

 

###

Not sure if this belongs in this thread, but I think it's certainly worth posting here

___________________

 

American Society of Civil Engineers

and

Student Chapter from Cleveland State University

 

Wishes To Invite You To…

The April ASCE Dinner Meeting

Presentation By:

Pete Sklannik Jr.

Chairman, ASCE Transportation Security Committee

 

Rail to the Rescue

 

In September 2005 More than 1 million people scurried to get out of the way of Hurricane Rita, a Category 5 hurricane. As the hurricane grew more turbulent, becoming the third most intense storm in history, the Governor of Texas ordered the use of light rail (KJP note: actually, it was diesel locomotive-powered commuter trains) from Dallas - Ft. Worth to evacuate Southeastern Texas. Pete will relate his perspectives and lessons learned

 

Thursday April 26, 2007

The City Club of Cleveland

850 Euclid Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Registration / Mixer

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM Dinner

7:30 PM – 9:00 PM Presentation / Q & A

 

Menu

Breaded and Sautéed Chicken Breast

Topped with Mozzarella & Romano Cheeses

Atop a bed of Fettuccini

Breaded & Sautéed Eggplant Topped with

Mozzarella & Romano Cheeses

Atop a bed of Fettuccini

Field Greens with Cucumber, Grape Tomato, and Garlic Croutons topped with Vinaigrette

Roasted Red Skin Herbed Potatoes

Green Beans with Red Pepper & Dill

Dessert

Triple Chocolate Tiger Cake

 

Note: Persons with special dietary requirements please inform when making reservations.

 

Members $35; Non Members $40; Students $20

 

Members absolutely must confirm their reservations before 5:00 PM on Friday April 20th to:

 

Sarah Catanese - Cleveland State University

440-667-8810 –– [email protected]

 

Cancellations: Please note that due to commitments that must be made to the restaurant, any cancellations

After Monday, April 23th or no-shows will be billed for the cost of the dinner.

Some encouraging testimony from ODOT Director Beasley re: public transit.

 

HOUSE TRANSPORTATION AND JUSTICE FINANCE

SUBCOMMITTEE Rep. Patton: 614-466-4895

Thu., Apr. 5, 2007

Hannah News Wire

 

HB119 BIENNIAL BUDGET (Dolan M) Make operating appropriations for the biennium.

........

 

 

But wait!!!! ..... there's more......

 

TRANSIT SYSTEMS SEEK STUDY OF DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE TO AVERT CRISIS IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Gongwer News Service

 

Saying the state is headed for a crisis in public transportation, the Ohio Public Transit Association urged creation Thursday of a bipartisan legislative panel to recommend a dedicated source of state funding.

 

......

DOT press release:

 

The estimated average cost of ESC is approximately $111 per vehicle, assuming the model already features ABS brakes.

$111 / vehicle would be the cost to the automaker.  Any manufacturer will multiply the costs of the components and add that to the list price.  So I could see this adding $300 to $500 to cost of every automobile.

 

And all this assumes that the vehicle you purchase already has ABS.  Add another $500 to the list price for ABS, bringing the total up to $800 to $1000.  This rule is going to price people out of economical vehicles.  Personally, I think ABS is a feature that I would rather be without.  I have had it engage a few times on my 2000 year vehicle, but I would have been able to stop the vehicle without crashing in all of those occasions.  ABS makes sense on vehicles with a bad weight distribution, but I think it is not necessary.  Drive under control!  Slow down!  Leave room!  Buy snow tires!!

More from the testimony delivered on HB-119 re: ORDC Funding:

 

TESTIMONY OF MATTHEW DIETRICH, ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE OHIO RAIL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, TO THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION AND JUSTICE SUBCOMMITTEE

 

Chairman Patton and members of the Committee, my name is Matt Dietrich and I am pleased to represent the Ohio Rail Development Commission.  First I want to thank you for the opportunity to discuss ORDC’s proposed budget in House Bill 119.  We are pleased that the Governor’s budget has recognized the importance of rail transportation to the state’s economy by proposing increased funding toward this effort.  Today I stand before you to ask for your support as well.  I ask that you support the proposed funding levels for ORDC in your deliberations of this bill. 

 

Importance of the Rail Industry to Ohio

Before I speak to the specifics of the Rail Commission I would like to talk about the importance of Railroads to Ohio’s Economy.  There are many facets of the rail industry that effect Ohio.  First as an industry, there are 34 freight railroads operating on 5,354 miles of track in this state employing over 8,000 individuals with an accumulated payroll of over $490 million.  The number of employees in the rail industry is on par with such well known Ohio employers as DaimlerChrysler and First Energy.  The average wage, excluding fringe benefits is $61,700. 

 

But rail is different from other industries.  Its effects on Ohio extend beyond that of an employer.  Rail is critical to our economy by providing Ohio the critical links it needs to the global economy.  In 2005 railroads carried 316 million tons of freight in 6.8 million rail carloads.  But the role of rail is not just limited to manufacturing, farming and mining. 

 

In 2006, about 40% of the traffic handled by American railroads has been container and trailer intermodal traffic.  (Containers and trailers are handled by rail for the long haul with trucks providing local pick up and delivery.)  Not surprisingly, Ohio’s position in the heart of the country makes it a very good platform for intermodal traffic.  ORDC is currently involved with three intermodal projects, the Rickenbacker Intermodal Yard, the CSX Parsons Yard and the Heartland Corridor project and is investigating several other opportunities for intermodal facilities which become reality in the next several years.

 

There’s one more major benefit that is especially important to Ohio and this committee, given its recent work on the transportation budget:  If those rail cars were on the highway that would have been an additional 56,000 trucks on Ohio’s roadways each day.   Imagine how that would affect the transportation budget of the state.  Better yet, imagine, how, with creativity and bigger and better partnerships between the State and the railroads, we could improve the overall transportation infrastructure of Ohio.  To put it simply, rail projects don’t make Ohio’s economy, they make Ohio’s economy better.

 

ORDC’s Role in Rail

Chairman Betts has already explained how ORDC fits into this rail industry equation.  What I would like to do is provide you with the details of how we do our jobs.

 

One of the most visible forms of this responsibility is the Commission’s direct financial assistance for rail projects.  This assistance comes in the form of loans and grants to railroads, businesses and communities. Eligible projects include rail spurs or sidings into private industry facilities, rehabilitation of rail branch lines and lead tracks, intermodal and bulk trans-load facilities and preservation of rail assets in the state. 

 

Regardless of which type of project is funded, these projects are generated by existing or potential economic development activity.  Often ORDC funding is the only public source for “offsite” rail infrastructure necessary to support economic development projects.  Offsite rail infrastructure is the rail that is necessary to serve an industry or facility but is not owned by the industry or facility.  Since ORDC does not fund rail projects at 100%, these funds are able to leverage even more private investment in the state.  ORDC partners with state and local government agencies, railroads and private industry on its projects.  It does so not only to leverage its funds but also to focus its funds on those financing gaps where they are needed the most. 

 

Since FY 2001, ORDC freight rail programs have positively impacted 156,000 jobs in Ohio, preserved 28 miles and rehabilitated 265 miles of rail line and helped secure 120,000 rail carloads of freight. 

 

The largest portion of ORDC’s budget is dedicated to safety.  ORDC administers $15 million of federal highway funds annually for highway-railroad grade crossing safety projects, crossing surface reconstruction and highway-railroad grade separation projects.  In Fiscal Year 2006, ORDC funded 70 light & gate projects at highway-railroad grade crossings, 10 grade crossing closures, and 34 surface reconstruction projects.  Additionally, ORDC’s staff assisted ODOT districts and local governments on highway projects involving rail grade crossings.  A couple years ago, ORDC reached two milestones.  ORDC completed its 1000th light and gate installation project and its 1000th grade crossing closure.  Still there is more work to do.  Forty-two percent of the state’s roughly 6,000 crossings have crossbucks, or passive warning devices.  Unfortunately addressing grade crossing safety is not limited to just installing lights and gates.  The preliminary figures for 2006 suggest that 60% of the 105 crashes occurred at crossings with active warning devices.  ORDC continues to work with the railroads, ODOT, PUCO, local highway authorities and rail safety groups to identify hazardous crossings and various ways to address them.

 

Passenger Rail

Finally I would be remiss if I did not talk about our passenger rail program.  ORDC has spent the last several years developing the Ohio Hub Plan:  a seven corridor passenger rail plan that connects major Ohio cities with other passenger rail plans in the region.  ORDC has been able to advance the Ohio Hub, with the support of both CSX and Norfolk Southern.  In this next biennium, ORDC hopes to secure federal support to continue this planning effort into the environmental review phase of the process. 

 

In short ORDC is one of the few state organizations that is currently equipped, both in terms of mission and Ohio Revised Code, to specifically deal with the nexus of transportation and economic development.  At the ORDC our goal is a safe and efficient rail network that creates a competitive edge for Ohio companies and the economy. 

 

I would again like to thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today and I will be happy to answer any questions you might have at this time.

 

Mr. Dietrich did a nice job.  I only hope that the legislature listens.  Overall, rail hasn't been much of an interest to them. 

 

I was going to tell you a sad story about our transportation system experienced by a friend of mine this morning. But I'll use his words to tell it....

___________________

 

 

This is really no big surprise to anyone who travels. I've been saying the

same for a few years now. We do not have a long term viable transportation

system. The fact that it is becoming increasing difficult to simply get from

point A to point B, let alone getting around once you get to point B should

be a wake up call. But we, as a nation, don't want to think about it, let

alone deal with the nasty truth that we are not the worlds greatest and have

a very serious problem that is going to come to a head soon. We prefer to

blame others or try to solve tiny parts of the issue, i.e. alternative

fuels, then actually dealing with the main issue - the system is poorly

designed, broken and in need of massive, fundamental changes that are not

going to be popular with the people who make a profit off the current

system.

 

Case in point, I arrived in Cleveland this morning from Chicago, enroute to

Ravenna. According to the current system, I was supposed to wake up

extremely early this morning, catch a cab or drive to the airport, fly to

Cleveland, then rent a car here, drive everywhere for every reason, then do

the reverse. All in a very tight timeframe with little to no time to do

anything other then travel or drive, let alone catch my breath! But my time

and quality of life is too valuable for that treadmill.

 

Therefore I took one of only two possible trains late last night, the 10:00

PM Lake Shore Limited. And got caught in freight traffic jams several times.

We left Chicago on time and there were no mechanical difficulties that I

know of enroute. Every stop was long waits, then one or two freights passing

us. The first was around 47th Street in Chicago - not even out of the city

or to the first at-grade crossing of another rail line! Which tells me that

the whole line was a single track operation last night. All NS. Where is the

Erie RR or the Fort Wayne line when you need 'em? (most of the passengers I

talked to or over heard last nigh who were going to Elkhart or Waterloo were

going to Fort Wayne by the way...)

 

As a result we were almost two hours late into Cleveland, even with all the

padding built in the new schedule. Which meant I had 10 minutes to get off

the train and get to Public Square to catch a bus for Kent, connecting there

with a bus for Ravenna. Scheduled departure from downtown Cleveland is 8:20

AM. The next and only other bus departs at 5:20 PM. There are North Coast

Express buses to Akron, but they are on a "rush hour" only schedule too.

Other then renting a car, which would be a major waste of time and money in

this case, there is no other way to get remotely close to where I was going.

At least in a timely manner without spending a fortune. Or missing half of

what I made the trip to do in the first place (which I ended up missing some

anyway).

 

Thankfully I had a very close and good friend who drove me direct to

Ravenna, as we were supposed to meet for breakfast before I caught the bus

at Public Square. While I greatly appreciated his help, it made him late for

work too. The effects just multiplied as we went. I ended up losing the

morning and a planned visit because I fell asleep when I got to my mothers

house and lost over 3 hours to exhaustion and frustration. How much more it

effected my friend beyond a missed meeting and late arrival at work I do not

know at this point. Or the domino effect his lateness had on others.

 

Magnify my experience by the hundreds of travelers coming to Northeast Ohio

every day and the missed appointments and lost opportunities stagger the

mind. Even if they do make all their appointments, they are not in top form.

My last flight was over 6 hours late back to Chicago due to a thunderstorm.

By the time we arrived, got my bag and managed to catch a cab home, it was

5:00 AM! I missed a very important appointment I had scheduled for 9:00 AM

that morning as I was too wore out and in no condition to attend. There were

thousands in similar situations, headed to conventions and meetings. We were

all due in the night before on numerous flights, but were leaving the

airport when we should have been waking up from a restful nights sleep.

Napping in a coach seat on a plane or in the terminal is not a viable

substitute! How much more lost revenue, opportunities and quality of life

will we endure before we finally say enough is enough, this is NOT working!

 

Fortunately, I believe we are close to that point. It is increasingly

difficult to get anywhere from anywhere in this country. The toll that is

taking on our economy is enormous and only getting bigger. But we are

treating it like the old fairy tale, "The Emperor's New Clothes" We all know

he's naked, but few are willing to publicly admit it. But there will be a

time when enough people will be fed up to the point of doing something

constructive about it - a transportation system that works.

Cities may get more state help

Governor's stance on urban concerns pleases Coleman

Monday, April 9, 2007 3:27 AM

By Debbie Gebolys

 

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

"We have an open door," Mayor Michael B. Coleman said. "I don't mean they'll agree with us on everything but we certainly have people who understand the urban agenda and the city of Columbus."

 

That could mean state help tackling problems such as job poaching, suburban sprawl and vacant buildings.

 

Coleman, who helped Gov. Ted Strickland pick his team after his election last fall, will find a lot of familiar faces when he goes to the state with a problem. At least five of Coleman's top staffers moved to key posts in the Democratic governor's Transportation and Development departments.

 

........

 

http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/04/09/CHANGES.ART_ART_04-09-07_B1_GK6B0P8.html

 

 

^ Talk about a breath of fresh air!

A very eloquent op-ed from a college student. I have hopes for the upcoming generations.

 

More mass transit, less construction

Your voice: Justin Stenger

 

According to "Orange-barrel projects get the green light" (April 5), this year alone more than $300 million is being spent on road construction projects in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Each year state, county, and local governments spend obscene amounts of money to rehab old roads worn by excessive use and high traffic and to build new roads.

 

Some thoroughfares truly need this work; as any with any transportation infrastructure, roads become worn out with time.

 

........

 

Justin Stenger, a lifelong resident of Clifton, is a student at Lake Forest College in Illinois.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070411/EDIT02/704110305/1090/EDIT

ok as far as transportation in the united states I had a similar nightmare experience coming back from Germany a few weeks ago.

 

The first leg of our journey home was from a small college town/village in the south of Germany called Scwaebisch Hall.  about 29,000 people live here.  The train station was an easy 10 minute walk across town to.  It rivaled Cleveland's Amtrak station in that it had regular service.  We got on a train headed for Heilbronn.  We had a 10 minute window to switch trains.  Easy, go over two platforms, "Mannheim".  It was right there.  We get on and in 5 minutes its moving.  We arrive in Mannheim to see a highspeed train (kind of has an airplane nose on it) zoom in headed for Frankfurt Flughaufen (the airport).  We get there right on time. 

 

Turns out our airplane is delayed 4 hours... because in the US there was chaos at JFK.  So we wait until 2:30pm to fly.  We get to Newark 9 hours later.   Its 11:30pm for us, but in the US its 6:30pm.  We finally get off the plane at 7:30.  Only to find we missed our flight back to Cleveland.  Well Newark and Cleveland are hub cities for Continental, right?  and thats what we were flying on.  Well... the next available seating on a flight was 10am to Cleveland.  No one knew what to do at that airport.  We were not going to be compensated for a hotel or anything. 

 

So Amtrak, right??  wrong.  The next available Amtrak was for 9:58am headed to Chicago.  It blows my mind that the largest city in the US's train service to the #3 city has less train service than a small medieval town in Germany.  So we took Greyhound and ended up at home at about 11am the next day.  We got to see several prisons on the way to Cleveland since Greyhound stations are located near the ones in Youngstown and Pittsburgh and our bus driver from the Pittsburgh to Cleveland segment was a total cynical asshole who treated us like we were prisoners/bad children. 

 

I dunno quite if this fits into this thread, but the fact that Ohio and the USA has all around bad transit options really REALLY shows compared to other countries.

I think it fits totally into this thread.

 

Had you followed government instructions like a dutiful U.S. citizen, you would have used the officially sanctioned mode of transportation -- renting a car at Newark and driving home.

and thats probably what we would have done, unfortunately we had been traveling for about 22 hours and were not in any condition to drive the Penn Turnpike at 1 in the morning especially since we were still on German time and it felt more like 6am the next day.

 

also might I add that there were no signs mentioning how to get to the Greyhound and the Amtrak area of the airport had no employees working.  I had to find out about tickets and times by using a red phone... not even a computer for Amtrak. 

An idea being floated in Indiana to fund commuter rail.

 

Date posted online: Sunday, April 15, 2007

How the wheel tax works

 

You won't find $20 million a year lining the car ashtrays of region motorists. But you could raise the cash with a tax on every car in Lake and Porter counties.

 

State Rep. Chet Dobis, D-Merrillville, offered the so-called wheel tax as a way to come up with $500 in local funds needed to finance half the cost of extending South Shore commuter rail service to Lowell and Valparaiso. He would give the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority the power to impose a tax of up to $50 a car.

 

.......

 

http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2007/04/15/opinion/forum/doc10944c2cf929977c862572bb0068a716.txt

 

Can anyone point me to a Web site or article that breaks down ODOT's 2006 budget? I keep hearing this 16.3 million figure for public transit, but I'm looking at a paper right now that puts total ODOT transit spending at 91.7 million. What gives? Is there an official budget posted somewhere online?

State funding comprised $16.3 million of ODOT's Public Transportation budget. The rest is from federal sources.

News from next door.... re: transportation funding.

 

Group draws up plan to fund transit, road repairs

Monday, April 23, 2007

 

By Joe Grata, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

The highway and bridge construction industry that benefits from multibillion-dollar public works spending in Pennsylvania has its own ideas -- some old, some new -- about how growing transportation needs should be funded.

 

The multi-faceted approach includes raising the gasoline tax, tolling Interstate 80 and capping state police funding as part of generating $1.1 billion a year extra for roads and bridges. It would raise the state sales tax and combine transit agencies to help provide $865 million a year extra for buses, paratransit and trolleys.

 

.........

 

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07113/780251-147.stm

-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

(Joe Grata can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-1985. )

 

From Jack Shaner at the Ohio Environmental Council.....

___________

 

I was at the House budget hearings yesterday. Here's how the numbers break down:

 

House GOP budget proposal for Ohio Rail Development Commission:

FY 08: $2.7 million

FY 09: $2.7 million

 

Strickland budget proposal for ORDC:

FY 08: $4.7 million

FY 09: $4.7 million

 

For comparison sake on ORDC recent funding:

FY 06: $2.2 million

FY 07: $2.7 million

 

Incidentally, the House GOP budget also substantially cut state public

transportation funding:

 

House GOP budget proposal:

FY 08: $16.5 million

FY 09: $17.0 million

 

Strickland budget proposal:

FY 08: $20.3 million

FY 09: $20.3 million

 

For comparison sake:

FY 06: $20.1 million

FY 07: $16.3 million

 

The sense that I'm getting is that these (and some/many other) line items that Strickland had proposed for increased funding fell victim to the House GOP's effort to pile up funding for their top priorities, especially higher education.

 

The House finance committee is set to vote on the budget bill today; the full House next week. Then, it's on to the Senate.

DOT 43-07

Monday April 30, 2007

Contact: Brian Turmail

Tel.: (202) 366-4570

   

U.S., Mexican Trucks Will Begin Cross-Border Demonstration Program at Same Time

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters today announced that U.S. trucks will begin operating in Mexico for the first time ever starting at the same time Mexican trucks begin operating north of the commercial border zone in the U.S. as part of improvements being made to the Department’s cross-border trucking demonstration program. The Secretary noted that the change was based on recent conversations with the Mexican government and the U.S. Congress.

 

“We are working to give American truckers an unprecedented opportunity to compete in a substantial new market,” Peters said. “This announcement puts the program on track to lower costs for U.S. consumers, make our economy more competitive and give U.S. truckers new business opportunities.”

 

In February, the Department of Transportation announced a year-long demonstration program to expand cross-border trucking operations with Mexico. The program is designed to eliminate the current cumbersome, outdated and costly system of moving freight across the border, and replace it with an efficient, transparent and safe cross-border trucking process.

 

The program’s safety developments have been guided by, but not limited to, requirements established by Congress in 2002. The Department’s independent Inspector General has also certified that the program substantially meets eight criteria addressing inspector training, inspection facilities and the development of safety procedures. The Department has invested $500 million since 1995 to modernize border safety facilities and hire and train the more than 500 federal and state inspectors who inspect trucks crossing the border every day.

 

As part of the program, U.S. inspectors will conduct in-person safety audits to ensure participating Mexican companies comply with U.S. safety regulations. The Department also will require all Mexican truck drivers to hold a valid commercial drivers license, comply with U.S. medical requirements, comply with all U.S. hours-of-service rules and be able to understand questions and directions in English. Mexican truck companies that are allowed to participate must have insurance with a U.S.-licensed firm and meet all U.S. safety standards, including drug and alcohol testing. Companies that meet these stringent standards will be allowed to make international pick up and deliveries only.

 

The elements of the trucking program are discussed in a Federal Register notice issued today. The Department is seeking comment over the next 30 days on the program. The notice is available online at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov.

 

# # #

The sense that I'm getting is that these (and some/many other) line items that Strickland had proposed for increased funding fell victim to the House GOP's effort to pile up funding for their top priorities, especially higher education.

 

Did I read that right, one of the GOP's top priorites is higher education?  Since when?

ya, that threw me off too

 

Well their priorities sure aren't rail, transit, development, new business or jobs......  (funny).... all of the things Ohio needs most.

I am told there is a chance the Ohio Senate could restore most, if not all of the funding.  However, that will take a show of support for rail and transit before the Senate Finance Committee which will hold hearings on May 23rd.

 

The members of the Committee are Senators John Carey (Chairman), Steve Stivers (Vice-Chair),Ron Amstutz, Steve Austria, Gary Cates,Patricia Clancy (who also chairs the Senate Highways & Transportation Committee), Randy Gardner, Tom Neihaus, Joy Padgett, Dale Miller, Erich Kearney, Ray Miller and Tom Roberts.

 

This is a good opportunity to stress the connection between improved rail & transit and issues like economic development, job creation, energy conservation and air quality.  The committee is a good mix of urban and rural Senators.

Federal DOT Information:

 

 

THERE WILL BE A CONFERENCE CALL REGARDING THE PRESIDENT’S ANNOUNCEMENT ON CAFE AND ALTERNATIVE FUEL STANDARDS WITH SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION MARY PETERS, SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE MIKE JOHANNS, EPA ADMINISTRATOR STEPHEN JOHNSON, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF ENERGY CLAY SELL AND WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SCOTT STANZEL AT 2:00 PM EDT TODAY, MONDAY, MAY 14, 2007. 

 

TO PARTICIPATE, CALL 800-811-6040 - CONFERENCE ID IS 9339039

 

DOT 50-07

Friday, May 18, 2007

Contact:  Bill Mosley

Tel.:  (202) 366-4570

 

U.S. DOT Clears Virgin America to Begin Flying

 

      The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that it has issued an order granting Virgin America Airlines the authority to begin operation as a U.S. carrier, after the company agreed to take steps needed to meet airline requirements.  This order means that once Virgin America receives the necessary safety permits from the Federal Aviation Administration and implements the changes it has agreed to make, the company is cleared to begin flying.

 

      The Department’s order found that Virgin America’s proposed changes to its management and financial structure will meet rigorous U.S. citizenship tests outlined under federal law.

   

      “It’s tough to think of a company that has done as much to meet our standards for becoming a commercial airline,” said Secretary Peters.  “Anyone who has doubts about the future of commercial aviation in this country should take a close look at one company’s efforts to compete.”

 

      Virgin America submitted a substantial revision to its application after the Department’s initial tentative decision last year found that the company failed the citizenship test outlined in law.  The Department found that since the airline revised its proposal and committed to meeting additional conditions set by the Department in March, the company now meets U.S. citizenship requirements. This includes providing advance notice to the Department should the carrier receive additional financing from non-U.S. investors.

 

      The company also agreed to remove the Virgin Group’s veto power over certain contracts and expenditures, amend the company’s loan agreements with the Virgin Group, limit the tenure of its current CEO, restructure its board of directors to reduce the number of foreign representatives, and revise its trademark license to ensure the U.S. carrier can operate independently of U.K.-based Virgin Atlantic.

 

      The Department’s Virgin America decision fully complies with current U.S. airline investment law and its application.  Under the Federal Aviation Act, to be licensed as a U.S. airline, a company must show that it is actually controlled by U.S. citizens, that the president and two-thirds of the board of directors are U.S. citizens, and that at least 75 percent of the voting interest is owned and controlled by U.S. citizens.

 

      DOT’s order and other documents in the case may be found at http://dms.dot.gov, docket OST-2005-23307.

Frozen Gas Tax Leads to Toll Roads

By JIM ABRAMS

Associated Press Writer

 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A cash crunch is fast approaching for the government trust fund that pays to build and repair highways and bridges.

 

The federal tax on a gallon of gas has not risen in 14 years and Congress is reluctant to increase it. People are demanding more fuel-efficient vehicles - less gasoline used, fewer dollars for the fund.

 

States already are looking for other places for road-building money - toll road and consumption-based sales taxes, for example. They worry that the fund's looming shortage could hurt their efforts to address traffic congestion as well as environmental and safety problems caused by inadequate roads.

 

The situation can only get worse in 2009, when revenues for the Federal Highway Trust Fund begin falling short of planned federal spending.

 

.........

 

 

---

 

On the Net:

 

Federal Highway Administration: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/

 

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials: http://www.transportation.org/

 

American Road and Transportation Builders Association: http://www.artba.org/

 

Associated General Contractors of America: http://www.agc.org/

 

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GAS_TAX?SITE=OHCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

DOT 57-07

Contact: Brian Turmail

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Tel.: (202) 366-4570

 

 

NINE CITIES NAMED SEMI-FINALISTS FOR FEDERAL FUNDING TO HELP FIGHT TRAFFIC JAMS, U.S. TRANSPORTATION

SECRETARY PETERS ANNOUNCES

 

 

Nine of America’s most congested cities are semi-finalists for a federal program that will provide a total of $1.1 billion to fight traffic jams, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced today.

 

Speaking at a news conference in New York City, Peters announced her Department will consider proposals for its Urban Partnership program from Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami, New York City, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle, with plans to announce winners by mid-August.

 

“We’re asking cities to try something different, innovative and daring when it comes to fighting traffic,” said Secretary Peters.

 

            Together, the nine cities chosen as semi-finalists in the competition represent one-third of all highway congestion recorded among the nation’s 85 largest cities, and handle about 20 percent of all vehicle travel in the U.S.

 

The applications are similar in that they all propose to levy tolls that vary based on traffic volumes and all of them would beef up transit options for residents, Peters said.

 

            In addition to funding, the Department will support winning proposals with technical advice and an expedited review process, she added.

 

            “This program supports leaders with the wisdom and courage to develop plans that will cut traffic now, not years from now,” the Secretary said. 

 

###

From the Charlotte (NC) News-Observer:

 

Published: Jun 17, 2007 12:30 AM Modified: Jun 17, 2007 05:46 AM

Drivers might pay road taxes by mile

Bruce Siceloff, Staff Writer

 

North Carolinians are driving more miles every year, but they're buying less gas.

 

Although better fuel economy sounds great for the pocketbook and good for the planet, it spells trouble for our long-term reliance on gas-tax money to finance transit and highway needs.

 

After spending more than it takes in for several years, the federal Highway Trust Fund is expected to run out of money for road projects by 2009.

 

So, as part of a $16.5 million nationwide study over the next two years, 450 Triangle drivers will help road-test a new way to pay for transportation -- by the mile, not by the gallon.

 

........

 

Staff writer Bruce Siceloff can be reached at 829-4527 or [email protected].

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/growth/story/607113.html

Interesting proposal. I'm intrigued to find out what type of system they develop to track miles.

 

An interesting system would be to have every car outfitted with some sort of device that transmits its MPG. When you fuel up, you would be charged a tax based on that MPG and the fuel pump would add the tax to the pre-tax fuel price. I'm sure there are plenty of problems involved with that type of system, but its and different idea.

Fascinating stuff. Glad to see some states are trying to think ahead.

 

I really like the mileage tax idea, even if it means having a billing system linked to the GPS in my car. To me, it will cause people to think about whether the trip to the store is really worth it, or whether they should wait and combine trips. That should reduce impulse driving and save fuel, wear and tear on our cars and cut pollution emissions.

 

And a rush-hour premium fee is a wonderful idea. In urban areas, most of our interstates are built out to a number of lanes for the maximum amount of travel -- and that peak of travel occurs anywhere from just 2-6 hours per day, depending on the city. So we're maintaining very expensive infrastructure that sits underutilized 18-22 hours each day, and often more on weekends.

 

The only downside I see from a mileage-based system is the bureaucracy needed to oversee billing and enforcement. Perhaps much of the billing can be automated but the enforcement is another matter. A solution might be to suspend driver's license privileges and renewals until all unpaid mileage fees are settled.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070628/NEWS11/706280395/-1/NEWS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article published June 28, 2007

 

Ohio's highway upkeep listed 16th

Michigan official challenges foundation report that ranks state 42nd

 

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

 

Ohio scores well but Michigan rates poorly in a libertarian think tank's cost-effectiveness analysis of the 50 states' highway networks for 2005 that is to be issued today.

 

Using pavement condition, financial, and accident data the states report to the Federal Highway Administration, the Reason Foundation said Ohio has the 16th most effective highway maintenance and improvement program, while Michigan's was ranked 42nd.

 

.......

 

Contact David Patch at:

[email protected]

or 419-724-6094.

ODOT chief: State has highway projects planned it cannot afford

BY MARGARET A. MCGURK | [email protected]

 

Ohio has promised $1.2 billion of road projects it cannot afford, the new head of the Ohio Department of Transportation told local officials and business leaders Friday.

 

James G. Beasley noted the deficit is another $7 billion for projects without financial commitments, including the Brent Spence Bridge that carries Interstates 71 and 75 across the Ohio River. Early estimates top $3 billion for that project alone.

 

Aside from the state's own financial pinch, the federal gas-tax trust fund that for decades provided most highway money has nowhere near enough coming any more to pay for all the work states are requesting.

 

........

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070630/NEWS01/706300418/1056/COL02

So Ohio's highway fund is nearly bankrupt, the federal highway fund is going bankrupt and no one wants to raise gasoline taxes...

That's what we do too often in America. We want the best but don't want to pay for it. Then we wonder why, if not complain when we don't get it.

Wow!  Has Beasley been reading the message boards here?!?!?

 

I, along with many others, have used the "Department of Highways" line dozens of times!  :lol:

It's a new day at ODOT.

Thought I'd post this here as well so interested people could find it more easily. This was from another thread that was totally unrelated to transportation:

 

Parking is always going to be an issue because no matter what one does to promote transit, people-in-general prefer private transportation for trips more than a few minutes and less than a few hours long.[/b][/color]

 

Maybe someday our government will promote transit use as much as it does driving. Until a majority of Americans have high-quality transit available to them, asking what mode of travel they prefer is like asking how much orange juice you can get from a bushel of apples!

 

So in case you want to hear a different viewpoint, consider....

 

"The vast majority of American households have at least one car. If the available transit is poor quality, they don’t have to use transit, and most won’t. Here the American Housing Survey has even more interesting news. In 1993, only 28.8% of U.S. households reported that they had satisfactory public transportation available (down from 39.39% in 1983 and 54.52% in 1974, the first year surveyed).17 And here’s the kicker: while annual transit trips per household nationwide remained virtually steady from 1974 to 1993, annual trips per household where satisfactory transit service was available doubled over the same period, from a low of 150 in 1976 to 300 in 1993.18 What has held down transit ridership is not unwillingness to use satisfactory transit, but its declining availability. In fact, the 1993 AHS Supplement indicates a virtual one-for-one correlation between households having satisfactory transit and households using that transit at least weekly."

-- Does Transit Work? A Conservative Reassessment, Free Congress Foundation

 

Here's a couple of examples of what happens if high-quality transit (especially rail transit) is available where people live and work...

 

"More jobs are concentrated in downtown Chicago than anywhere in the region, and more than half a million people commute to those jobs every day.… More than 1.1 million trips are made each day to Chicago’s central area…. Between 50 and 60 percent of trips made to the CBD are on transit (emphasis added)."

--CBD Transit Market Strategies Study, prepared for RTA by Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Inc., March 1997

 

 

"In the heavily developed area of the city (of Washington DC) and its immediate suburbs, the use of MetroRail travel has been increasing faster than automobile travel, while the use of such automobile-oriented solutions to traffic congestion, such as HOVs, has been declining. This proves that when transit facilities are available along corridors with concentrated development, transit ridership grows. It also provides some useful insights as to how future growth and revitalization efforts in Fairfax County and adjoining jurisdictions need to occur. In short, there is a need for more high quality public mass transit, not less.

 

"To update the Washington Post survey of December 9, 1995, the COG’s Transportation Planning Board (TRB) reported in its January TPB News that 37% of the citizens want improvement and expansion of the MetroRail system, 25% want road improvements, 16% prefer general public transit improvements, and 10% prefer buses. Twelve percent did not express a clear preference. In this survey, no double counting was permitted, but the ranking was the same as in the Washington Post’s earlier scientific public opinion poll taken in 1995."

-- Fairfax Coalition for Smarter Growth, Inc., May 9, 2000

And numbers such as KJP just quoted also allow developers to reconsidered the parking needs of what they build: perhaps not totally eliminating parking, but at least reducing the "footprint" they traditionally believe is needed for parking.

 

With a few exceptions, most of the downtown housing being built in Columbus currently has very limited space for parking, because the assumptions have changed: buyers are likely going to be people who either walk, bike or use transit to get to their jobs.

 

Having heard ODOT Director Beasley speak and knowing the huge financial hole left to him by the previous ODOT administration, he is looking for ways to reduce the need for new road construction (as stated above).  But he is also aiming at upgrading the state's commitment to rail, transit and bike/ped friendly projects: modes that were greatly downgraded by former ODOT Director Proctor.

25 mph in Medina too slow for ODOT

Rena A. Koontz

Plain Dealer

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

 

Medina -- Local drivers may soon find themselves living life in the fast lane.

 

The city's efforts to slow traffic on a key route leading to the city square could end up backfiring and costing it 25-mph speed limits enforced for a decade on four other streets in the area. The reason: These are state-regulated roads and Ohio set the speed at 35 mph.

 

The revelation could jeopardize some speeding tickets written along all these routes.

 

.........

Letter to the editor from Columbus advertising excutive Artie Isaac.  I know Artie very well and he a genuinely committed user of public transit, bicycles and an advocate for more and better transportation options.

 

Lengthy commutes waste money, time

Sunday,  July 22, 2007 3:49 AM

 

 

Are we driving ourselves to death? The June 30 Dispatch article "Ohio's highways improving, study says" reported, "It takes William Kline roughly 80 minutes to make the 73-mile commute from his home in Tipp City to his job in Dublin. That's a lot better than when he lived in New York and it took roughly the same amount of time to make a 45-mile commute to his job in Tarrytown, located north of New York City."

 

Just exactly how is that better? Sure, it's more miles for his 80 minutes, but driving 80 minutes to work (whether one covers 73 or 45 miles) is failure. At 30 miles per $2.75 gallon, Kline must spend more than $3,300 in gas as he logs 36,000 miles each year for commuting in his vehicle. But the toll is not just economic and ecological.

 

Kline's life is more precious than this. He could volunteer in his community, honor his loved ones, exercise or read during those 13 hours per week. What a waste!

 

Of course, he's simply doing what seems normal in America, especially for those of us who have lived in New York, Atlanta or Los Angeles. It's time for all of us to rethink how we spend our time and resources.

 

ARTIE ISAAC

Columbus

 

http://dispatch.com/dispatch/content/editorials/stories/2007/07/22/Isaac_ART_07-22-07_G4_FP7AMOP.html

His car will get better gas mileage in the 73 mile/80 min commute than the 45 mile/80 min commute. Gas mileage peaks at 55 mph, and there's probably less starting and stopping.

But the writer is saying he will burn less gas if he lives 5-10 miles from work and drives everyday. He will burn even less gas if he lives 5-10 miles from work and takes the bus. And he will burn no gas if he rides his bike most days and/or telecommutes on bad weather days.

 

Here's an ODOT/USDOT policy thread issue: an income-tax deduction on commuting distance tied to oil industry subsidies. We subsidize the oil industry to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars per year (I forget the exact amount but can look it up if pressed), with those subsidies paid out of income taxes every April 15. But if there was an index for the federal government to use based on earners taking a larger income tax deduction based on fewer commuting miles and/or mode of commute, that index could be applied to reducing the amount of federal subsidy to the oil industry.

 

The subsidy equates to increasing the price of gasoline $1 to $2 per gallon. Of course, the simple answer is to eliminate the subsidy and restore some sense of the free market to transportation and land use decisionmaking. But the trend has been for Congress to make the tax structure more complicated -- and how many of them will vote to eliminate subsidies for gasoline when they believe the price is already much too high?!?