I'd say that about sums it up!

KJP, wasn't that map based on what someone else made earlier? It is fantastic, but it is important to note that not all routes in 2009 are dailies. The Cardinal that runs between Cincinnati and Ashland (the two destinations I'd use the most) only has three-day a week service, which is insufficient. I drive between that distance in 2 hours, yet it would take 4 hours via a train, and then I'd have to take an extra day off from work because of the (lack of) service.

I developed those maps as part of an All Aboard Ohio report I wrote and was issued in early December. But since not everyone may be interested in downloading the report, I pulled the maps out to make them more accessible and available.

 

Conveying the frequency and quality of transportation services isn't the purpose of the map. And not all transportation services in 1979 were daily either. Such as the bus route east from Cleveland through my former hometown of Chagrin Falls to Warren and points east (State College, PA, etc) ran less than daily -- I think it was four days per week. And I suspect some of the other lines on that map represented less-than-daily bus services.

Draft of the Statewide Rail Plan was released today:

 

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Rail/Programs/StatewideRailPlan/Pages/default.aspx

Here's a blast from the past:

 

While looking at a back issue of the OARP (now All Aboard Ohio) newsletter from 1984, I came a across a tidbit that speaks volumes as to why we are where we are today.

 

According to the newsletter, on Feb. 15, 1984, the Ohio House passed a bill which would allow the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) to loan ODOT $10 million in transit money. The reason? ODOT wanted to money as a state share to build I-670 between downtown and the airport, because it did not have a state match for federal highway funds for this project.

 

Governor Celeste objected to this idea, not because it siphoned money from transit users in favor of cars, but because he wanted the money to be a gift instead of a loan! He wanted the money but didn't want to pay it back! This no doubt happened, since I-670 was indeed built shortly after that. It was evident that all the key "decision-makers" were already in favor of this, never mind that transit riders were being shafted.

 

Such was the state of transportation decision making in Ohio in 1984. I now know what the name "Ohio" really means:

 

On Highways & Interstates Only!!!

House OKs formation of regional authorities

By JIM PROVANCE

BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF

 

COLUMBUS - The Ohio House yesterday overwhelmingly voted to authorize regional agencies that would have the power to impose tolls or share tax revenue to make priority roads, interchanges, bridges, and other transportation projects a reality.

 

But first, lawmakers had to get beyond a skirmish between urban centers and suburban and rural areas over a last-minute provision that would give preference to areas that have roads, water, and sewer infrastructure in place.

 

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100121/NEWS24/1210373/0/OPINION03

An excerpt from the newly released "Restoring Prosperity" report by Greater Ohio and The Brookings Institute:

 

Maximizing the impact of the state’s infrastructure is an important part of increasing the state’s ability to transition to the next economy, as the state needs new transportation networks and multimodal freight facilities to get state-manufactured goods to international markets. Moreover, the type of infrastructure people use to get from place to place will also have an effect on the global challenge of climate change, which has quickly emerged as the main environmental problem linked to transportation.

 

Ohio’s current pattern of infrastructure spending by and large is not keeping up with the changing needs of the economy. While the state has made some promising moves in the direction of a wider range of transportation infrastructure, the state must go still further and create a new transportation strategy that enables more transportation options and positions the state for a low-carbon future, through the following steps:

 

Elevate “fix-it-first” as the central principle guiding transportation investment decisions

 

Analyze and track ODOT investment decisions on the basis of greatest returns on investment

 

Create a state-wide sustainability challenge competition

 

Change how infrastructure gets funded in Ohio in order to support transformative investments

 

Full report at:

http://greaterohio.org/files/quick-downloads/restoring-prosperity-report.pdf

Good report. The ODOT recommendations are the same as what I've been preaching more and more -- stop making investment decisions wholly on the basis of traffic engineering, but on the basis of economic return and environmental impact. Making investments on long-term (decades?) criteria like net job creation and net wealth creation within a metro area, air quality contribution, energy efficiency, etc. would result in us making very different investment choices than simply moving more vehicles around more safely at higher speeds.

The new draft TRAC list was released today...Cincinnati streetcar folks should be encouraged.

 

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/trac/Pages/Default.aspx

^ "Cincinnati Fourth Main Rail and Cincinnati Union Terminal"  Good news!

This is a bit humorous. I didn't realize we were so scary! 

__________________

 

http://209.235.208.145/cgi-bin/WebSuite/tcsAssnWebSuite.pl?Action=DisplayNewsDetails&RecordID=1081&Sections=1&IncludeDropped=0&AssnID=OTA&DBCode=10451

 

03/05/2010

OTA JOINS COALITION TO FIGHT GAS TAX DIVERSION

 

With all the recent frenzy and federal funding of the proposed passenger rail line connecting Ohio’s biggest cities, you knew it eventually had to happen. There is a new group out there that are plotting to change Ohio’s constitution by removing the provision that requires state fuel tax dollars to go to the state’s roads and bridges. They are “Save Transit Now, Move Ohio Forward” and the group is composed of the Ohio Apollo Alliance, Policy Matters Ohio, All Aboard Ohio, and the Ohio Environmental Council.

 

The group’s intent is to use gas tax, vehicle registration and other user fees for mass transit and rail. It is OTA’s understanding that once the requirement is removed from the Constitution, the group will go for a fuel tax increase of ten to twenty cents per gallon dedicated to their purposes.

 

OTA, along with other associations like the Ohio Contractors, are forming a coalition to do whatever is necessary to prevent this amendment from passing. Initially, our coalition will be visiting editorial boards to educate state newspapers and other media as to the importance of this provision remaining in the Constitution. We will be monitoring the process by which Save Transit Now tries to put their initiative on the ballot, then become part of the opposition to the issue campaign when it arises. We’ve heard that this could be a battle for 2012, however it could arise at any time.

 

Watch for information in future issues of News Briefs. When this issue comes to a head we’ll need the widest possible effort to defeat it and protect the huge investment of tax dollars our industry makes for the betterment of the roads and bridges we use.

Ha!  As if fuel is only purchased for use on roadways.  Here's an idea -- change the constitution so that roadway maintenance costs must be borne entirely by fuel taxes, registration fees and user fees!

If gas taxes can only be used to fund roads... then roads should only be funded by gas taxes.  In other words, the tax needs to be raised so that roads require no additional subsidies from other sources.

If gas taxes can only be used to fund roads... then roads should only be funded by gas taxes. In other words, the tax needs to be raised so that roads require no additional subsidies from other sources.

Can't you use the same argument regarding other forms of transit?

 

The fact is, while this sounds appealing, it would make the cost of doing business go up ridiculously. Remember what gas prices were doing to the cost of goods, prior to the recession?

 

That is not to say that this isn't a noble goal. I think the correct way to pursue this, policy-wise, is to incentivize using the true-value cheapest mode of transport, and slowly increase the user-funded proportion of road costs. Eventually, you may have a self-supporting auto system. Or (most likely, IMO) you might decide that a little subsidy is more beneficial than none at all.

 

Some countries in Europe are discussing using GPS to track the movement of people's cars, so they can charge them per kilometer of road use. I think it's a horrible idea, due to the Big Brother implications, but it's an interesting idea, and an alternative to higher gasoline taxes.

Can't you use the same argument regarding other forms of transit?

 

The fact is, while this sounds appealing, it would make the cost of doing business go up ridiculously. Remember what gas prices were doing to the cost of goods, prior to the recession?

 

You would have to trade out one tax for another. For example, if the gas tax goes up at a per-capita level of X, the income tax would have to drop by the same amount.

 

And yes, if the subsidy for driving was eliminated, I would welcome eliminating the subsidy for transit. It would mean an increase in fares (probably a quadrupling), but it would also require eliminating the sales taxes and other funding sources that pay for transit.

 

Some countries in Europe are discussing using GPS to track the movement of people's cars, so they can charge them per kilometer of road use. I think it's a horrible idea, due to the Big Brother implications, but it's an interesting idea, and an alternative to higher gasoline taxes.

 

You don't need GPS to implement a per-mile usage structure. If a taxi's fare meter can calculate your fare without GPS, so can the family car. A "road meter" could be tied into your car's odometer. If you have a low balance on your car's meter, then swipe your debit or credit card through the meter and off you go.

You would have to trade out one tax for another. For example, if the gas tax goes up at a per-capita level of X, the income tax would have to drop by the same amount.

 

And yes, if the subsidy for driving was eliminated, I would welcome eliminating the subsidy for transit. It would mean an increase in fares (probably a quadrupling), but it would also require eliminating the sales taxes and other funding sources that pay for transit.

It would be a major step towards immobilizing the poor, and overall increasing the relative size of our country/world. It would promote density and localizing business. It's hard to predict its effects on costs of goods, and it's definitely a killer for rural folks/farmers. It has pros and cons.

 

You don't need GPS to implement a per-mile usage structure. If a taxi's fare meter can calculate your fare without GPS, so can the family car. A "road meter" could be tied into your car's odometer. If you have a low balance on your car's meter, then swipe your debit or credit card through the meter and off you go.

I think the GPS is their answer to people cheating. Any device like you suggest would be subject to tampering, akin to rolling back an odometer to increase the value of a used car. That isn't to say some hackers won't figure out how to trick the GPS system.

 

http://www.good.is/post/the-dutch-try-a-kilometer-tax/

 

It would be a major step towards immobilizing the poor, and overall increasing the relative size of our country/world. It would promote density and localizing business. It's hard to predict its effects on costs of goods, and it's definitely a killer for rural folks/farmers. It has pros and cons.

 

How would it immobilize the poor? The money they've saved from lower-cost purchases (from having a reduced sales tax) would be available for them to spend on transportation. Yes, I realize many would probably just buy more things and spend less on transportation. But perhaps there could be a program in which overall cost-of-living expenses (including transportation) could be subsidized for a limited period of time, such as TANF. While it wouldn't reduce the transit fare price or reduce the per-mile charge of driving, it would provide an amount of money that the needy person could use to purchase more driving miles or afford more bus/train fares.

 

I'm sure the "road meter" could be subject to tampering. Make the penalty for it harsh enough that people would think twice -- such as a $500 fine for the first offense and forfeiting their car for the second offense!

I guess the question is: would sales tax really be lowered enough to offset the increased cost of transportation for the poor? If the majority/entirety of the cuts come from sales taxes, that may be a possibility. Although, it seems to me that a significant percentage of poor people's income may go to untaxed goods (like food, or in some states clothes), so their potential for savings is less.

 

I also think the cost of food would rise significantly, as there's a lot of transportation involved in getting food from farms to stores. Especially if the cuts are made to sales tax, and not to taxes which affect businesses on a grander scale.

All are likely outcomes. And some may be good. Maybe Americans wouldn't eat so much, or require food be shipped so far (average is 1,000 miles), or promote more urban farms. If America could produce 40 percent of its food from victory gardens in World War II, why not now? Why not more?

I'm not saying it's a terrible idea. I think it should be explored, and like I said it would produce a lot of positive outcomes. Many or all of the "negative" outcomes may only be considered negative in that they make our current way of doing things unfeasible.

 

I saw on someone's blog recently that an urban lifestyle really doesn't cut down much on someone's carbon footprint, because most of one's carbon footprint comes from goods they consume, rather than their own transportation. (Makes sense.) It was from some Australian study. Here's a link to the blog:

http://www.humantransit.org/2010/03/does-highdensity-life-have-a-bigger-ecological-footprint-and-why.html

 

I think pretty much everyone on this site recognizes that the government subsidizes (at great cost) some pretty bad behavior, when it comes to transportation. Stepping away from that is good, but then we are confronted with the questions of "how far?", "at what pace?", and more generally "how?". I have a feeling academics, government officials, and lobbyists will be spending a lot of time on this issue in the coming years.

You're probably right.

 

I have a feeling peak oil is going to make a lot more decisions for us, as Mother Nature usually does. We just rent this space from her.

If gas taxes can only be used to fund roads... then roads should only be funded by gas taxes. In other words, the tax needs to be raised so that roads require no additional subsidies from other sources.

Can't you use the same argument regarding other forms of transit?

 

If we are going to admit that gas taxes don't cover the cost of roads, let's admit that all forms of transportation are subsidized and come up with a better plan.  What about having equal amounts of funding for roads and mass transit.... and then everything else over that amount must be covered by other sources (gas taxes for roads, fares for transit).

Cross-posted from the Lorain County Transit thread.....

 

LEAP forms LCT coalition: Grassroots effort garnering support for public transportation funding

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

 

By KELLY METZ

[email protected]

 

LORAIN — Officials with Linking Employment Abilities and Potential in Lorain County are trying to start a Lorain County Transit coalition of community members, residents and citizens who are affected by the loss of Lorain County Transit, Deborah Nebel, of LEAP, said.

 

“To me, it’s trying to bring the situation to the grassroots level and building local interest to educate the public and educate public policy makers on the need to invest in public transportation,” said Nebel, director of public policy.

 

The first organizational meeting for the new coalition is Thursday at 10 a.m. at the First Lutheran Church, 603 Washington Ave., Lorain.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2010/04/13/news/mj2589804.prt

Redirected from the 3C dicussion.....

 

I have a better metric: If you spend $X on a given transportation project, what is the economic return on investment? What should be counted in that return?

 

We spend too much money on moving more vehicles around without having any idea on what the actual economic benefit of that is. If you recall from your economics 101, there is a diseconomies of scale, when something becomes so large that it is no longer efficient and further expansion creates more costs than benefits.

 

Where are we with our various transportatin systems in that regard?

 

Are they too small achieve economies scale and need expansion to be most efficient, right at the sweet spot of being the right size to yield the maximum benefit, or too large and bloated thereby needing to be scaled back?

While this is a Washington state lawsuit, it's worth watching to see what, if any impact it might have on Ohio....

 

Highways a la Mode

David Jackson

May 3, 2010 | 5:35 pm

 

If a state gas tax is dedicated to “highway purposes,” can you build light rail on Interstate lanes presumably funded with said tax?

 

We’ll find out in Washington state, where a prominent developer is suing the state over the question.

 

At issue is whether the Puget Sound regional transportation agency can build light rail on the HOV express lanes of the Interstate 90 floating bridge over Lake Washington (yes, it floats and it sank once) in order to connect the job rich Eastside (Microsoft, Expedia, etc.) with Seattle proper and its scads of commuters both traditional and reverse

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-avenue/highways-la-mode

OHIO HOUSE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMITTEE

 

Tue., May. 11, 2010, 4:00 PM, Hearing Room 121

 

SB116  RAILROADS (BUEHRER S) To authorize the PUCO to hear complaints, regarding a railroad's failure to properly sustain certain areas near its tracks and to authorize forfeiture for noncompliance and to update certain provisions of law governing railroads.

 

            Second Hearing, Proponent Testimony

 

 

OHIO SENATE HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

 

Wed., May. 12, 2010, 3:30 PM, South Hearing Room

 

SB179  AMERICAN RECOVERY/REINVESTMENT FUNDS (GRENDELL T) To prohibit spending American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds on signs that identify the source of specific project funding and to declare an emergency.

 

            Second Hearing, All Testimony, POSSIBLE VOTE

___________________

 

BTW, regarding SB116, the freight railroads in Ohio rightfully don't like it. Gee, I thought the Republicans were supposed to be pro-business?

 

Perhaps Rep. Bob Hagan should add identical language to the bill that punishes highway contractors for leaving their equipment overnight at job sites and have unsightly work staging areas that are visible to passing motorists.

So Ohio hasn't had a problem with spending $18.5 million a year so there's a place for us to pull off the road and pee or nap, but isn't willing to spend $17 million on the 3C so that there's a way for me to avoid the road while peeing and napping enroute?

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/06/roadside_rest_areas_may_one_da.html

Ohio transportation officials working hard to find new revenue for roadside rest areas

 

 

Karen Farkas, The Plain Dealer

 

For more than 50 years, almost as long as interstate highways have existed, motorists have stopped at roadside rest areas to eat, stretch their legs and use the bathroom.

 

But many cash-strapped state transportation departments, which operate and maintain the rest stops, are finding it increasingly hard to keep those areas open.

 

So Ohio, like some other states, is considering selling advertising in rest area buildings to generate revenue.

 

...

Ohio is keeping its 107 rest areas open, even though maintaining them costs $18.5 million a year, according to Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Varner

....

 

I remember when the US 23 Lucasville rest area was outhouses up until 1995. Those were disgusting and there were three of them to choose from. It was a huge deal when those were flattened for a new indoor facility, and the signage had the word "MODERN" tacked on the top for about 10 years because it was such a huge change.

 

Ohio's rest areas are quite interesting. I've encountered them on many back roads -- like SR 140 and 93, and they have been a welcome relief for me. Some of the outhouses are decidedly more modern than others -- SR 93's north of Ironton has an indoor outhouse facility with vents. US 52's Sandy Spring's outhouse is primitive at best. They make me depend less on gas stations and McDonald's, especially in areas where there are none.

They could use the median in some area's for a rest stop area. I see it all the time on toll roads. Basically the businesses there pay for it.

I like the old rest areas. I was disappointed when they turned one of the last awesome '30-'50s ones (which was on OH 28 between Cincinnati and Chillicothe) into a local park. There's still quite a few of the mid '80s non flush toilet ones around -- a couple on US50, one on 93 north of Ironton and one on 78 west of Woodsfield immediately come to mind. They're the ones with concrete buildings. You still get to use the sweet hand pump water fountains at 'em as well. I'm a total guy.

Part One of an interview with ODOT Director Jolene Molitoris.  Courtesy Columbus Underground

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/odot-interview-with-jolene-molitoris-3c-corridor

 

The interview ranges from the 3C passenger rail plan to highways.

FYI.......

 

2010 Candidate Forum

August 4, 2010

 

TransportationMATTERS, the Ohio Association of Regional Councils (OARC), Ohio Economic Development Association (OEDA),  and Women in Transportation (WTS, Columbus Chapter), The American Planning Association Ohio Chapter (APA OH) and The Ohio Public Transit Association (OPTA) will host a 2010 Gubernatorial & U.S. Senate Candidate Event.

 

August 4 at the Hilton Hotel at Easton in Columbus

10am to 4pm with registration beginning at 9am

$50 per person until July 15, $60 per person after July 15th

 

Candidates Lee Fisher, John Kasich and Rob Portman have  confirmed their attendance at the forum. Governor Ted Strickland is trying to rearrange his schedule to participate.  All have been invited to share their platforms related to Job Creation, Economic Development, Transportation and Infrastructure.

To Register go to: https://www.formstack.com/forms/?963522-JFAS864a0A

Register by July 15th before the price goes up to $60!

We look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions, please contact Beth Easterday at [email protected]

 

 

www.transportation-matters.org

Note the last line posted. If true fiscal conservatives don't scream like hell that this will bankrupt the state like they have about the $17 million for 3C trains, then their motivations (and the names of their puppet masters) will become much clearer...

 

Ohio seeks heavier freight trucks to spur exports

By MATT LEINGANG, The Associated Press

Updated 2:48 PM Thursday, August 19, 2010

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Ted Strickland's administration wants certain freight trucks to carry heavier loads on highways so that Ohio farmers and manufacturers can increase exports, a policy change unpopular with critics who say the added weight would further damage roads.

 

The plan, pushed by agriculture lobbyists to help spur corn and soybean exports, puts state transportation officials in a delicate position of balancing economic interests with the struggle to maintain Ohio's highways.

 

Overweight trucks carrying items such as construction equipment or other freight cause about $144 million in pavement damage to Ohio highways each year, according to a 2009 study by the state Department of Transportation. The trucking industry only partly covers that cost, paying about $97 million in taxes and overweight fees, leaving taxpayers to cover a $45 million shortfall.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/ohio-news/ohio-seeks-heavier-freight-trucks-to-spur-exports-869891.html?cxtype=rss_ohio-news

FYI.......

 

2010 Candidate Forum

August 4, 2010

 

TransportationMATTERS, the Ohio Association of Regional Councils (OARC), Ohio Economic Development Association (OEDA), and Women in Transportation (WTS, Columbus Chapter), The American Planning Association Ohio Chapter (APA OH) and The Ohio Public Transit Association (OPTA) will host a 2010 Gubernatorial & U.S. Senate Candidate Event.

 

August 4 at the Hilton Hotel at Easton in Columbus

10am to 4pm with registration beginning at 9am

$50 per person until July 15, $60 per person after July 15th

 

Candidates Lee Fisher, John Kasich and Rob Portman have confirmed their attendance at the forum. Governor Ted Strickland is trying to rearrange his schedule to participate. All have been invited to share their platforms related to Job Creation, Economic Development, Transportation and Infrastructure.

To Register go to: https://www.formstack.com/forms/?963522-JFAS864a0A

Register by July 15th before the price goes up to $60!

We look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions, please contact Beth Easterday at [email protected]

 

 

www.transportation-matters.org

 

Here's a chance for all of us to show up with a strong voice for passenger rail and make it clear that our votes depend on the answers these candidates give.

It says it was August 4. What happened?

To those who would say ODOT is not "walking the walk" when it comes to an intermodal transportation strategy, I would submit the following...there are several 3c-related and transit-related items...

 

ODOT seeks New Federal Funds for Transportation Projects of the Future

TIGER II Grant Requests include Electric Cars, Aerospace Runway and Ohio River Ports

 

COLUMBUS (Wednesday, August 25, 2010) - Electric cars, a new runway for landing futuristic aerospace equipment, and access to new jobs along the Ohio River - those are three of the 12 projects the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is hoping will receive funding through a new stream of federal transportation dollars.

 

ODOT is seeking a share of $600 million in new federal funds appropriated by the U.S. Department of Transportation for its TIGER II Discretionary Grants program. This new federal funding is similar to the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery - or “TIGER grants” - authorized under the Recovery Act.

 

“This money will go to the kinds of projects that will help spur lasting economic growth, reduce gridlock, provide safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable transportation choices and create jobs,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood when he announced the program earlier this year.

 

“We selected projects based on their ability to create jobs, leverage new private sector investment, and further transform Ohio into a premier national and global logistics location,” said ODOT Director Jolene M. Molitoris. “We also selected projects that will give Ohio’s citizens and business multi-modal transportation choice to help Ohio retain the next generation of young professionals and job creators,” added Director Molitoris.

 

While no one state can receive more than 25 percent of program funds, ODOT is supporting several applications totaling more than $259 million in requests. Those applications are:

 

Electrifying Ohio's Transportation System - a $12.3 million request to develop an Ohio electrical vehicle infrastructure readiness plan with local governments, including deploying 106 plug-in electric vehicles and 118 charging stations.

 

NASA Plum Brook Station Intermodal Facility - a $60 million request to construct a 9,000 foot-long runway to support new aerospace testing at the NASA facility and attract sustainable, high-tech jobs to Erie County.

 

Leipsic/Putnam County Road Widening - an $11.3 million request to widen County Road 5 in Putnam County to provide better access to the Iron Highway Industrial Park, a 244-acre industrial site in Leipsic served by three rail providers.

 

Akron Main Street/Broadway Street Interchange - a $55 million joint request with the City of Akron to reconstruct this high-volume interchange and increase access to nearby businesses, improve safety and reduce congestion for local drivers.

 

Springfield State Route 794 Relocation - a $3.8 million request to realign SR 794 to accommodate job growth at the Ohio Air National Guard Base, a major military unit and vital component of the area’s economy.

 

Ohio Energy and Transit Opportunity Districts - a $1.2 million joint request with the Ohio Department of Development to assist local communities in planning activities near the state’s eight proposed 3C “Quick Start” Passenger Rail Stations.

 

City of Columbus Rail Station - a $20.2 million joint request with the City of Columbus to construct supporting infrastructure (pedestrian and bicycle facilities, parking facility, bus transit shelters, and lighting) for the city’s 3C “Quick Start” Passenger Rail station.

 

Springfield Downtown Intermodal Facility - a $16.4 million request to build an intermodal facility in downtown Springfield to serve local transit routes, bike trails, and regional rail service, including the city’s 3C “Quick Start” Passenger Rail station.

 

Cincinnati Streetcar - a $35 million request to assist with funding the City of Cincinnati’s historic streetcar project that would connect the city’s two largest employment centers with electric streetcars.

 

Future Phases of the Columbus I-70/I-71 Modernization - a $15 million request to assist with funding for the detailed design and construction plans for later phases of the reconstruction of the I-70/I-71 interchange through downtown Columbus.

 

South Point Intermodal River Port - a $16.2 million request to make improvements to the South Point intermodal facility along the Ohio River in Lawrence County, with dock improvements, new overhead bridge crane, supporting road infrastructure, and new railroad line connections.

 

Washington County Multi-Modal Freight Facility - a $12.5 million request to re-establish abandoned rail lines and connect this Ohio River port near Marietta to an active CSX freight rail line, thus eliminating the need to offload freight from barges to a truck for a one-mile trip to the rail line.

 

Additional TIGER II Grant requests have been submitted to the USDOT by several local municipalities and transportation partners. These 11 projects represent the state’s official submissions by ODOT.

 

Competition is expected to be intense for these limited federal funds, with all 50 states eligible for these grants. The U.S. DOT is expected to announce the projects that have been selected to receive these grants after mid-September.

 

###

 

Copies of the TIGER II applications can be found online at www.dot.state.oh.us

For more information contact: Scott Varner, ODOT Central Office Communications, at 614-644-8640

or your local ODOT District Public Information Office.

 

So is ODOT in northeast Ohio just worthless?

Not knowing what NE Ohio communities submitted anything, thats hard to say.

 

But I am aware that Lorain County submitted a TIGER II grant application for the next phase of the West Shore Corridor commuter rail project.... and the City of Cleveland has also reportedly submitted a grant application (TIGER II as well) for the design of a new Lake Front Intermodal Transportation Center at the site of the current GCRTA Waterfront station and the nearby Amtrak station. 

^^ Well Akron i seeking $55mil for an update on I-76, I'm guessing, which is a 50+yr old piece of highway.  Also the Plum Brook facility is looking for $60 mil which isn't too far from Cleveland..

Not knowing what NE Ohio communities submitted anything, thats hard to say.

 

But I am aware that Lorain County submitted a TIGER II grant application for the next phase of the West Shore Corridor commuter rail project.... and the City of Cleveland has also reportedly submitted a grant application (TIGER II as well) for the design of a new Lake Front Intermodal Transportation Center at the site of the current GCRTA Waterfront station and the nearby Amtrak station. 

 

So how does this work, does ODOT do it for the whole state, or ODOT does some of it, and local governments do others?

It's a mix of what ODOT has through the TRAC process (Transportation Review Advisory Council) and then what other communities seek on their own.

Akron Metro also may have submitted for Hudson-Akron-Goodyear commuter rail. SARTA may have submitted for a BRT from downtown Canton to the east side and possibly BRTs from downtown west to Massillon and north to Belden Village. Notices of these potential submissions were sent prior to the "soft deadline" July 26, but I don't know if full applications were sent prior to the USDOT's "hard deadline" last week.

 

I'd like to have an inventory of all these, as the number/amount of rail/transit submissions are a measure of demand for such funding.

Ohio has the same constitutional prohibition against using road taxes for anything other roads. Even though 8.5 percent of Ohio households have no car, less than 1 percent of ODOT funding goes to public transit -- including transit vehicles that use Ohio's roads. So is someone who is disabled and cannot drive being discriminated against? We have gone to great lengths to make facilities and vehicles ADA accessible, while cutting public funding for transit and thereby offering fewer and fewer transportation services to reach those facilities. So what does it matter if disabled persons can enter a facility if they cannot travel to it? Does this violate the spirit of ADA and the civil rights law?

_______________

 

Does our transportation funding

violate the Civil Rights Act?

 

Let’s start with a provocation: Washington State’s 18th Amendment violates the United States Civil Rights Act of 1964, perpetuating discrimination in the state’s transportation system.

 

Passed in the post-War era, the 18th Amendment is focused tightly on how Washington state will allocate it’s gas taxes. It states:

 

“All fees collected by the State of Washington as license fees for motor vehicles and all excise taxes collected by the State of Washington on the sale, distribution or use of motor vehicle fuel and all other state revenue intended to be used for highway purposes.”

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.greatcity.org/2010/09/08/does-our-transportation-funding-violate-the-civil-rights-act/

I was just digging through old files trying to find something and came across this. It's not yet a year old but bears remembering (especially the 1979 vs 2009 comparison maps)....

 

http://freepdfhosting.com/b4e4b9f05c.pdf

Out with the new....in with the old....

 

Jerry Wray set to return as Ohio transportation director

Written by

KENT MALLETT

Advocate Reporter

 

NEWARK - Jerry Wray of Newark, former

director of the Ohio Department of

Transportation, will return to his former

post next year.

 

Gov.-elect John Kasich will announce this

morning that Wray is his choice for ODOT

director, according to a source in the

governor-elect's office.

 

The announcement is scheduled for 10:30

a.m. today in the Licking County Common

Pleas courtroom in the Licking County

Courthouse

 

Full story at: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20101130/NEWS01/101130004/Jerry-Wray-set-to-return-as-Ohio-transportation-director?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

From an old article once posted at http://www.cleveland.com/ohio/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1167557618243720.xml&coll=2 but the entire article can still be found online at the link below...

 

Gas-tax increase fuels ODOT building boom

Sunday, December 31, 2006

Ted Wendling and T.C. Brown

Plain Dealer Bureau

 

...Bill Burgett, a former Contractors Association president, discusses his introduction to politics and campaign giving in an autobiographical sketch on Kokosing's Web site:

 

"In 1989, my attention was turned to the political arena when then-Mayor George Voinovich . . . asked our help to get the construction industry involved in his race for the governor of Ohio. . . . These efforts have paid off in helping to develop a consistent flow of funds here in Ohio for our highway system."

 

...(Gov. Taft's ODOT Director) Proctor has long denied that a pay-to- play culture exists at ODOT, insisting through his spokesman that there was nothing unseemly about his decision to co-host an invitation-only "transportation summit" in August with Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell and about 60 ODOT contractors.

 

....Roberts didn't realize it then, but the private-industry proponents were wired into the Taft administration and GOP politics.

 

Clark Street, president of the Contractors Association, had been an ODOT deputy director under fellow Republican Gov. James Rhodes. Jerry Wray, who had been Proctor's boss as ODOT director under Republican Gov. Voinovich, was a vice president at Flexible Pavements of Ohio, the asphalt industry association.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.thetransitcoalition.us/newspdf/ttc20061231a.pdf

oh dear jesus.

oh dear jesus.

 

What he said...

 

 

 

 

 

Incredible.  Just incredible. 

Surprised?

 

You should come see how the asphalt industry is politically connected in Kentucky!