01-03-2025
Air travel, passenger rail among focal points of Ohio transportation budget
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Billions of dollars are going to be spent in the state's two-year transportation budget, and lawmakers are working to decide where all that money goes.
'Even if you don't drive a car, you benefit from good roads and bridges and things like that,' Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said.
'I think it was both parties coming together and deciding to focus on Ohioans, what their needs are, not particular parties or controversial items,' ranking member of the Ohio House Finance Committee Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) said.
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There are still different views on how funds should be spent. Some of it is straight forward, like about $30 million, over two years, to highway safety.
'We're sharpening our pencil and we're trying to say we're not going to spend funds that we don't have to,' Chair of the Ohio House Finance Committee Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) said.
Some of the money is going toward what lawmakers call innovation, including a new Division of Advanced Air Mobility. Representative Bernie Willis (R-Springfield) chairs the Ohio House Transportation Committee. He said a lot of people don't know this, but there are already things like charging stations for electric aircrafts at airports across the state. This division will help build on that momentum.
'These things are happening. They're active,' Willis said. 'And we want to be well ahead of this. And I think this is just a start to try to get the kind of infrastructure support we want for those airports.'
Another new initiative called the Airport Improvement Program will get an estimated $5 million worth of the aircraft fuel sales tax.
'A large amount of dollars toward what are some really large projects at our airports that have been languishing,' Willis.
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Passenger rail is also back in play. This version of the transportation budget puts $50,000 dollars, between two years, toward any costs that may be associated with Ohio rejoining the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact.
'There [are] folks like me who are less interested in talking about the train and other members who are not. So, I think, again, we're trying to come to a product that all members can support,' Stewart said. 'Let's at least take a baby step here, let's dip our toe in the water and see what we think.'
The compact does things like advocate for passenger rail funding. Willis said since Ohio left the compact in 2013, attitudes toward mass transit have changed in the state.
'I think everyone's mindset of what does mass transit look like and what are all the modes that we can get and how do we reduce the volume that we already have on our streets and roads? I think it's just another avenue,' he said.
Willis said whether passenger rail is fully included will be a debate, but he is confident it will get to that point.
'I think we're going to get to the point where we will have commercial providers come to us and say, 'the business case is there and we're willing to run that for you,'' Willis said. 'And then it becomes something that's great for those who have disabilities and have limited mobility. I think the passenger rail opens up a lot of opportunities for a lot of people.'
The bill also creates new driver's license requirements. It would change the law for someone applying for a limited term driver's license, which is generally a noncitizen with legal status in Ohio.
'We're going to require them to do what other new drivers have to do in the state of Ohio, which is have in-person experience behind the wheel of 50 hours and also take in-person driver's training,' Stewart said. 'We can't have folks coming here who have no experience with automobiles and walking out in the day behind the wheel.'
While the bill was bipartisan and did not have a single vote against it in the House, Sweeney said they also missed out on something. The Ohio Department of Transportation advocated for a gas tax increase, but Stewart said there is 'no appetite,' for that.
'We're able to meet the needs of Ohio's infrastructure today. But if you talk to the [Ohio Department of Transportation], they say that we are looking at a $300 million hole to meet the transportation needs in the near future,' she said.
The $11.5 billion spending bill passed the Ohio House unanimously on Wednesday and is now in the Ohio Senate for consideration.
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