By Erica Spaid Patras, Jason Warner, and Maria Walliser-Wejebe
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law last November. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan provides funding for everything from broadband to roads and bridges, allocating money directly to the state Department of Transportation and regional planning agencies, while offering opportunities for local governments to apply directly for new federal grant dollars. As newly appropriated funds start flowing, GOPC has once again prepared principles to help ODOT, MPOs and Ohio’s legacy cities and communities fully utilize from these dollars.
Prioritize maintenance and repair over projects that add new capacity. Ohio has 123,297 miles of roadway - more than half the distance between the Earth and the Moon. To say that our traditional transportation system is “built out” would be an understatement. Recent studies and even statements by ODOT make it clear that Ohio has a backlog of maintenance projects that must be addressed (a certain bridge in Southern Ohio comes to mind). It is vital that to ensure the money from the IIJA is properly invested, priority must be given to projects that do not result in added capacity to existing infrastructure and instead make necessary repairs and improvements to roadways that either improve safety or accommodate multi-modal users.
Invest in existing infrastructure and existing places (rather than sprawl). For nearly 70 years, Ohio’s metropolitan regions have grown outward, dissipating populations that were previously concentrated in a more densely-populated urban core. At the same time, Ohio has hundreds of cities and villages with historic architecture, solid homes, and walkable neighborhoods. This expansion has come at the expense of Ohio’s open and green spaces. New and expanded roadways spread residents and businesses over farther distances, which in turn raises maintenance costs and dilutes economic activity. IIJA funding presents an opportunity to address the impacts land use has on our transportation network statewide by embracing a new funding framework that prioritizes a diversified transportation network that accommodates users of all modes, invests in broadband, sewer/water, streetscaping of existing places to keep them vibrant for existing residents and potential new residents. Limit (ideally, avoid) investing in new development and deprioritize added new road capacity that will add to long term maintenance costs (more on this in Principle No. 5).
Cities should proactively plug IIJA funds into existing plans to achieve the community’s vision faster than had been expected. Quantitatively and qualitatively, the strongest performing cities in Ohio have visions; they bend new funds to their needs. They do not change course every time new funding opportunities appear. Assuming that the plan still makes sense (see Principle No. 4, below), cities should invest in existing projects or long-planned priorities before making decisions to jump into new projects that have not been well-articulated or thoughtfully considered.
Don’t assume long-dormant projects are still relevant now that funds are available. When reviewing projects that may be “dusted off” now that record funding will be available for infrastructure projects, it is important that planners and engineers ask one very important question first: “Is this project still relevant to our long-term plans and vision?” Before moving on dormant major projects, communities should take some time to reexamine previous assumptions or priorities that may have changed over time. Many projects that have been sitting “on ice” for the better part of a decade may no longer be necessary or fit into the long-term plans of a community or be as relevant as they were 10-15 years ago. Alternatives to projects that were first developed should also be considered (such as transit projects, active transportation alternatives, etc.).
Be aware of the long-term cost of infrastructure projects. Most new Infrastructure projects are not one-time expenses. They require constant maintenance so they can remain functioning. It is important to remember that approximately half of all funding included in the IIJA is one-time funding, so budgeting for the long-term cost of maintenance of any new projects a community chooses to invest in will be important to ensure that the project does not become a drain on future budgets. Prioritizing maintenance over new projects is a way to not create additional, long-term maintenance commitments.
Plan and prepare to compete for discretionary grants. IIJA includes approximately $1 in discretionary grant funding for every $3 in formula funding. Given the five-year time frame for disbursement of funds under the IIJA, priorities on the types of projects that are funded could change, both in Congress and in the U.S. Department of Transportation. Having good plans that will make meaningful investments will be key to ensure projects are funded.
a. Look for opportunities for alignment to maximize/multiply the impact of a project. Local governments should coordinate with others in their region in order to achieve the most “bang for the buck”. Cities, counties, either through MPOs and RTPOs, or working directly, should look at what projects may jointly benefit their communities
b. Capacity building for disinvested communities - both public and private: Capacity building is the process by which organizations obtain, improve, and retain the skills, knowledge, and tools needed to do their jobs competently. The state needs to assist legacy cities through staff and funding allocations for technical assistance so that all communities in Ohio have a chance to become vibrant, prosperous and connected places—making them poised to compete in the global marketplace. Likewise, regional entities can facilitate collaboration between groups with the necessary capacity to compete for discretionary grants and smaller, less-capable peers, to gain not only the funds, but the skills necessary to be competitive for grants in the future.
Be transparent about how the money will be used and how funding decisions were made. Tying funding decisions to clear community priorities and community plans make it easier for everyone to understand why some programs or ideas are funded and others are not. Clearly spell out how funding decisions are in support of a community priority to limit confusion.
Invest in more than single-occupancy vehicle infrastructure projects - like transit. IIJA funding should be invested in planning and development of modern, sustainable and multi-modal transportation systems that are and can be adaptable to all types of users. Development of alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles to get to and from destinations, such as biking, walking and transit, lessens roadway usage, helping to preserve existing systems and offering more choice to residents and visitors.
Embrace opportunities present to invest in and improve Ohio rail services. Cleveland has the largest, and oldest, existing localized transit rail service in Ohio and needs significant improvements to meet the needs of riders of both necessity and choice. Likewise, Cincinnati - which has recently invested in light rail - has existing challenges that IIJA can help to address. Additionally, the significant investment made by IIJA in Amtrak presents an opportunity to improve first-mile/last-mile connections and expand rail service along Ohio’s existing lines.
Utilize IIJA to begin rectifying inequities. IIJA provides a unique opportunity to address inequalities made worse by previous highway construction that have hampered the connectivity of communities, including affecting their economic development. While $1 billion has been set-aside for the new Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, the state can complement the goals of this program through increasing allocations to like programs and providing technical assistance to help local governments compete for federal grant funds.
Be bold about planning for extreme weather events and the reduction of greenhouse gasses. IIJA represents a once-in-a-generation infusion of infrastructure funding with climate change resiliency as a central tenet of the legislation. The federal government has made reducing GHG a priority, and it would be a waste not to respond in accordance with this and get plans in place. The state and local governments should incorporate this ideology into their plans to be competitive for discretionary funds both from IIJA as well as future, ongoing infrastructure funding. The EV Charging Formula Program, the Charging and Refueling Infrastructure Grant Program, and more present funding opportunities to get started.