Last week, the State Controlling Board deferred a request from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) seeking $2.5 million to study expanding tolling on highways beyond the Ohio Turnpike. In response to coverage of this action in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, GOPC submitted the following letter to the editor which we share below.
[On February 2], the independent board that oversees state agency funding deferred ODOT’s request to study road tolling. The board said it wanted to wait till the next Governor takes office.
We commend ODOT for wanting to study new ways of funding Ohio’s roadways. At a cost of $8.83 billion per year, the transportation budget is one of the largest expenditures the state makes annually.
And we commend the Controlling Board for conserving taxpayer dollars and giving the next Governor room to develop their plan to sustainably invest in our transportation system.
While the state’s motor fuel tax (MFT) is providing adequate funds to maintain this system now, collections have not kept up with the rate of inflation. Until the MFT is indexed to inflation, or alternatives identified and approved by the Legislature, ODOT must look for new funds while continuing to efficiently move people and goods with the dollars it has.
Having a strategic, comprehensive plan for how we continue to fund our transportation infrastructure will be an unavoidable priority for the next governor.
No matter how the next Governor plans to fund Ohio’s roadway infrastructure, it only makes sense to prioritize state dollars to keep the existing system in a state of good repair.
A “Fix it First” approach will ensure current roads and waterways serve their users and will prevent costly deferred maintenance projects in the future.