Restoring Prosperity
The Greater Ohio Policy Center Blog
Five years ago, Columbus was awarded a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation in the “Smart City Challenge”; an initiative that was conceived as an opportunity to jump-smart the transition to a more technologically-advanced transportation network within a midsize U.S. city.
Transit is an invaluable resource in low- and moderate-income communities, connecting residents to job centers and services that may otherwise be inaccessible without a car. However, there are concerns that significant investments in transit, particularly rail transit, may increase property values and displacement pressures on area residents.
Interest in the proposal is running high across the state. Lawmakers at the Statehouse have been encouraged to support the effort (though initial development of the routes through Ohio would not involve state funding at all) while a number of cities, including Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Cleveland, and Elyria have passed resolutions endorsing the proposal.
On March 3, the Ohio House Finance Committee approved moved forward a revised state transportation budget that includes for funding for public transportation than had previously been proposed by the executive budget last month. That bill is now poised for a floor vote in the full House of Representatives on March 4.
