On behalf of the Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC), I respectfully submit the below comments in response to the 2025-2028 Major New Construction Draft Program List which was adopted by the Transportation Review Advisory Committee (TRAC) on March 26, and scheduled to be approved at the April 23, 2025 Regular Session Meeting.
GOPC recognizes the work TRAC has undertaken to review and develop this draft program list. We recognize that TRAC is being very mindful and cost-conscious as Ohio continues to experience increased construction costs due to inflation and declining revenues from the motor fuel tax. TRAC is to be commended for this cost-consciousness.
Missed Opportunity
That said, we are disappointed that the GCRTA Light Rail request ($16.7 million) was not included in this year’s project list. Light rail can move thousands of people a day, people who otherwise may travel in single occupancy vehicles on state-owned roads. The cost of updating GCRTA’s Light Rail is certainly more economical than an average road preservation project.
Best Use of Resources?
Additionally, there are projects on the Draft New Construction Program List that give GOPC pause. These include the $2 million for US 48 Widening in Warren County which would add travel lanes in either direction, or the $82.8 million for US 33 Widening in Franklin/Fairfield County as roadway expansion projects that fail to consider alternative transportation options.
Model Project
We, however, do see projects on the draft list we support, such as SR 13 Relocation in Knox County. We appreciate ODOT’s potentially willingness to partner with local leaders to increase the vibrancy of a historic downtown by rerouting heavy traffic out of the Public Square region and improving pedestrian mobility in the heart of Mount Vernon.
We hope going forward that TRAC will consider more projects which include such multi-modal benefits and decrease not just congestion, but overall reliance of single-occupancy vehicles in a cost-effective way.