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Ohioans for transportation choice

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Ohio Environmental Council
Ohio Environmental Council

The document discusses Ohio's transportation budget and calls for increased funding for public transit and other transportation options. It notes that Ohio currently allocates about 1% of its transportation budget to public transit, ranking 47th nationally, and that overreliance on cars is expensive and relies on imported fossil fuels. It proposes that Ohio create a "Transportation Choice Fund" set aside $75 million annually for alternatives like public transit, biking, walking, and rail to reduce emissions and costs and create more sustainable transportation.

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Ohioans for Transportation Choice Alliance for Regional Transit The People’s Department of – Cincinnati Transportation www.policymattersohio.org
Ohio Transportation Budget • Transportation budget expected on Feb. 6 • Biennial: FY 2014 & FY 2015 • Roughly $8 billion for two years • State gas tax and motor-vehicle fees are prohibited by Ohio Constitution to go towards anything but roads and highways • Federal transportation funds are more flexible • Transportation budget typically moves fast through the legislature www.policymattersohio.org
Why the State’s Transportation Budget Matters • Ohio’s transportation system is the direct result of decisions made on how we allocate state transportation dollars. • For decades, Ohio has underinvested in public transit and other transportation options. • Nearly all of our transportation dollars go towards road, highway and bridge projects • 1% of state transportation funds went to public transit in previous budget (FY 2012/13) • Ohio ranks 47th in the nation for its commitment to public transit, despite being the 7th most populous state. www.policymattersohio.org
As a result, it is difficult to get by without a car • Cars are expensive to own, operate, and maintain, and rely heavily on polluting fossil fuels imported from elsewhere. • For middle-income families, the costs of driving represents up to 20 percent of basic family budgets. For low-income Ohioans, the cost of driving can be prohibitively expensive. For the elderly and persons with disabilities, driving may not be an option at all. • Ohioans spent $45 billion on energy in 2010 (10% of the gross state product), half of that fuelled cars and trucks. • 98% of oil is imported from out of state or out of country. • Roughly ¼ of emissions come from transportation www.policymattersohio.org
Ohioans need more transportation choices • To reduce our vulnerability to spikes in oil price • To offer more affordable, accessible, safe, and environmentally-friendly options • Make our transportation system more economically sustainable, and reduce the amount of energy dollars leaving our state each year to purchase oil • Reduce emissions from the transportation sector • Investments to create a network of alternative transportation choices will also spur economic development, employ people, reduce urban sprawl and congestion, and create more livable communities www.policymattersohio.org
Ohioans for Transportation Choice • Calling on the state to create a “Transportation Choice” Fund. • Set aside $75 million each year in flexible federal funding out of the state’s transportation budget • Can be used for alternative transportation options such as public transit, infrastructure for biking, walking, and electric vehicles, passenger and freight rail, and streetcars. • Ramp up Transportation Choices funding to 10% of the transportation budget by 2020. www.policymattersohio.org

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Ohioans for transportation choice

  • 1. Ohioans for Transportation Choice Alliance for Regional Transit The People’s Department of – Cincinnati Transportation www.policymattersohio.org
  • 2. Ohio Transportation Budget • Transportation budget expected on Feb. 6 • Biennial: FY 2014 & FY 2015 • Roughly $8 billion for two years • State gas tax and motor-vehicle fees are prohibited by Ohio Constitution to go towards anything but roads and highways • Federal transportation funds are more flexible • Transportation budget typically moves fast through the legislature www.policymattersohio.org
  • 3. Why the State’s Transportation Budget Matters • Ohio’s transportation system is the direct result of decisions made on how we allocate state transportation dollars. • For decades, Ohio has underinvested in public transit and other transportation options. • Nearly all of our transportation dollars go towards road, highway and bridge projects • 1% of state transportation funds went to public transit in previous budget (FY 2012/13) • Ohio ranks 47th in the nation for its commitment to public transit, despite being the 7th most populous state. www.policymattersohio.org
  • 4. As a result, it is difficult to get by without a car • Cars are expensive to own, operate, and maintain, and rely heavily on polluting fossil fuels imported from elsewhere. • For middle-income families, the costs of driving represents up to 20 percent of basic family budgets. For low-income Ohioans, the cost of driving can be prohibitively expensive. For the elderly and persons with disabilities, driving may not be an option at all. • Ohioans spent $45 billion on energy in 2010 (10% of the gross state product), half of that fuelled cars and trucks. • 98% of oil is imported from out of state or out of country. • Roughly ¼ of emissions come from transportation www.policymattersohio.org
  • 5. Ohioans need more transportation choices • To reduce our vulnerability to spikes in oil price • To offer more affordable, accessible, safe, and environmentally-friendly options • Make our transportation system more economically sustainable, and reduce the amount of energy dollars leaving our state each year to purchase oil • Reduce emissions from the transportation sector • Investments to create a network of alternative transportation choices will also spur economic development, employ people, reduce urban sprawl and congestion, and create more livable communities www.policymattersohio.org
  • 6. Ohioans for Transportation Choice • Calling on the state to create a “Transportation Choice” Fund. • Set aside $75 million each year in flexible federal funding out of the state’s transportation budget • Can be used for alternative transportation options such as public transit, infrastructure for biking, walking, and electric vehicles, passenger and freight rail, and streetcars. • Ramp up Transportation Choices funding to 10% of the transportation budget by 2020. www.policymattersohio.org