COLUMBUS, OH (June 13, 2019) - Greater Ohio Policy Center Manager of Government Affairs Jason Warner today released the following statement ahead of testimony before the Senate Finance Committee as it relates to the pending budget bill (HB166) in the Ohio Senate:
“The Senate substitute bill has zeroed out the public transportation line item in the Department of Transportation budget. This line item provides $6.5 million in each year of the biennium to support the Elderly and Disabled Fare Assistance Program, ensuring Ohio’s vulnerable residents have access to transportation services to access work, healthcare, and basic personal services. This transit funding, along with the previously approved funding for public transit in the transportation budget is vitally important for transit systems and Greater Ohio would respectfully request that the Senate restore this funding.”
The Ohio Legislature previously earmarked $70 million in funding over the next two years for public transportation through House Bill 62, the state transportation budget for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. That budget provides $6.5 million to support public transit operations, including support for the ODOT Office of Public Transit, drawing down federal transit funding, and supporting the Elderly and Disabled Fare Assistance Program. Funding in House Bill 62 would double this funding from $6.5 million per year to $13 million per year.
About the Greater Ohio Policy Center
Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) is a statewide non-profit organization with a mission to improve Ohio's communities through smart growth strategies and research. GOPC is highly respected for its data-driven, nonpartisan policy analysis, research expertise, and policy development, and regularly provides expert analyses to public, private and nonprofit leaders at the local, state, and national level. GOPC is based in Columbus, Ohio, and operates statewide. | 
