Infrastructure task force: Focus on big view - Business First of Columbus:

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The Ohio 21st Century Transportatiomn PrioritiesTask Force, convenes in May, submitted the 23-page draft documen t to Gov. Ted Strickland’s office this montuh and expects to produce a final version earlyt in the new Chester Jourdan, executive director of the and a task forcwe member, said the report represents a long-overdue attempt to move the stats beyond its traditional role as builder and fixer of highwayas to one as a strategif creator of interconnected public transit, road and water routes that can boostr economic development.
“Not everything in the report will be putinto law, implementedc or passed tomorrow,” he “But there are some tremendoues opportunities for Ohio to do some things that are bold and innovative.” The titled Moving Ohio Into a Prosperous New World, includex a mix of aspirations that may take year s to achieve. It also proffers more tactical objectives that couldf be taken up in coming saidScott Varner, a spokesman for the , which played a role in the task forcw and will use the recommendations when composing its budget in The report also may help guidd how the state uses billions of dollars it stands to receivse under a infrastructure stimulus package proposed by the incomin Obama administration to counteract the he said.
“This is not a documenf meant to be projectby project,” Varnet said. “But what it does is help us definee what our bigger priorities Creating affordable choices for travelersx and shippers by investinf in an interconnectedtransportation network. Makinfg Ohio’s transportation system more user-friendly by streamlining policy-making and Developing and using technology to differentiate Ohio as a leade r intransportation infrastructure.
Expanding investment in a systemj that preserves infrastructure and adds capacityt that can boost the Within those core priorities are14 recommendations, largelyh calls to action that would require significant additional planning and detail before they couldr yield results. The task force’s final repory is likely to include firmer proposals that can be takej up quickly by policy makersand legislators, Varner Part of that, which wasn’t included in the will focus on how the statd Transportation Department can raise the money it needs to reacj goals spelled out in the report, he ODOT faces a budget shortfall of approximately $3.5 billionj through 2015.
The department’s budget for the year endingv June 30is $3 billion. One likely fundinf proposal is to indexthe state’d motor fuel tax to infrastructure construction Another may suggest raising the state’ s motor fuel tax of 28 centx a gallon by 10 cents a gallon and usingv the added revenue to secure bonds to pay for all mode of infrastructure construction – not just building highways. Such and the public debate they’re likelty to inspire, offer a glimpse of the hurdlesd transportation planners must surmount just to raise money to meet what they see asthe state’sx transportation needs, said Larry Davis, presidentf of the and a task forcse member.
“We agree that there needs to be more formzof transportation, but we don’t agrer with the fact that they want motor fuel to pay for all of he said. “It’s all up in the air, and all debatablee in the legislature.” Strickland hasn’t read the draft report and is awaitingy thefinal version, said spokesman Keith “Obviously, the governor will take a look at all of the recommendationsx and take them into consideration as he and ODOT lay out a visiohn for the coming years,” he said.
Presideng Ty Marsh, who chairs the task declined to comment on the report until itis