Last week, the Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) approved “32 different major new construction projects for 2014-2017, totaling more than $2 billion,” Gongwer reports. Although some progress has been made through the Department of Transportation’s move to undertake cuts, redistribute federal funding and commit to streamlining, it says that its $1.6 billion budget problem for transportation funding continues to this day and that “some of the approved projects will face serious delays due to a lack of funding,” the article said. By the end of 2013, the state could see $1 billion from Gov. Kasich’s proposed bond sales; however, money from new turnpike bonds “would not affect projects on [the] newly approved TRAC list,” the article said (see our December 20, 2012, blog post for more information).
In addition, Gongwer reports that ODOT added legislation into its budget bill that, if approved by the legislature, would:
- Strike the current “one mile” rule restricting where the turnpike can spend money on projects;
- Expand the commission from five to seven voting members and reduce the non-voting members to three;
- Add a member of the commission to serve as an ex-officio member of TRAC; and
- Allow any voting commission members to serve as the chairman.
For more, read TRAC’s Final 2014-2017 Major New Program List.
