Ohio think tank calls for $75M transportation fund for region

CLEVELAND — Think tank Policy Matters Ohio released a report calling for the creation of a $75 million transportation innovation fund to address unmet transit needs and for the state to find a funding solution for counties and transit agencies that no longer will receive revenue from the sales tax on Medicaid Managed Care Organization, The Plain Dealer reports.

Ohio funds only 1% of public transportation in the state, although the Ohio Department of Transportation's (ODOT) Transit Needs Study said the state should provide 10% of transit's funding. ODOT’s director, meanwhile, is calling for a 33% — or $10 million — increase in transit funding in the state for this budget, which is still not enough to cover unmet needs in Ohio, according to the report.

Policy Matters Ohio recommends the state follow the proposition made by Ohioans for Transportation Equity, a coalition of mass-transit advocates, to establish a $75 million transportation "innovation fund" to support public transit that is supported by both federal and state money. For the full story, click here.