Fate of Public Transit Funding Dependent on House/Senate Conference Committee 

In spite of the successful efforts of local State Representative Mark Schneider to increase the amount of public transit general revenue funds (GRF) in the State’s Biennial Budget (known as House Bill 1) while in the Senate, that increase was not only eliminated, but further reduced.

For the State’s 2009 fiscal year (FY), Ohio’s 59 public transit systems received $14.6 million in State aid through the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). For the States 2010-2011 biennium budget (HB1):

• The Governor proposed a decrease in public transit funding to $13.3 million for the FY 2010 and 2011.
• The House approved the State Budget (HB1) with an increase for transit funding at a level of $19.9 million for FY 2010 and $20 million for FY 2011.
  The Senate approved HB 1 with a decrease in transit funding down to $12.7 million. 

Ohio ranks 40th in the nation in state public transit spending as a percentage of state transportation dollars expended. At the level of $12.7 million as proposed by the senate, this would represent a 71 percent decrease in public transit funding over a ten year period!

Sales tax revenue declines across the state are forcing sales-tax-dependent systems to implement fare increases and service cuts to sustain minimum levels of service. At stake is the ability of hundreds of thousands of people to get to work each day. Further reducing public transit funding will leave Ohioans stranded without access to employment and education.

A House/Senate conference committee, consisting of two Democrats and one Republican from the House and two Republicans and one Democrat from the Senate, has been announced. The committee will be required to review the 3,500-page budget document and work through the differences in the House/Senate versions. The Ohio constitution requires that a balanced budget for the next biennium be passed by June 30th.

Citizens are being asked to call or email the key decision makers on the conference committee, as well as your local elected leadership, to encourage them to support the House’s version of the public transit funding. Briefly tell your story and how Laketran’s service reductions or fare increases are affecting your quality of life or that of your family, employees, neighbors or clients.