Ohio 21st Century Task Force Meeting

Ohio 21st Century Task Force Meeting
Tuesday,June 17th
Joseph E. Cole Center
Cleveland State University
3100 Chester Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44115
Presentations 4-6pm
Public Comments 6-8pm

There are currently scheduled a series of public "Task Force" meetings that will take place around Ohio. We are slotted to have one this Tuesday. The main issues of concern is how the current rising gas prices affect not only public transit ridership but also their costs, services and mission.

This meeting will also allow comments and discussion on public transit for walkable community design, biking, freight and airport access so even if you don't take the bus or train to work chances are that this meeting will cover topics that directly affect you.

There are 3 main points of concern that will be brought up at this particular meeting by Ohio Public Transit Association OPTA President, Joseph Calabrese.

1. Having a public transit network is not an option, but a necessity.

Mora than 60% of all trips on public transit in Ohio are work-related. In rural areas, more than 60% of all trips serve senior citizens or the disabled, and 20%% of senior citizens do not drive. Transit agencies also provide low-cost transportation to thousands of students, thus saving Boards of Education millions of dollars. ON a national basis, public transit reduces our dependence on imported oil.

2. Additional State funding must be provided so that transit systems can retain existing customers and attract new customers.

In Ohio, transit systems serve more than 500,000 customers daily, and remove more than 1000,000 cars from the highways. This reduces congestion and pollution for everyone, and greatly improves the quality of life for all Ohioans. In recent years, State funding to public transit has been reduced by 63%, and is not about 3% of an agency's budget. Nationally, State funding levels average 23%. This low level of State funding has placed a much greater strain on local resources, and most systems in Ohio have either increased fares, reduced service, or both. Without additional funding, service cuts will continue.

3. While rising fuel costs have driven more to use public transit, these same costs have also significantly increased transit expenses.

At RTA for example my (Calabrese) budget for diesel fuel in 2004 was approximately $4 million, while my (Calabrese) projected expenses for diesel for 2008 is $20 million.

Public Transit Survey
Ohio 21st Century Transportation Priorities Task Force website
Public Transportation State Funding Crisis pdf.