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Reaction to the Ohio
Transportation
Plan
Ohio Trucking Association
COLUMBUS,
OHIO, DECEMBER 13, 2012
-- Of all the possible scenarios regarding the future of the Ohio
Turnpike that
have been put forth in the past year, the Ohio Trucking Association
(OTA)
believes Governor Kasich has chosen the best one for all travelers in
the
state.
"I'm
gratified that as a trade
association representing a major user of the turnpike, we have had many
opportunities to voice our concerns with the Ohio Turnpike Commission,
ODOT,
KPMG, and the Governor's Office," said OTA President Larry Davis.
"They listened to us and that means a lot."
The
association, which represents
more than 900 trucking and supplier companies throughout the state,
believes
that the Ohio Turnpike is too great an asset to turn over to an outside
company
for lease or purchase.
"We
have a top-notch turnpike
now with a stable and fairly predictable funding source," Davis said.
"It makes more sense to leverage the value of what we already have to
better our state's roads and bridges than to roll the dice on an
outside
operator who may not have the best interests of efficient
transportation in
mind."
Davis
added that the Ohio Trucking
Association looks forward to working with all of the governmental
entities
involved in moving The Ohio Jobs and Transportation Plan from
conception into
reality.
Portage
County Auditor Janet
Esposito
"With
two turnpike exits in
our county, the turnpike is extremely important to us and we are very
pleased
with the governor's plan since it preserves the integrity of the
turnpike while
at the same time will boost economic development," said Portage County
Auditor Janet Esposito. "The freeze on local tolls is a great benefit
to our
residents. I'm very pleased to see ODOT and the Turnpike Commission
working
together for local residents and all Ohioans."
Fulton
County Recorder and Ohio
Turnpike Commission Member Sandy Barber
"We're
very excited about the
governor's plan and I am personally very pleased about the partnership
being
forged by the Ohio Turnpike Commission and the Ohio Department of
Transportation, which will benefit residents along the turnpike
corridor and
all Ohioans," said Fulton County Recorder Sandy Barber, who is also a
member
of the Ohio Turnpike Commission. "This plan is going to help create new
jobs and I like that the funding will help maintain Ohio's
transportation
system as well as allow us to continue making improvements."
Dan
White, President, Norwalk
Furniture
"As
a businessman very
interested in economic development in the region and the entire state,
I'm
extremely pleased with the governor's plan," said Dan White, president
of
Norwalk Furniture. "Living near the turnpike I am very much aware of
the essential role
it plays in this region. The decision to
preserve the integrity of the turnpike while also coming up with an
innovative
way to fund other critical projects should be applauded."
Glenn
M. Broska, Mayor, The City of
Streetsboro
“I
am very pleased with Governor
Kasich’s recent decision concerning control of the Ohio Turnpike. As the Mayor of the City
of Streetsboro, a
community that relies heavily on the Turnpike to bring jobs, commerce
and
people to the community, the health of the Turnpike is of paramount
concern. With
control retained by the
Turnpike Commission, we have guaranteed that our Turnpike will continue
to be a
safe, efficient, and well maintained highway. I also believe that the
Governor’s decision will assist in our collective long term goal of
recruiting
strong business and more jobs to our State and local communities. The Governor’s decision
calls for use of toll
revenues to enable Ohio to sell bonds to be used to improve Northern
Ohio’s
roadway system. Improved
roadways will
make Ohio more attractive to business and industry.
And this in turn, will markedly increase
local opportunity for jobs and commerce.”
Phillip
L. Parker, President &
CEO, Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce
"I
commend ODOT for
identifying new revenue opportunities to advance statewide
infrastructure
projects. As the Dayton Chamber works closely with businesses in
southwest Ohio
on expansion and relocation opportunities, it is critical that we have
an
efficient highway system. ODOT has proven that they are committed to
identifying new and innovative revenue generating opportunities for
statewide
projects that do not over burden the Ohio business community."
Don
Robart, Mayor, Cuyahoga Falls
“The
City of Cuyahoga Falls
continues to pursue aggressive growth strategies with a strong vision
for the
future. Our ideal
location among a web
of highways in NE Ohio plays a vital role in our growth strategy. For this reason, I applaud
Governor John Kasich’s
plan for leveraging the Ohio Turnpike which will provide $1.5 billion
to
improve our aging transportation system and preserve our competitive
advantage
these highways provide. His
plan does
this while keeping the Ohio Turnpike Commission intact, keeps tolls on
the
Turnpike amongst the lowest in the nation, keeps our local residents
employed
by the Commission, as well as rebuilds this important asset in the
process.”
Dave
Gillock, Mayor, North
Ridgeville
“Many
residents of North Ridgeville
and northeast Ohioans were holding their breathe today to hear about
the
Governor’s long awaited plan for the future of the Ohio turnpike. It’s a home run! The Kasich Administration
listened to our
feedback and arrived at the right place on how to make best use of the
Ohio
Turnpike. This will
allow us to
significantly accelerate a few local projects that have long been
stalled on
the ODOT schedule of projects. I’m
pleased that politics could be set aside to reach a cooperative
agreement that
will help move Ohio forward.”
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