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Public Transit Advocates Say There's not Enough for Bus and Rail in Proposed Budget

COTA bus in Columbus
Central Ohio Transit Authority website
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Central Ohio Transit Authority website
Transportation advocates say that many people rely on public transportation, including the COTA bus system in Columbus, to meet their basic needs, and the current version of the transportation budget does not have enough funding.

Advocates for public transportation are lambasting the transportation budget that passed the House last week. They say too little is being spent on rail and buses. 

Amanda Woodrum with Policy Matters Ohiosays the $8 billion transportation budget contains only $70 million for public transit and that was only after House lawmakers restored it from Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed budget.  

“But this still isn’t even where we were in the last budget and it certainly isn’t where we need to be," Woodrum said. 

Woodrum and other public transportation advocates say many working Ohioans depend on public transportation to meet basic needs and say the pandemic has made it more critical. The transportation budget must be passed by March 31, but last time around in 2019, it was a few days late. 
Copyright 2021 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.

Jo Ingles
Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.