LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES - 2022/2023
Click here for a downloadable copy of the full 2022/2023 Legislative Update (9.06 MB).
Thank you to Senators Brown and Portman and Representatives Brown, Gonzalez, Kaptur, and Ryan for voting for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The IIJA will significantly increase our federal formula funds for the next five years. The IIJA also includes a number of new competitive grant programs that will help us reduce our unfunded backlog of capital projects.
Thank you to the many members of Ohio Senate and House that supported our efforts to maintain the State of Ohio’s transit funding at $70 million per year for the current SFY 2022/2023 biennium. For SFY 2022 GCRTA received $13.1 million to support our Bus Improvement, Rail Car Replacement, Microtransit Pilot and extend our Baby on Board programs. We also were awarded $4.3 million of ODOT TRAC funding for our Light Rail Track Replacement Program.The following represents GCRTA's Federal and State legislative priorities for Federal Fiscal Years (FFY) 2022 and 2023.
- GCRTA requests continued support in seeking and obtaining multi-year funding commitments from FTA, ODOT and others for the replacement of our Rail Car Fleet. GCRTA has already identified $189.4 million of the $300 million total program cost. We are seeking the remaining $110.6 million over the next five to six years.
- GCRTA requests additional support in obtaining additional federal and state funding for our highest priority State of Good Repair programs:
- $30.7 million for our Light Rail Track Reconstruction Program
- $32.0 million for the 25Connects/MetroHealth BRT
- $9.7 million for our 2021-2023 & 2024-2026 Bus Replacement Programs
- $52.2 million for our 2027-2029 Bus Replacement Program
- $15.8 million for our Rail Infrastructure Systems Program
- GCRTA requests that the State of Ohio act on and update ODOT’s “Ohio Statewide Transit Needs Study” by identifying dedicated funding in the State’s 2022-23 biennial ODOT and General Revenue Fund budgets to close the funding gap identified in the study.
- GCRTA requests support in pursing grant opportunities in the areas of Workforce Development, Fare Collection Technology to promote Fare Equity, and the promotion of Transit Oriented Development.
- GCRTA has prepared a summary of our $332 million backlog of unfunded projects and $251.0 million of key projects in our 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Program that are either partially funded or have been delayed due to lack of funding. They are included in the current 2021-2024 State of Ohio Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and can be awarded quickly as Competitive Grants are awarded.