[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6293435,"mediaKeyId","2523333-d722d66c1aad79b8dbcda3bc3d0d4c33","parentId",2523333,"title","ODOT director urges restoration of administrative funds, pushes utility-delay language and technical study in biennial transportation bill","audioSeconds",805,"startMs",4255000,"endMs",3450000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523333-d722d66c1aad79b8dbcda3bc3d0d4c33&start=4255&end=3450","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523333-d722d66c1aad79b8dbcda3bc3d0d4c33/thumbnail_4255000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6293435/Ohio/ODOT-director-urges-restoration-of-administrative-funds-pushes-utility-delay-language-and-technical-study-in-biennial-transportation-bill","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293435-5c033d6eade68c59581860977cf4a43a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054021&Signature=XuyFulQ2DyY1C-UpZsbP3L8hdRCGIVMKahDq0IbnhVmEVYp1GlXPrWdgKeT2aG5kg6y9m7qviynu239kjuwUYA8y53s8QLAcJnLxruOCen1WSwz7pRFB2Vq-WPHA7jkDA-qvEp6xes73m7MAx9idFkBdsJ3SjNZ1hGSuBPIfM3CQQPlXYS6K6YxYSurzlBRB~FM-7Ib4vT-iyDNo6IVXGCmUrP7pC67mraqV1qX2cUjT1WfJo7zhkq9EJCCgqBmDsBPTDOuLu0Gqcj1EPHY4Ik3Gdeq6RoSgBzM~ijZqoRP2zSezmQexmT4fqn6EH2g0yzKxvA7kP5MTn8IuiK50lg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Ohio Legislature","date","2025-03-04T00:00:00Z","article","Director Pamela Abourd of the Ohio Department of Transportation told the Ohio Senate Transportation Committee on the formal hearing for House Bill 54 that ODOT supports the Legislature’s multi‑billion dollar transportation investment but asked senators to restore reductions and adopt several agency amendments.

The department asked the Senate to restore an administrative line‑item reduction of $58,200,000 over the biennium, saying those funds pay for internal support functions — including human resources, information technology, finance, communications and legal services — and required contracts such as the memorandum of understanding with the attorney general. \"Those services along with IT staff . . . support many of our software applications and projects,\" Abourd said, warning that cuts could affect modernization efforts including cybersecurity, help desks and highway safety data systems.

Why it matters: ODOT said the administrative funds are needed to meet contract obligations and maintain core systems that support the statewide capital program and reimbursements. The department said reduced state administrative funding would make it harder to match and deploy federal project money and could slow or reduce the number of projects completed.

Utility delays and proposed legislative language

Abourd described a central operational problem for highway construction: utilities that do not relocate facilities on schedule. She told the committee the House version of the bill contains language shifting costs from the department and contractors to the utility that causes the delay and asked the Senate to retain the language. \"Historically, we've had to pay additional costs and delays to utilities. . . . That just simply shifts the burden of the change arising from those delays to the entity who's responsible for the delay,\" Abourd said.

ODOT provided an aggregated figure that it said represents utility‑related delay costs over roughly a decade: \"$56,000,000\" across 497 impacted construction projects, and gave project examples including a 12‑month delay in Columbiana/Salem that added about $160,000 and a nearly two‑year delay in Lorain County (North Ridgeville) that added about $2,500,000 in claimed costs. Abourd said the department does not seek money from utilities as a first step but wants a stronger enforcement mechanism — which she repeatedly described as a \"hammer\" — to prompt utilities to meet schedules.

Pavement selection study and timeline

ODOT asked the committee to adopt the House language creating an industry and legislative council to study material selection (concrete vs. asphalt), but said the bill’s current deadline is too short. Assistant Director and Chief Engineer Dave Slater described the department’s move from older design tools toward a mechanistic‑empirical pavement design (PMED) approach and said a local calibration research project is scheduled to finish in October 2026, with implementation targeted for calendar year 2027. Slater said the new software requires more inputs (climate, material properties, performance tolerance) and that the department believes its engineers are best positioned to make pavement decisions for specific projects.

Staff and members raised a longstanding demonstration project on U.S. 30 comparing 10 miles of concrete to 10 miles of asphalt. Slater told senators that total maintenance for the corridor over a specified period was difficult to attribute precisely to one side or the other because of changes in data systems; he confirmed an overall maintenance number and noted a capital contract in 2023 to repair the concrete section.

Other ODOT requests in HB 54

Abourd also asked senators to consider two additional items attached to ODOT testimony:
- A change to indemnification language the department said arises from a grade‑separation statute cited in committee as \"55 25 16, the Revised Code,\" which ODOT says can produce effectively unlimited liability for contractors and insurers in rail grade projects. Abourd said the affected railroad supports the change and that the Contractors Association and insurance industry groups also back the amendment.
- Codifying and expanding indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts statewide. ODOT asked to permit use in all 12 districts, keep the existing dollar limit of $2,000,000 per contract for a two‑year period, and the current limit of two permitted contracts per district.

Private transit vouchers and workforce mobility

Abourd said the House included a $1,000,000 earmark of federal highway funding for a private transit voucher pilot and that ODOT supports evaluating innovative mobility options. But she told the panel she believes the earmarked funding may be ineligible under the cited federal program and \"will just sit there and we will carry it forward\" if the feds do not approve the use. She also thanked the House for including $30,000,000 for a workforce mobility partnership but warned that restrictive federal eligibility rules for transit flex funds limited the types of operating requests ODOT could fund in previous rounds.

What the committee asked and next steps

Senators pressed ODOT staff for details about how contract delays are measured (ODOT said delays are documented when contractors are unable to perform work because a utility occupies the required right of way) and whether ODOT has leverage to compel utilities to move (ODOT said not reliably). Multiple members pressed for more data on how much of the maintenance and rehabilitation budgets go to the local network versus major state routes; ODOT said it can provide district breakdowns on maintenance spending.

ODOT closed by asking that technical timelines be extended if the committee wants a robust third‑party study of payment selection, and recommended that any industry council rely on academic and technical experts; Slater requested the study deadline be extended to June 30, 2026 for a more robust evaluation.

Ending: The department reiterated support for the broad capital funding in House Bill 54 while asking the Senate to restore administrative funding, retain utility‑delay language, adjust indemnification for railroad projects, extend study timelines for pavement selection, and codify limited IDIQ use across districts. Several senators said they want more detailed district spending breakdowns and follow‑up data on specific examples Abourd provided.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ohio Senate Transportation Committee - 3-4-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Director Pamela Abourd of the Ohio Department of Transportation told the Senate Transportation Committee that ODOT supports the House’s capital funding in House Bill 54 but asked senators to restore a $58.2 million administrative reduction, keep House language shifting utility‑delay costs to the responsible utility, and extend technical timelines for a pavement study.","taxTitle","Transportation, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Ohio","taxId",37401,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6293418,"Transit agencies nationwide ask Senate for sustained funding, warn hub‑security mandate could be costly",0,5289000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523333-d722d66c1aad79b8dbcda3bc3d0d4c33&start=5289&end=5289","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523333-d722d66c1aad79b8dbcda3bc3d0d4c33/thumbnail_5289000.jpg","/articles/6293418/Ohio/Transit-agencies-nationwide-ask-Senate-for-sustained-funding-warn-hubsecurity-mandate-could-be-costly","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293418-e974ee1f54036272956d04fa9684ad14/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054021&Signature=bcf-B5pNVLBQiqNah8AKvKpyu1jJvhRBKFYYhgjpUY1VkfNcO89xej6aWL9PlJCF2GM7Jl9mJmqo8SJ9Fcgnq4stZfyRHYoJS-A~b-5DP5LR2XlDNGyZsfcPvNEKAtvilfYJSAVK7VvjzNvVJsjm5Zd~RkswWBc-NbouGIm4leGQIPyuOaPFyox00XlJ3XNUJdUavXAb82WndCOqF6cqffXXikYVGycGguZhYhgJppcsY4b8oTt3nGTdkdoRy3Guj9o9qabWW~lusWMTS6JC0CTFA0DuUdG5ArylYyo3aocsHYty1G0sxOHAbdTVm1YeWCjrsGWUZHd4XfZn89I4wg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives from Ohio’s largest and many smaller transit systems asked the Senate Transportation Committee to preserve and expand transit funding in House Bill 54, urged continuation of the Workforce Mobility Partnership, supported stronger penalties for assaults on transit operators, and urged removal of a House amendment that would require law enforcement at hubs where six or more bus lines converge.

Who testified and what they asked

- Florence Caver, Deputy General Manager of Operations, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, said state investment helps transit modernize fleets and infrastructure and that the agency received over $78,000,000 through state programs over recent fiscal years. Caver urged boosting state funding to $80,000,000 annually and continuing the Ohio Workforce Mobility Partnership at $15,000,000 per year.

- Casey Blazer, External Relations Manager, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), and other agency witnesses said workforce mobility grants are helpful but federal funding mix requires local matches that are hard for smaller agencies. Blazer urged a better mix of GRF and federal funds to support operations.

- Ben Ziff, mobility coordinator at Hocking Athens Perry Community Action, described rural demand and said intercity routes (contracted service) stop in dozens of small towns and are regularly booked weeks in advance. He cautioned that new requirements for law enforcement at hubs would impose costs that could reduce service; his agency said the hub in Athens has had \"0 reported instances of violence or other criminal acts.\"

- Andy Volenick, Delaware County Transit, and Mary Hebig, North Central Area Transit, gave local examples of riders who depend on transit for medical trips, dialysis, and employment; both supported continued workforce mobility funding and expanded state support for micro‑transit and on‑demand services.

Why operators’ safety and the hub mandate matters

Multiple witnesses asked the Senate to increase penalties for assaults on transit workers and to provide supports that prevent operator assaults. Agencies described investments they have made — panic buttons, barriers, de‑escalation training and partnerships with local police — and said stronger legal penalties would help deter attacks. At the same time, many agencies opposed an amendment added in the House that would require transit authorities to contract with law enforcement to station officers at hubs where six or more lines converge. Agencies said the language is vague (it does not specify hours, staffing levels or trigger conditions), could be duplicative where police already work with transit systems, and would impose substantial recurring costs on agencies that do not have local dedicated revenue.

For example, John Bravazio, Chief of Staff at Cincinnati Metro, said Metro already spends more than $1 million annually for police service hours and has a decades‑long partnership with local law enforcement; he and other witnesses said the House amendment is duplicative and unclear and asked for its removal. Several transit leaders said targeted contracts with local police at specific times and locations are an effective approach rather than a blanket statutory mandate.

Workforce mobility and rural services

Agencies uniformly urged continued support for workforce mobility programs and more GRF funding to support operating matches for rural providers that lack local dedicated revenue. Witnesses gave examples of rapid ridership growth for micro‑transit services (Delaware County Transit reported ridership more than doubled since 2021) and described how even modest increases in state funding enable agencies to add critical trips for dialysis, wound care, veterans and job access.

Ending: Transit leaders urged the committee to maintain and increase flexible GRF support, preserve the Workforce Mobility Partnership funding, enact stronger legal protections for operators, and remove or substantially rewrite the hub‑law enforcement amendment so that requirements are operationally specific and funded. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.","A string of Ohio transit agencies told the Senate Transportation Committee that the state should preserve and increase transit funding in House Bill 54, continue workforce mobility grants, strengthen penalties for assaults on operators, and remove a House amendment that would require law‑enforcement presence at multi‑line transit hubs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6293425,"Ohio Aviation Association urges bigger state aviation fund so airports can draw federal aid",419,4471000,4890000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523333-d722d66c1aad79b8dbcda3bc3d0d4c33&start=4471&end=4890","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523333-d722d66c1aad79b8dbcda3bc3d0d4c33/thumbnail_4471000.jpg","/articles/6293425/Ohio/Ohio-Aviation-Association-urges-bigger-state-aviation-fund-so-airports-can-draw-federal-aid","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293425-ba91d79a2b85c7dd7c7d0665f8d35a12/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054021&Signature=WSkgdnQLDz7i5XNOFBWKvT4C2Htjpsi5B2wYlKfjt8ETagTCEaRLBmimOQDBxYtaU4RV7ztdben9ikYPWO5TWwhpt176pk3yRhdV88tAFQbEt-vWjKEFtxpVZn7pmBeTQwxLNKRUvEUe~Vk6OL4c6pMEimifY8FM9K3NodDomRkh8rbSmGUggrdn~yx2c14jbBtmoY0hdYN8u98jkq6z2t1dsANQKYzm3abX9lIucXFHNfY2~6hMhOucfHpQYSA6NmmURV5D9MGPsCfGXpCryoYb8parzc5wz1V5TseeQSzxfsCX22hGLDYD5Kn~~IW1VH3GwVH8PynwiNqqCHL1pw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tony Fiore, executive director of the Ohio Aviation Association, told the Senate Transportation Committee that Ohio airports need greater state funding in House Bill 54 to leverage federal dollars for runway, lighting and terminal work.

Fiore said Ohio currently estimates roughly $10,000,000 in state support to satisfy a federal revenue‑use requirement tied to aviation fuel taxes, but that airports are requesting $20–$25,000,000 annually through the Office of Aviation. \"The annual request to ODOT's office of aviation is between $20 and $25,000,000 but the state has put into the airport improvement program about $10,000,000 a year,\" Fiore said, adding that additional state funds would allow airports to obtain federal matching funds and not lose federal infrastructure dollars to other states.

Why it matters: Federal airport grants often require local or state matches and the Office of Aviation uses state funds to help smaller airports qualify. Fiore estimated that increasing the state contribution could enable about $400,000,000 of federal funding annually to come into Ohio.

Fiore outlined typical projects and barriers

- Smaller public‑use airports need state help for routine capital items — runway rehabilitation, lighting upgrades (LED conversions), markings, and hangar development — to be competitive for FAA grants.
- Under federal rules, state taxes on aviation fuel that were not in place prior to 1987 can be treated as airport revenue and must be used for airport capital or operating costs or otherwise comply with revenue‑use rules. Fiore said the bill’s amendment would keep the state in compliance while allowing an opportunity to flat‑fund the GRF contribution to the Airport Improvement Program and increase overall support.

Fiore compared neighboring states’ programs, noting Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina spend significantly more per year on airport programs than Ohio does, and argued that additional state funding would let Ohio capture more federal dollars rather than letting those grants go to other states.

Ending: Fiore told senators that Ohio airports collectively have substantial construction estimates over the next four years and that a modest increase in state investment would leverage larger federal grants for runway and terminal upgrades. \"A mile of runway can take you anywhere in the world,\" he said, urging the committee to preserve language that enables state aviation revenue to be used for airport improvement and to consider additional GRF support to increase annual capacity for grants.","The Ohio Aviation Association told the Senate committee the state should increase funding for the Airport Improvement Program so the state's 104 public‑use airports can access substantially more federal dollars and maintain runways, lighting, terminals and hangars.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":46,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6293430,"Ohio Gas Association opposes HB54 abandonment language, urges use of Underground Damage Prevention Coalition",354,3804000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523333-d722d66c1aad79b8dbcda3bc3d0d4c33&start=3450&end=3804","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523333-d722d66c1aad79b8dbcda3bc3d0d4c33/thumbnail_3450000.jpg","/articles/6293430/Ohio/Ohio-Gas-Association-opposes-HB54-abandonment-language-urges-use-of-Underground-Damage-Prevention-Coalition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293430-d3012c3034b19b53b00d671bd1241c11/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054021&Signature=gBvZkyPccrP3DlxWeUPLfksWJf2APxYOj1mMNgeQylAgMHqB2nhmpJaRGbJsh6C70IkgFhIOrIi2lP2hjCpqvsZl3Y5lS28gHgoii3cRuDckmscZsbmMmN9aDhnzaeWKsR72KlYTu1rILV~QwVZLREIP~AN7uh7VlI-kqO2zCHxyki4QqS1G77LNgnQs1fT3WmsDojchOVNXgkDVkPYkeZQ-oAd2bd8HmypyQeDFuG6XfkmlFtKaDQMRMJYaN1sHEXhRVqBl9hQOzIpcFOTg~6JylBrfpaKNE8fRSww3B38IfbXGgWNP9E-esslwJZyEjdAtQ7XPHY6ZU1Ry5RlH4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jimmy Stewart, president of the Ohio Gas Association, told the Senate Transportation Committee the association \"strongly opposes\" House Bill 54 language related to the abandonment of telecommunications and utility structures and urged legislators to let the existing multi‑stakeholder process work.

Stewart said enforcing removal of abandoned lines would divert resources from constructing and maintaining broadband and energy infrastructure and could create unintended consequences such as damage to adjacent active utilities and roadway surfaces. \"Repairing these damages would further drain resources and delay other essential projects,\" he said.

Stewart and other utility witnesses told senators the Ohio Underground Damage Prevention Coalition (OUDPC) — a group that brings contractors, utilities, 8‑11 locators, the Public Utilities Commission and others together — is already working on abandoned‑line issues through an Abandoned Line Subcommittee. The association urged ODOT and the Legislature to collaborate with that coalition to develop consensus language rather than inserting new language into the compressed schedule of the transportation budget.

Why it matters: Opponents say a statutory fix within a transportation budget could be rushed and produce operational and safety problems; they recommended fuller stakeholder review and noted ongoing subcommittee work that they said could yield acceptable legislation.

Key takeaways from testimony and committee exchanges

- OGA asked to remove the abandoned facilities language from HB54 and to continue work within the OUDPC Abandoned Line Subcommittee, which Stewart said includes contractors, utilities, local governments, and Ohio 8‑1‑1.
- Senator Timken and others asked why utilities would not be responsive when projects are planned; OGA witnesses said some relocation tasks require rights‑of‑way, easement acquisition or timing constraints (for example, safety and seasonality for gas service) that can exceed project timelines.
- Witnesses from the utility sector said they would welcome ODOT participation in the coalition; OGA said that would help produce practical, safety‑focused and mutually agreed language.

Ending: OGA urged the committee to let the coalition continue its work and to consult the industry and excavators before approving abandonment language in the budget. The association said collaborative work could produce legislation usable outside the compressed budget timetable, reducing the need for later legislative cleanup.","The Ohio Gas Association told the Senate Transportation Committee that language in House Bill 54 requiring removal or abandonment of utility structures should be removed and addressed through the existing Ohio Underground Damage Prevention Coalition process instead.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

ODOT director urges restoration of administrative funds, pushes utility-delay language and technical study in biennial transportation bill

Transit agencies nationwide ask Senate for sustained funding, warn hub‑security mandate could be costly

Ohio Aviation Association urges bigger state aviation fund so airports can draw federal aid

Ohio Gas Association opposes HB54 abandonment language, urges use of Underground Damage Prevention Coalition