[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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",6293416,"mediaKeyId","2523334-a23127923ae7284e3a8ea173450590fd","parentId",2523334,"title","Brunswick Official Urges Repeal of Statute Forcing Interchange at Boston Road, Backs Broader ODOT/NOACA Study","audioSeconds",646,"startMs",3738000,"endMs",4384000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523334-a23127923ae7284e3a8ea173450590fd&start=3738&end=4384","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523334-a23127923ae7284e3a8ea173450590fd/thumbnail_3738000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6293416/Ohio/Brunswick-Official-Urges-Repeal-of-Statute-Forcing-Interchange-at-Boston-Road-Backs-Broader-ODOTNOACA-Study","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293416-b8a86cba6b6f513294cc94fe87c5cff1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770638287&Signature=MfCtLz7R3aiWipkXgwP-hAoPfLaNuwTrjM665e0TWO2Q4xTo25w9HyhgwB~JCKEoiisscmCVDkw3VT4Nzw06R5AGdfrzOrdzkN93pA7QUrOP2bje6ilKnxwXvUqEZdhmVAT9ZQ~ERsvvvKkiBDMTvwK4JtTw5D~OS95rzTpKUaK4gkRPXLyYZBQXjfAYbfKxeiC4SrRLAaokPY2n7gG0tBkMKg7vQgLJgEGq41GekEUCJfQdo-sLbtC~w5-Kci9B5VaPwfV0Qsp4GDmALV9rFhLtbow8oVBHo3UqktIsK-H6p6WAc4JAyR5LOxjA~nFyIaQD6MVWyJvT9MGGfqa8QA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Ohio Legislature","date","2025-02-27T00:00:00Z","article","Nicholas Hanick, president of the Brunswick City Council and vice mayor of Brunswick, told the Senate Transportation Committee he supports repeal of Ohio Revised Code 5501.6 and asked the committee to keep language in House Bill 54 that mandates a comprehensive Northeast Ohio traffic study by NOACA and ODOT.

\"Ohio Revised Code 5501.6 is an arbitrary formula without any known scientific or engineering basis that will impose a highway interchange where the data has conclusively shown it is unwarranted,\" Hanick said, recounting residents’ testimony about home displacement and property impacts tied to a mandated Boston Road interchange proposal.

Why it matters: Hanick said the mandatory interchange formula would require construction at a specific location even though preliminary engineering studies — including a 2023 preliminary feasibility study by Strongsville — and ODOT review concluded a Boston Road interchange would not improve congestion or safety at the nearby Route 82/Howe Road area. Hanick warned that leaving the statute in place would undermine a broader regionwide study and preordain a fixed outcome.

Details from testimony

- Hanick said the 2023 Strongsville preliminary feasibility study concluded a Boston Road interchange would not improve congestion, could slow traffic on I‑71, and would not resolve the Route 82/Howe Road problems. ODOT, he said, reviewed that study and recommended a broader regional study.

- He said the broader study mandated by the repeal bills and included in current House language would be conducted by NOACA (the Northeastern Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency) and ODOT, covering a larger area north of the currently studied location to identify actionable congestion‑relief options.

- Hanick asked the committee to retain the repeal language for Ohio Revised Code 5501.6 and the study mandate in House Bill 54 so professional engineers and planners can evaluate regional solutions rather than conforming to a statutory mandate for a single interchange location.

Questions and clarifications

Committee members asked about earlier municipal master plans and prior public discussions. Hanick said an updated 2020 comprehensive plan for Brunswick does not include the Boston Road interchange and that the 2023 feasibility study data are conclusive. He also said Medina County officials and several local jurisdictions filed testimony in favor of repeal.

What the testimony did not include

No formal committee action or vote on repeal language or the study mandate was recorded during the hearing. Representatives of Strongsville and NOACA did not testify in this excerpt.

Ending

Hanick asked senators to rely on data and professional analysis and to include the repeal of Ohio Revised Code 5501.6 and the mandated NOACA/ODOT regional study in House Bill 54 so a data‑driven solution can be found for congestion in the greater Route 82 corridor.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ohio Senate Transportation Committee -2-27-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Nicholas Hanick, president of Brunswick City Council, told the Senate Transportation Committee that Ohio Revised Code 5501.6 mandates an unwarranted interchange location and urged lawmakers to repeal the statute while keeping a mandated, broader ODOT/NOACA traffic study for the region in House Bill 54.","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":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6293421,"Insurance Innovation Director Urges Addition of App Option to Ohio Driver‑Training Requirements",344,3354000,3698000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523334-a23127923ae7284e3a8ea173450590fd&start=3354&end=3698","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523334-a23127923ae7284e3a8ea173450590fd/thumbnail_3354000.jpg","/articles/6293421/Ohio/Insurance-Innovation-Director-Urges-Addition-of-App-Option-to-Ohio-DriverTraining-Requirements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293421-8af139720e13a162ddbd50ee618c8f9a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770638287&Signature=TUMudwI6xmpTJa8XZonrGshVSw-ZAPj6LwnRnZsf-P3TK2W1RIHj4hnMJZWT-NNAODQ~DCuY0wEqGRWkmdeae~3CqmcbYQldmiFpo~wn2leLinhk38qg1NtLYZUUK168vnX8-K2E3hhJ2yUlBVqszuEbdG2-cLjRteiQMJBGDx1pFVeW3mfkiOr3RBpZIMon9oPKcgmqrN3AzlFZk29g4zjNeILEHlAPO0YisprNML5ITN~nI~gwLjfJ4ekEJMgaLO6v0NIuxoewx1adM76~IhC4eotQBDgd6QnDxT--ShMEYdaVDmnsZRQVdD81aFmtoCAazAZMGpDKc5od~Dj9cQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jason Rather, who leads innovation at Grange Insurance, asked the Senate Transportation Committee to add language to House Bill 54 that would permit state‑approved mobile app technology to supplement — not replace — traditional driver‑training instruction.

Rather described three challenges he called the \"3 A's\": accessibility, availability and affordability of driver training. He said the bill already contains licensing and training minimums for new drivers and that his proposed amendment would create an additional option that uses a mobile app as an in‑car coaching tool while keeping a licensed adult in the vehicle.

\"Safety is paramount,\" Rather told the committee and said any technology would have to be reviewed and approved by the Department of Public Safety before use. He said the app would capture driving behavior metrics and provide post‑drive coaching to parents and students.

Why it matters: The change would let driving schools and families use telematics‑style feedback to expand coaching and potentially reduce wait times or travel burdens where traditional driving schools are scarce. Rather said the amendment would have no impact on the state budget and would preserve driving‑instructor jobs because licensed adults must remain in the vehicle during training.

Details from testimony

- Rather cited existing House language requiring driver‑training proof for under‑18 applicants and a sworn affidavit for some adults showing 50 hours of driving experience, including 10 hours at night.

- His proposed amendment would add a state approval process for app‑based coaching tools and explicitly allow a mobile app as a complementary training aid.

- Rather said the technology would operate as a passive coach in the vehicle, capturing driving behaviors and producing post‑drive feedback for parents and students.

What the testimony did not include

The committee did not record a formal vote on any amendment; ODOT or the Department of Public Safety did not testify in this segment to confirm the technical or regulatory feasibility of the proposal.

Ending

Rather said he will submit a written amendment for the committee’s consideration and asked senators to consider adding a technology‑option pathway to updated driver‑training requirements.","Jason Rather of Grange Insurance asked the Senate to amend House Bill 54 to allow state‑approved mobile app technology to complement in‑car driving instruction and to modernize driver training while preserving instructor jobs and safety oversight.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6293426,"Regional Planning Funding Cut and I‑73 Feasibility Study Draw Pushback from Urban‑Revitalization Group",355,2985000,3340000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523334-a23127923ae7284e3a8ea173450590fd&start=2985&end=3340","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523334-a23127923ae7284e3a8ea173450590fd/thumbnail_2985000.jpg","/articles/6293426/Ohio/Regional-Planning-Funding-Cut-and-I73-Feasibility-Study-Draw-Pushback-from-UrbanRevitalization-Group","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293426-ed8f08622e0e706ff8c217bf5606ff0c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770638287&Signature=Y13YGVjCvlJugOx0vYtzWtB0uAHCoUEhXlVZq~3tR3s-6PfI4-d5SwUHYlhLar0AYt2cwa8flPRpPpxCUeR~y3449laNjdVkdTh7pusH8VXI-oJTcjje0ACNrlE79fnBm3m~NwDMlvfcqCGAUEKOgoQT5xnqFfGCWrXugTNRryd0rCs5cGk3ASd30GEwM67sJ4vX8T5~qgQFgd8REuFIHjOf-gMJ-LGD0joG94T-UASboLUVMc9B93je0FV9MRmjSctTEX~ppri1c8CagaS8yQWt~k2d2BzqelADRqNM~BCzV3jy-p-sOmPwemAkmishayvPL5zdMRqdO2gRqrXbEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jason Warner, director of strategic engagement at the Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC), told the Senate Transportation Committee that the House version of the transportation budget removes funding for regional transportation planning organizations (RTPOs) and includes a requirement and $2 million for an Interstate 73 feasibility study that GOPC regards as duplicative.

\"House Bill 54 removes $5,000,000 in each fiscal year, which otherwise would be used by Ohio’s six regional RTPOs,\" Warner said, and GOPC asked the Senate to restore that funding. He said the RTPO program has invested in 35 projects since fiscal year 2022 but that more than 180 requests remain unfunded, totaling over $112 million.

Warner also urged the Senate to remove a House requirement and funding that would direct ODOT to study an Interstate Route 73 corridor primarily along US‑23. He said ODOT on Feb. 14 released a Strategic Transportation Development Analysis (STDA) that reviewed the same corridors and found that an alternative interstate freeway generally was not recommended because of costs and limited travel‑time benefit.

Why it matters: RTPO funding supports rural transportation planning and project advancement; GOPC said cutting the earmark would hinder rural counties. GOPC also argued the I‑73 study would duplicate work already completed by ODOT in the STDA and recommended the Senate drop the provision.

Details from testimony

- GOPC asked the Senate to restore $5 million per fiscal year for RTPOs; Warner cited ODOT’s 2024 RTPO impact report documenting 35 projects funded since FY2022 and more than 180 unfunded requests.

- House Bill 54 requires ODOT to conduct a feasibility study for an Interstate Route 73 corridor along US‑23 by 12/31/2026 and reserves $2 million for that study; GOPC argued ODOT’s STDA already reviewed US‑23 segments and recommended more targeted corridor improvements rather than building an alternative interstate.

- GOPC encouraged the Senate to prioritize other pressing transportation needs rather than fund a potentially duplicative study.

What the testimony did not include

Committee record shows no formal amendment or vote on restoring RTPO funding or removing the I‑73 study provision during this hearing.

Ending

Warner asked the Senate to restore RTPO funding and to remove the I‑73 study directive from House Bill 54, citing the STDA recommendations and urging lawmakers to focus limited funds on higher‑priority projects.","Greater Ohio Policy Center urged the Senate to restore $5 million per year for regional transportation planning organizations and to remove a $2 million study requirement for Interstate Route 73, arguing the work duplicates ODOT's recently released STDA report.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6293431,"Concrete Industry Asks Senate to Require Neutral Review of ODOT Pavement‑Selection Process",2100,872000,2972000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523334-a23127923ae7284e3a8ea173450590fd&start=872&end=2972","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523334-a23127923ae7284e3a8ea173450590fd/thumbnail_872000.jpg","/articles/6293431/Ohio/Concrete-Industry-Asks-Senate-to-Require-Neutral-Review-of-ODOT-PavementSelection-Process","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293431-cb8aae2bb7d851a1b4e55f1d0064419b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770638287&Signature=J3f7322zwyV~1ktUjY0uQntVnvT6uQU-IJpFD7TcNUEffbw0k1TsKuM2o2e-ZthKym8z41MBb1fcqp5I8xE-Bye645GeTaAtmxyPZyNzhZv5q2-2zHskGOWobmbfabdFYnS1u-RKP9Yd3c5mM5dN0dgApt7uLGXYQGCxD08o-VxzQpU1f49vPXH~JKSV34EUl14uq~jarrScSFWXka~D0D0OCzhITiuaWdsI3uT4PYK8K03BT5vGTx3tblKjZRFkpelnYeO4KzzqnF4cepDYAYWJeCD3Rn-LanlfDtOiNY7ypuAbO-RzJqiXA2O0bTlOMTeYbPWAVelWvZ89d1uAlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tom Rositz, president and executive director of Ohio Concrete, urged the committee to preserve House Bill 54 language requiring a neutral third‑party analysis of the Ohio Department of Transportation's pavement‑selection process and creation of an advisory council to set the scope and select the reviewer.

\"The language would simply require ODOT to contract with the neutral third party to analyze the agency's pavement selection process, including but not limited to life cycle cost analysis, user delay, constructability, and environmental factors,\" Rositz told the committee.

Why it matters: Rositz said Ohio's pavement market has become overwhelmingly asphalt‑dominant and that renewed impartial analysis would restore competition, lower material costs and allow agencies to get more roadway work for a fixed budget. He cited a 2020 Massachusetts Institute of Technology analysis and a 2019 American Concrete Paving Association report as supporting evidence that competition can lower costs and that ODOT's current design methodology is outdated.

Details from testimony

- Rositz asked the committee to maintain language that mirrors a provision the 125th General Assembly adopted in 2003, which then supported a two‑pavement competitive market for about a decade.

- Proposed mechanics: ODOT would contract with a neutral third party (individual, academic or professional association) to analyze life‑cycle cost analysis inputs, user delay, constructability and environmental factors; an advisory council chaired by the ODOT director would approve the analysis scope. Industry groups such as the Flexible Pavement Association of Ohio and Ohio Concrete would each have one seat on the council, along with representatives from the Ohio Society of CPAs, the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers, and business appointees named by legislative leaders.

- Rositz said ODOT's current pavement design methodology is about 32 years old; he told senators other states use newer software and design inputs, and that differences in methodology can effectively bias results toward one pavement type.

Cost and timeline

Rositz estimated the neutral analysis would be a one‑time task with an approximate cost of $70,000 to $100,000; he said that increased market competition could offset that cost through lower bid prices.

Questions from senators

Committee members asked whether ODOT's in‑house engineers could be trusted to select pavement types and why ODOT had not adopted newer design methodologies. Rositz responded that ODOT's staff have an oath to taxpayers but that the existing design methodology and input values are not \"apples to apples\" across pavement types. He said other states that allow both materials to bid show greater competition and lower costs.

What the testimony did not include

The transcript records no formal committee action or vote on the proposed language. ODOT representatives did not testify in this hearing segment to respond to Rositz's claims about methodology or competition.

Ending

Rositz asked the committee to preserve the amended language in House Bill 54 to commission the neutral review; senators requested the witness provide documentation and follow‑up materials that the committee can distribute to members.","Ohio Concrete asked the Senate Transportation Committee to preserve House Bill 54 language that would require the Ohio Department of Transportation to commission a neutral third‑party review of its pavement‑selection process and to form an advisory council to approve the study scope.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":79,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6293436,"Witnesses Urge State Investment in Truck Parking, Citing Safety and Supply‑Chain Effects",518000,862000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523334-a23127923ae7284e3a8ea173450590fd&start=518&end=862","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523334-a23127923ae7284e3a8ea173450590fd/thumbnail_518000.jpg","/articles/6293436/Ohio/Witnesses-Urge-State-Investment-in-Truck-Parking-Citing-Safety-and-SupplyChain-Effects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293436-c465e9c9e9126bfcd28c365104922bd4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770638287&Signature=IBlIwRGVCAIohvwVzepOv38ASnOI9PkzH7RXBlu0sj3oxGkdo7CfeMRM9vjl0qVARdmVNlj7nzOyihaGwUvsaOatL0PUpMBXbNylRBoZQF7cNEfGA445rnT7qWZL8nhoMO5g1y~I2yqlvmT9MvZmsgAhwCIjz8iytZ5Uz0JViWJDYJtPDn~8qxeDtoQJz~qJ614rLgOPp50I9NruWEgLcAjzU1Xa60f6NukhcNvzoS~FqoGfZw-iWr-zS1e3ijto5SyWHAD9TPwWjJHw-MnpvRvYAFjJVWPwKxXQ9XcCtwSdGvFO3k2LsJ3ob54SBJ6Q98HIk1ILw71yf2xjQLx80A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mr. Balzer, a witness representing the trucking industry, told the Ohio Senate Transportation Committee that a shortage of safe, legal truck parking creates roadway and workforce safety hazards and lowers supply‑chain efficiency.

\"Safety is the number 1 priority that we have,\" Mr. Balzer said, describing drivers who must park in unsafe locations and sometimes face vandalism or assaults. He told senators the American Transportation Research Institute found that \"90 percent of truck drivers have difficulty finding safe and legal parking spots,\" a factor he said pushes drivers to make inefficient choices about when and where to stop.

Why it matters: Committee members heard that state investment could pay for engineering and siting studies to place parking where drivers can rest safely and where facilities — fuel, food, access ramps — support operations. Witnesses and some senators framed the issue as both a worker‑safety and a freight‑efficiency concern tied to the biennial transportation budget under consideration in House Bill 54.

Details from testimony

- Mr. Balzer said the federal hours‑of‑service rules allow up to 11 hours of driving but that the average driver currently drives about 6.5 hours, in part because drivers shorten trips to avoid running out of legal parking time. He said that dynamic reduces productivity and creates supply‑chain inefficiencies.

- A chart cited in testimony showed 81% of existing truck parking spots are privately owned (truck stops or private truck parking facilities), and witnesses said private operators report being at or near capacity.

- Cost estimates discussed by senators and the witness ranged widely; one committee member calculated a per‑spot construction range of roughly $100,000 to $220,000 based on prior ODOT testimony and the witness's figures. Mr. Balzer said federal grant programs created by recent federal highway policy provide additional funding and are not structured as a typical matching program but as a grant to help offset costs.

- Mr. Balzer said private operators would expand parking only if profitable, but that many private operators reported having no additional land or capacity to add spots.

Committee questions and concerns

Senators asked about how locations for spots would be selected, whether state funds would be matched by federal funds, and whether the program would use existing state‑owned land where feasible. Mr. Balzer said the proposed budget funding would pay for engineering and studies to find appropriate locations and that the department would try to use existing state land or expand existing sites when feasible. He also said federal grant funding identified in recent federal legislation would contribute to the program but described it as a straight grant rather than a matching program.

What the testimony did not include

No formal vote or disposition occurred on the committee floor about funding for truck parking during the hearing. The witness repeatedly framed the proposal as engineering, siting and construction work to be paid from the transportation budget language in House Bill 54; the committee did not, in the transcript, record a formal motion or vote on that language.

Ending

Committee members pressed for assurance that public dollars would be spent efficiently and asked staff to verify cost estimates, siting plans and how federal programs would interact with state funding. Mr. Balzer told senators the trucking membership supports spending on truck parking and that members want more investment, subject to efficient engineering and siting.","A trucking-industry witness told the Ohio Senate Transportation Committee that lack of safe, legal truck parking reduces driver safety and supply‑chain efficiency and supported House Bill 54 language funding engineering and siting work for truck parking spots.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Brunswick Official Urges Repeal of Statute Forcing Interchange at Boston Road, Backs Broader ODOT/NOACA Study

Insurance Innovation Director Urges Addition of App Option to Ohio Driver‑Training Requirements

Regional Planning Funding Cut and I‑73 Feasibility Study Draw Pushback from Urban‑Revitalization Group

Concrete Industry Asks Senate to Require Neutral Review of ODOT Pavement‑Selection Process

Witnesses Urge State Investment in Truck Parking, Citing Safety and Supply‑Chain Effects