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