Transit authorities ask Legislature to raise annual transit funding to $85M and restore $15M workforce mobility program in HB54

Columbus — Representatives of more than a dozen Ohio public transit providers urged the House Transportation Committee on Feb. 11 to raise annual state transit funding to $85 million and to reauthorize the Ohio Workforce Mobility Partnership Program at $15 million per year as part of House Bill 54, the proposed state transportation budget for fiscal 2026–27.

At the committee hearing, Patrick Harris, chief external relations officer for the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), told lawmakers: "We respectfully request that the transportation budget recognized public transit's pivotal role in serving Ohio's growing economy and increased funding to $85,000,000." Several other transit CEOs and general managers delivered similar asks and described projects and service gaps that, they said, depend on continued or increased state…