All Aboard Ohio: USDOT plan to send 3C rail funding to other states is premature
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — December 9, 2010
Contact:
Ken Prendergast
All Aboard Ohio Executive Director
(216) 288-4883
kenprendergast@allaboardohio.org
All Aboard Ohio, a statewide nonprofit association, today said the U.S. Department of Transportation's is moving prematurely to redirect up to $400 million in no-match federal funds from the Ohio Department of Transportation. ODOT was awarded the funds for the development of an introductory level of passenger rail service linking Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati – the Midwest's busiest travel corridor between metropolitan areas.
"Until grant agreements with the new state recipients have been signed, we don't consider this a done deal," said All Aboard Ohio President Bill Hutchison. He noted that it often takes months for such agreements to be finalized. "Indeed, $385.1 million of the funding awarded to Ohio was not yet under agreement and was free to being reallocated by the USDOT. The other $14.9 million for 3C preliminary engineering is under a grant agreement with ODOT and cannot simply be taken away."
USDOT made the announcement today with more than one month left in Gov. Ted Strickland's term. The USDOT acted because, in its written words, "incoming Governors in Wisconsin and Ohio have both indicated that they will not move forward to use high-speed rail money."
"The USDOT acted prematurely as all alternatives have not been exhausted," Hutchison said. "There should be more communication with the Federal Railroad Administration and those of us who are trying to keep 3C moving forward. We are calling for an open, honest dialogue between Gov. Strickland, Gov.-Elect Kasich and potential 3C partners to consider an alternative that could be instituted within the same time frame ODOT was expected to move forward with 3C."
Ironically, today's announcement came hours after the Dayton Daily News published details of an alternative, proven plan by All Aboard Ohio and others to pursue the 3C project without state involvement. The plan assumes the initial federal investment will remain with the service sustained via local public-private partnerships overseen by a Joint Powers Authority: http://freepdfhosting.com/bd173f3a6e.pdf
"The Dayton Daily News article included a quote from Gov.-Elect Kasich's spokesman which gives All Aboard Ohio hope that we can work with the Kasich team on this concept to keep this huge investment in new jobs and mobility for Ohio," Hutchison said.
"With looming threats of unprecedented global oil shortages by 2015, the Baby Boom generation starting to turn 65 years old in 2011 and young Ohioans leaving for states that don't force them to drive everywhere, now is not the time for Ohio leaders to let this money slip away," Hutchison concluded.
END
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — December 9, 2010
Contact:
Ken Prendergast
All Aboard Ohio Executive Director
(216) 288-4883
kenprendergast@allaboardohio.org
All Aboard Ohio, a statewide nonprofit association, today said the U.S. Department of Transportation's is moving prematurely to redirect up to $400 million in no-match federal funds from the Ohio Department of Transportation. ODOT was awarded the funds for the development of an introductory level of passenger rail service linking Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati – the Midwest's busiest travel corridor between metropolitan areas.
"Until grant agreements with the new state recipients have been signed, we don't consider this a done deal," said All Aboard Ohio President Bill Hutchison. He noted that it often takes months for such agreements to be finalized. "Indeed, $385.1 million of the funding awarded to Ohio was not yet under agreement and was free to being reallocated by the USDOT. The other $14.9 million for 3C preliminary engineering is under a grant agreement with ODOT and cannot simply be taken away."
USDOT made the announcement today with more than one month left in Gov. Ted Strickland's term. The USDOT acted because, in its written words, "incoming Governors in Wisconsin and Ohio have both indicated that they will not move forward to use high-speed rail money."
"The USDOT acted prematurely as all alternatives have not been exhausted," Hutchison said. "There should be more communication with the Federal Railroad Administration and those of us who are trying to keep 3C moving forward. We are calling for an open, honest dialogue between Gov. Strickland, Gov.-Elect Kasich and potential 3C partners to consider an alternative that could be instituted within the same time frame ODOT was expected to move forward with 3C."
Ironically, today's announcement came hours after the Dayton Daily News published details of an alternative, proven plan by All Aboard Ohio and others to pursue the 3C project without state involvement. The plan assumes the initial federal investment will remain with the service sustained via local public-private partnerships overseen by a Joint Powers Authority: http://freepdfhosting.com/bd173f3a6e.pdf
"The Dayton Daily News article included a quote from Gov.-Elect Kasich's spokesman which gives All Aboard Ohio hope that we can work with the Kasich team on this concept to keep this huge investment in new jobs and mobility for Ohio," Hutchison said.
"With looming threats of unprecedented global oil shortages by 2015, the Baby Boom generation starting to turn 65 years old in 2011 and young Ohioans leaving for states that don't force them to drive everywhere, now is not the time for Ohio leaders to let this money slip away," Hutchison concluded.
END
Ken Prendergast
Executive Director
All Aboard Ohio
12029 Clifton Blvd., Suite 505
Cleveland, OH 44107
(216) 288-4883
kenprendergast@allaboardohio.org
www.allaboardohio.org
Executive Director
All Aboard Ohio
12029 Clifton Blvd., Suite 505
Cleveland, OH 44107
(216) 288-4883
kenprendergast@allaboardohio.org
www.allaboardohio.org
