ODOT awards $17.5 million in grants to support public workforce transportation in rural and urban areas of Ohio
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support public workforce transportation in rural and urban areas of Ohio.
The funding is through the Ohio Workforce Mobility Partnership Program (OWMP) and will support 33 transit projects in 16 counties that increase the ease and efficiency of transporting residents to economically significant employment centers or places of employment outside of their home communities.
“Transportation should never be a barrier to opportunity," said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. "With these grants, we're ensuring that Ohioans can easily travel to and from work without having to choose between a good paying job or the relocation of their family.”
The OWMP Program was established with support from the Ohio General Assembly. The program provides funding for infrastructure, equipment, technology, vehicles and planning projects.
“Public transit serves an important role by providing mobility options for our workforce. This funding ensures that transit agencies are better able to connect Ohio's workers to their jobs and to employment opportunities across the state,” said ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn.
ODOT notes the grants include more than a $1 million for the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) for an entry drive, canopy and technology that displays real-time bus arrival information at a transit hub at Rickenbacker International Airport that connects COTA and the Groveport Rickenbacker Employee Access Transit to transit agencies in Fairfield, Fayette, Madison and Pickaway counties.
The Butler County Regional Transit Authority will receive $2.5 million to expand its bus yard, construct a propane fuel station and offer additional training for drivers. ODOT says the upgrades will support the CincyLink Commuter route that connects residents of Butler and Warren counties with places of employment in Hamilton County.
In rural areas, ODOT notes projects include $117,004 for Morgan County Transit to support the Morgan-Noble County Workforce Connectivity project. The funds will provide two new vehicles to expand services between the two counties.
The OWMP is administered by ODOT’s Office of Transit, which advocates and supports safe and reliable personal mobility by coordinating and funding public transportation as a vital element of Ohio's transportation system.
