Taft Proposes $4.3 Billion For Roads
Total construction spending will increase by $200 million each year from this year's level because of increased federal funding and cost-cutting at the Ohio Department of Transportation, Taft said.
"With the passage of the federal highway bill last year, Ohio now has at its disposal more funding for construction and receives back from Washington a bigger share of its gasoline tax dollars," he said in a news release.
Ohio received $625 million in federal transportation money this year. That will increase to $900 million in the budget year beginning July 1, and to $915 million the following year.
State officials have long complained about sending more gasoline tax revenue to federal officials than Ohio received back from Washington. Without the extra federal aid, the state would have run out of money for major new construction projects in 2002, Taft said.
Instead, spending on major road projects will total $300 million each year. Total construction spending will increase from $1.1 billion this year to $1.3 billion next. Basic maintenance will
ncrease 3 percent to $479 million next year.
The House Finance Committee was scheduled to begin debate on the budget Tuesday afternoon.
