Rep. Crawley calls latest version of transportation budget "a step in the right direction"

Rep. Erica C. Crawley (D-Columbus), the ranking Democrat on the House Finance Committee, today reacted to the latest version of House Bill (HB) 74, the state’s two-year transportation budget. Democrats had expressed concern over the governor’s proposal, which significantly cut public transit funds. Democrats on the Finance Committee had pushed for more transit funding in the bill in recent weeks.  The amended transportation budget includes $193.7 million in public transit funding over the next two years, a doubling the total investment from the governor’s initial proposal. 

“Public transit investment is an investment in access, it’s an investment in people and businesses,” said Rep. Crawley. “If we want to be a progressive state, a destination where people want to move to live, work, go to school, start a business or raise a family, we need to invest in our public transit systems and infrastructure to ensure our economic recovery benefits all Ohioans—the things Democrats have continued to fight for. Increasing funding levels from the governor’s initial proposal was one of our top priorities. This is a step in the right direction, but there’s more work to do to ensure we’re making the right investments to move Ohio forward.”