 | On Friday, February 14th, the Ohio Department of Transportation released its statewide Strategic Transportation Development and Analysis (STDA) report. As a result of Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce (TRCC) advocacy efforts, $10M was included in the last transportation budget, HB23, to conduct the STDA. HB23 specifically calls out the connection between Toledo to Columbus and Sandusky to Columbus for study. Further, the statute called for actionable recommendations to be provided to the legislature no later than December 31, 2024. The release of the report was 45 days past due and provides no long-term solutions to address this issue, leaving the northwest Ohio business community both disappointed and dissatisfied with the findings. The lack of an efficient, predictable, safe connection is a hinderance to fostering an increased economic tie between northwest and central Ohio. |
Supporting the creation of a free-flow highway connection between Northwest Ohio and Central Ohio, to promote safety and economic development, has been, and continues to be, a top priority in the TRCC’s Public Policy Agenda. In September 2022, Governor DeWine came to Toledo at the invitation of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce to discuss concerns about the lack of a free-flow connection between Toledo and Columbus. Additionally, in January 2024, at the urging of the TRCC, nearly 150 business and community leaders from the Toledo region participated in a listening session to provide feedback to the ODOT and the STDA consultant about the transportation and development needs of our region. The common theme among the attendees was to improve the highway connection with Columbus. That theme was echoed during similar sessions in Sandusky and Lima. The Toledo session generated the largest attendance of all the sessions across Ohio.
The STDA was intended to strengthen the connections between statewide transportation and development decisions. Unfortunately, the recommendations in the report do nothing to support this objective. The Toledo to Columbus recommendations are to “enhance the US23 corridor in Delaware & Franklin counties to improve connectivity and reduce congestion” and “advance projects into design and development phases.”
“In order to address critical business challenges, vision and courage is required. Unfortunately, this report has neither” said Brian Dicken, vice president for advocacy and strategic initiatives at the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Once again Columbus is kicking the can down the road on a long-term solution to improve the highway connection between the Toledo and Columbus regions.”
“The opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge later this year will only improve Ohio’s connection with Canada, our largest trading partner, and will likely increase commercial traffic between all regions of Ohio. We must continue to plan and build for future economic opportunities,” said Dicken.
In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the Clay Commission to begin the development of a national highway plan. The Commission found that a highway system can increase the potential for economic growth and the well-being of the economy. The result of that vision puts the Toledo region at the crossroads of two of the longest interstate highways in the country, placing it within a one-days drive of 60% of the population. The visionary thinking that created our modern interstate system is lacking in the STDA.
The Chamber will continue to work with its partners such as the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) to call on our legislators, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and Governor DeWine to identify and implement a true long-term solution to our highway connectivity problem. Please add your voice by reaching out to our legislators and letting them know that lack of an efficient, predictable, safe connection between northwest and central Ohio is unacceptable. We’ve made it easy…just click here.
Questions? Please reach out to Brian Dicken, VP of Advocacy & Strategic Initiatives at [email protected] or 567.420.1227.
The STDA was intended to strengthen the connections between statewide transportation and development decisions. Unfortunately, the recommendations in the report do nothing to support this objective. The Toledo to Columbus recommendations are to “enhance the US23 corridor in Delaware & Franklin counties to improve connectivity and reduce congestion” and “advance projects into design and development phases.”
“In order to address critical business challenges, vision and courage is required. Unfortunately, this report has neither” said Brian Dicken, vice president for advocacy and strategic initiatives at the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Once again Columbus is kicking the can down the road on a long-term solution to improve the highway connection between the Toledo and Columbus regions.”
“The opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge later this year will only improve Ohio’s connection with Canada, our largest trading partner, and will likely increase commercial traffic between all regions of Ohio. We must continue to plan and build for future economic opportunities,” said Dicken.
In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the Clay Commission to begin the development of a national highway plan. The Commission found that a highway system can increase the potential for economic growth and the well-being of the economy. The result of that vision puts the Toledo region at the crossroads of two of the longest interstate highways in the country, placing it within a one-days drive of 60% of the population. The visionary thinking that created our modern interstate system is lacking in the STDA.
The Chamber will continue to work with its partners such as the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) to call on our legislators, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and Governor DeWine to identify and implement a true long-term solution to our highway connectivity problem. Please add your voice by reaching out to our legislators and letting them know that lack of an efficient, predictable, safe connection between northwest and central Ohio is unacceptable. We’ve made it easy…just click here.
Questions? Please reach out to Brian Dicken, VP of Advocacy & Strategic Initiatives at [email protected] or 567.420.1227.
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