Ohio’s opportunity to decarbonize transportation
Posted August 20, 2024 in Press Releases
Federal funding for equitable clean transit investments
Ohio has an opportunity to draw down large federal incentives to jumpstart a statewide transition to clean transportation, according to a new report from Policy Matters Ohio. To make the most of this funding, policymakers will need to invest more in clean, reliable, and accessible public transit.
“Ohio’s transportation sector accounts for a quarter of all energy consumed in the state,” said Policy Matters researcher Molly Bryden, author of the report. “A rapid, equitable transition to clean transportation will have major benefits for Ohioans’ health, economy, air, water, and soil.”
As part of the Biden administration’s Justice40 initiative, funding decisions for some climate-related transportation projects are based in part on a community’s transportation burden: the average percentage of household income spent on transportation-related costs. The report examines communities where projects are likely to qualify for federal awards and bonus tax credits. “These communities are home to thirty percent of all Ohioans — that’s 3.5 million of us,” Bryden said. “That includes more than 40% of Ohioans who live in rural areas, and 26% in urban ones.”
Ohio underinvests in public transit, spending just $6 per person each year, compared to the national average of $60. “This is another example of state lawmakers foisting their responsibilities onto local entities,” said Bryden. “With so little state funding, regional transit authorities rely heavily on levies and other local sources. When that isn’t enough, they are forced to cut routes, reduce frequency, and raise fares. As a result, public transit becomes less convenient, reducing demand.”
State and federal efforts to decarbonize transportation have focused on transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs), Bryden said, though that leaves out far too many Ohioans. “Because so many Ohioans depend on their own cars and trucks for personal transportation, it is important to build up EV infrastructure, and incentivize both production and demand,” Bryden said. “But we can’t stop with personal vehicles; more than seven percent of Ohio households don’t have them. An equitable transition to clean transportation requires that we match those efforts with more transit investments.”
Download cleantransportationpr.pdf