Move Forward With Rail Service For Ohio

Ohio has a tremendous opportunity to bring efficient, modern passenger rail service to one of the most populous corridors in the country - but the opportunity may be slipping away. Governor-elect John Kasich has stated his intention to stop this important economic development infrastructure project. Send a message to the incoming Governor and your legislators that you support bringing rail service to Ohio that will connect our state to the Midwest and East Coast!

 

Background: In January, Ohio was awarded $400 million through a highly competitive grant process to build rail service connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati to the established Midwest and East Coast rail networks. This funding will pay for the engineering studies, wages and materials needed to bring the project to completion and create thousands of jobs in the process.

 

Bringing rail service to Ohio will support the over 220 rail suppliers already in the state and encourage new businesses to locate here, stimulate our travel and tourism industry, and create additional mobility options for the students, businesspeople and seniors who are most likely to use the service. And it will make living in Ohio more appealing by enabling convenient, affordable travel to cities like Chicago, New York, and Washington DC.

 

Although we understand the state budget is facing a shortfall, we believe this is a cost-effective project with a number of significant benefits that are worth more discussion and debate. It is estimated that the state's annual operating subsidy will be $17 million a year once we are responsible for maintaining the service. In exchange for this state expense of $340 million over 20 years, we have the opportunity to put $400 million to work creating these benefits and economic development in our state now. The math more than adds up.

 

We are asking the incoming Governor and the state legislature to fully examine this project and debate the merits of bringing service to our state, including debating new possibilities for how to generate revenues from branding and advertising to further lower costs and maximize benefits to the people of Ohio.

We the undersigned ask that you fully consider the merits of connecting Ohio's cities to each other and cities throughout the Midwest and East Coast with modern passenger rail service. Implementing rail service in Ohio will support the 220 existing rail supply companies in our state and encourage new business to locate here, assist private businesses in the travel and tourism industry working to capitalize on the tremendous cultural assets of our state, and create opportunities for Ohio's engineers, laborers and skilled tradespeople.

 

Although Ohio is facing a sizable budget shortfall, we believe the significant benefits of this project outweigh the comparatively minor costs, and as such deserve full consideration and debate. Additionally we believe that, in consultation with business and legislative leaders, you will have the ability to identify creative ways to reduce expenses and generate new revenues that will make the service even more useful and cost effective.

 

This project will create thousands of jobs, improve mobility options for the students, business people and seniors most likely to use the service on a regular basis, and improve travel opportunities and quality of life for our citizens. From a financial standpoint, it allows us to put $400 million in economic development to work immediately, with an expense currently estimated at $17 million a year over the next 20 years, for a total of $340 million before any new cost cutting or revenue generating ideas are explored. There is a strong case to be made that the return on the state's investment will be dynamic and long-lasting economic development opportunities for Ohio's communities.

 

We believe the potential of this project warrants a full examination and debate of the opportunity afforded to Ohioans with the grant awarded our state for rail service, and respectfully ask that you give full consideration to the merits of the project before making a final decision to return the funds for distribution to another state.

 

Thank you for your consideration,

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