WASHINGTON,D.C. - Today, Rep. Marcia L. Fudge(OH-11) and Rep. Tim Ryan(OH-17)  responded to Governor John Kasich’s proposal for the Ohio Turnpike.  The troubling plan could compromise the future of the Ohio Turnpike by raising tolls, curbing maintenance, and harming local commerce along the roadway. Governor Kasich’s announcement comes after the completion of a multimillion dollar taxpayer-funded study. While that study stopped short of fully privatizing the Turnpike, the Governor’s plan will bring many of the same dangers as privatization.

“For generations, people traveling throughout Ohio have been able to rely on the Ohio Turnpike to be well-maintained, safe and affordable,” saidCongresswoman Fudge.  “Governor Kasich’s plan unnecessarily diverts revenue needed for future maintenance of the turnpike.  By increasing tolls, this plan also creates an economic hardship for families on personal travel and for businesses that surround it.  The people of Ohio deserve better.”

“The turnpike is one of Ohio’s most reliable and best-maintained roads, and the Governor’s plans jeopardize its future,” saidCongressman Ryan. “This is not the time to advance policies that will raise tolls and yet decrease funding for maintenance and infrastructure. What the Governor wants will create a roadblock for Ohio’s economy and hurt Ohio families who rely on the turnpike for business and personal travel.”

The Governor’s plan places the Turnpike under the control of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). This move will allow the state to reallocate maintenance and infrastructure funds away from northern Ohio in order to fund projects around the state at the expense of residents in northern Ohio. Currently, Turnpike funds are required to be spent within a mile of the roadway, and moving the Turnpike Authority under the umbrella of ODOT removes accountability and transparency for how Turnpike funds are being used.

The risk of higher taxes and decreased safety and maintenance for the Turnpike are particularly worrisome when it is utilized daily by companies that are driving the economic comeback across northern Ohio from Toledo to Cleveland to Youngstown.   Growth industries such as shale gas development, automotive manufacturing, and advanced engineering all rely on the Turnpike for transportation, and making the Turnpike less reliable and more expensive jeopardizes the state’s ability to create economic development opportunities.