Ohio Senate Approves Transportation Budget

The Ohio Senate has approved the state's two-year, 7.8 billion dollar transportation budget. The plan earmarks additional funding for local roads and bridges, lowers fees on high-volume commercial truck fleets and makes it easier for municipalities to share road maintenance and repair responsibilities. The measure goes back to the Ohio House for approval of the Senate changes. It allocates an additional 48 million gas tax dollars  for local road and bridge improvements and spends at least 33 million each year on public transit. An additional 15 million from an emissions-related settlement is allotted toward public transit vehicles powered by clean energy.