ODOT

The Ohio Department of Transportation says there were nearly 80,000 distracted driving crashes in the state in the last five years, killing at least 268 people and injuring more than 3,000. Gov. Mike DeWine is fighting back with a panel to make some policy recommendations based on a new report.

The first phase of construction on Howe  Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls starts Monday and businesses are preparing for a financial impact.

The project will replace the road near a popular business district that includes stores in Chapel Hill Plaza.

Only the eastbound lane will be closed, which means drivers can take an alternate route or use the frontage streets behind the businesses.

Roundabouts have been gaining popularity in Northeast Ohio over the past decade, even if the public doesn’t always consider them to be a well-rounded solution. 

A listener asked “OH Really?” to find out about the evidence that they're safer than traditional intersections. We looked into the circular logic to see if it is a better way to make traffic go-round.

Motorists may have to change their commutes to downtown Akron as the Ohio Department of Transportation completes a construction project in a busy area.

Starting Monday, the I-76 westbound to South Broadway ramp will be closed for two weeks as ODOT ties in a new ramp.

Mass transit advocates in Ohio got a huge surprise in the House version of the transportation budget – funding for public transportation soared by 150 percent over Gov. Mike DeWine’s original proposal. But they’re hoping the Senate will go along with that too.

The transportation budget approved by the House cut DeWine’s gas tax increase from 18 cents to 10.7 cents per gallon. And mass transit funding went from $40 million to $100 million.

Starting today, a stretch of road in Summit County – which was the scene of a major accident last week -- will have numerous lane closures over the next three years for a $58 million project.

The six-mile portion of Route 8 between Graham Road and Route 303 has not had a major resurfacing in more than a decade. One exit leads to a major shopping area, and the other to part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. About 50,000 cars travel the stretch of roadway every day. 

Gov. Mike DeWine will ask lawmakers this week to raise the state’s 28 cent a gallon gas tax, a recommendation from a committee he appointed. That increase would patch a hole of more than a billion dollars in the Ohio Department of Transportation’s budget. But DeWine won’t yet get specific on what he’ll ask for.

A panel of transportation experts is telling Gov. Mike DeWine that the best way to increase funding for road projects is to increase the gas tax. But their report doesn’t get specific.

The committee appointed by DeWine tallied five reasons why an increase to the gas tax is the best way to fill a funding gap. For instance, they say it’s efficient, the money can only be used for highway construction and related activities, and it’s fair because only drivers pay it.

Ohio’s top transportation official told state lawmakers that his agency is facing a billion-dollar shortfall, and that drivers could face serious dangers on roads and bridges. His testimony comes in advance of a report expected Friday that’s likely to recommend a gas tax increase.

Ohio Department of Transportation director Jack Marchbanks told the House Finance Committee that finding funding for new infrastructure projects and for existing maintenance isn’t a quick fix.

The state doesn't have any money for new road construction projects, and funding is falling short to make repairs to existing infrastructure. Gov. Mike DeWine says this is an impending crisis. And it’s looking more and more likely that the state will seek an gas tax increase to fill the hole. 

The road ahead is rough for the Ohio Department of Transportation, according to the agency’s director. He spoke before a panel that will recommend to Gov. Mike DeWine how to fund major new road construction, telling them that money is also running out for maintenance of existing infrastructure.

ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks said 15 years of flat revenues from the gas tax, inflation in highway construction costs and huge debt payments have driven the agency into jeopardy.

“It is a grim financial situation. It is also a dangerous one,” Marchbanks said. 

Governor Mike DeWine has appointed a committee to look into new funding sources for ODOT’s big road construction projects, since the money to make those major changes and improvements has run out.

And he wants them to work fast.

The state department of transportation has a bigger job than usual in changing the 38 road signs at Ohio’s borders that feature the new governor’s name.   

The signs are meant to last at least 20 years, so ODOT usually just replaces the names of the governor and lieutenant governor. But ODOT spokesman Matt Bruning says because the state’s tourism logo changed in 2015, all the signs were set to be replaced.

The roads are is expected to be busy this Thanksgiving holiday. The number of travelers on Ohio’s roads is expected to be the highest in more than a decade.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is moving ahead with a closure on one of the main travel arteries to downtown Cleveland.

The closure of much of I-77 in Cleveland over the weekend was canceled due to weather, and the closures are now slated to take place this coming weekend.

The closures will happen on I-77 between 480 and 490, the five-mile stretch of road that takes cars directly into downtown Cleveland.

Spring has arrived, though it may not feel like it – and constructions crews are rolling out all around Ohio to begin nearly a thousand road improvement projects. The Ohio Department of Transportation is touting this as a big year to improve connectivity. Statehouse correspondent Andy Chow reports.

ODOT officials are gathered in a large, open garage standing next to presentations that explain the elaborate construction projects they’re working on, like a big budget science fair.

Here are your morning headlines for Wednesday, April 4:

We are likely still a generation away from seeing self-driving cars as the main mode of transportation. But as Statehouse correspondent Andy Chow reports, for the Ohio Department of Transportation, the future is now.

When ODOT carries out a road construction project, the agency will now be looking at ways to make sure the road can accommodate automated vehicle technology in the future. Jim Barna with ODOT says having roads ready for self-driving cars will be an asset for Ohio’s growing urban areas.

No homes, places of business or local tax dollars will be involved in improving the I-77/U.S. 62 interchange near the expanding Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

At a public meeting last night, the Ohio Department of Transportation said the plan involves only an addition of lanes to some already in place. So, there will be no new property acquisition., according to project finance planner Steve Rebillot.