Every 5-10 years, the Ohio Department of Transportation creates a new version of its Long-Range Transportation Plan, otherwise known as Access Ohio. The past plan was published in 2020, and the planning is underway for the next edition.

As a part of their initial research, ODOT is planning public engagement sessions in all corners of the state, with the goal of talking to residents from all backgrounds, communities, and ages. Typically, these engagement sessions are poorly attended, and few are there to advocate for transportation alternatives such as passenger rail, better buses, and pedestrian safety.

This is where All Aboard Ohio comes in.

Over the month of May, we have 12 public open houses across the state. Our goal is to have All Aboard Ohio representation at ALL of them! So far, we have had a good turnout at the Toledo, Cincinnati, and Dayton events, but we have more across the state.

I wanted to share some answers to frequently asked questions on why these meetings are so important!

Does public input really matter?

Yes! It is required by law for public input to be strongly considered as a part of the planning process. In speaking with the presenters last week, they expressed that part of why things have not changed in the past is due to a lack of public concern for the car-centric nature of our state.

Additionally, having our perspectives at the sessions brings new views into the “echo chamber” of governmental transportation planning. When ODOT presented the map of the Southwest Region in Cincinnati, airports, river ports, and highways were marked. The Amtrak station in Cincinnati was not even marked on the map! We need our advocates there to point out these misses in the process and advocate for new ways of viewing transportation in our state.

Why is it important that we have representation at every one?

Often, public transportation is brushed off as an issue that only the cities support. We know this is not to be true. All Aboard Ohio has members across the entire state, including in all 33 state Senate districts! We need to have people show up at sessions where our state government may not expect advocates – places like South Point and Marietta, on the banks of the Ohio River. If you know folks in these areas, please direct them to our website to RSVP!

I have never done this before. Do I have to give a speech?

You don’t have to speak publicly at all! What we ask is for you to attend, share your energy, and leave your comments on the paper worksheets that ODOT provides. We have found that having many people participate is incredibly powerful. In Cincinnati, we had over 40 folks show up – ODOT was blown away!

My challenge to folks in our other cities – show up and beat Cincinnati’s 40. Could Columbus or Cleveland hit 100 attendees? Only time will tell!