December 1, 2025

Erin Subtirelu

Giving Tuesday is the biggest fundraising opportunity of the year for AAO. These funds help us to pay our staff, establish new chapters, meet with policyholders and so much more as the state’s only passenger rail advocacy organization. As you know, advocacy isn’t free, but thanks to supporters like you, we’re able to build momentum every day to reach more Ohioans who support passenger rail. 

Now is the time to act and make your donation count for Giving Tuesday 2025. 

A Look Back at 2025 Accomplishments

This year has been huge for building momentum. Here are just a few of All Aboard Ohio’s accomplishments for the year:

January

• At our Statewide Meeting, Amtrak’s Government Affairs Manager, Ismael Cuevas, gave an overview of the Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP) and shared details about projects aimed to enhance passenger flow, increase capacity, and modernize Chicago’s Union Station.

• Our original article, “North Carolina's Missing Trains: Where are Amtrak Piedmont’s New Trains?” was our first to go viral.

February

• Members got a glimpse into the key legislative deadlines and strategies for influencing transportation funding at the AAO Statewide Meeting.

• Board Chair Mitch Radakovich, Executive Director John Esterly, and Northwest Regional Director Sally Fish testified at the Ohio House Transportation Committee Budget Hearings.

• We launched our YouTube channel, where all of our statewide meeting recordings, chapter meeting recordings, and annual meeting videos are housed and available to the general public. 

March

• We held our first ever Advocacy Day at the Ohio Statehouse. Community leaders, AAO stakeholders, staff, board members, and volunteers met with over 50 state representatives and senators, capping the day off with a reception attended by nearly 200 lawmakers and passenger rail supporters.

• In conjunction with Advocacy Day, we published our first Advocacy Publication.

April

• When the House version of the state budget was published with no provisions for passenger rail, we issued a Call to Action, and our supporters answered it with over 10k actions resulting in the provisions being added back into the budget before submitting it to the Senate. 

• We published our Passenger Rail Advocacy Tool Kit on our website. This evergreen document serves as a guidepost for individual and grassroots advocacy and allows AAO to customize messaging for the most recent and relevant advocacy alerts. 

• Mayor Linda Horning-Pitt of Crestline and Councilmember Michael Ryan of Hamilton shared firsthand accounts of how rail investments are fostering economic development and enhancing community connectivity—a great example of how passenger rail supports Ohio’s small towns.

May 

• AAO members learned about and attended the Access Ohio 2050 initiative and the Ohio Department of Transportation’s long-range planning process at the AAO Statewide Meeting.

June

• At the AAO Statewide Meeting, we hosted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) format meeting with members and advocates from across the state. Participants were able to ask questions directly, share local challenges, and hear how AAO is working to advance passenger rail in Ohio.

• We published our first-ever series “The Buckeye State Deserves Better”, focusing on the challenges and solutions for various issues in the sphere of public transit. 

• AAO launched a TikTok channel, which has proven to be our fastest growing social media platform to date! 

July

• AAO held its annual meeting, attended by nearly 100 people from all over the state. Attendees heard powerful insights from Jason Orthner, Director of the Rail Division at the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), about how his state became a national model for passenger rail growth. 

• Our first Annual Report was published. 

August 

• Teams from Cleveland and Cincinnati traveled by rail to the Windy City to meet with national leaders from the High Speed Rail Alliance, the Rail Passengers Association, and the Environmental Law & Policy Center in our inaugural “Race to Chicago.”

• The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) released its updated State Rail Plan, which downplays Ohio’s potential for expanded passenger rail. AAO sprang into action, and several stories were published by media outlets statewide to shine light on the issue, ensuring that decision-makers are aware that the people are watching.

• We launched a book club! 

September

• Attendees at the AAO Statewide Meeting learned how they can get involved in advocacy opportunities and attend bi-monthly Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) meetings to voice support for passenger rail and influence the state’s approach to rail planning and investment.

• Columbus unveiled plans for a new passenger rail station in the downtown area. Our Columbus Chapter later took a tour of the proposed space. 

October

• Toledo’s Chapter was revived after a brief hiatus with a new lead and renewed enthusiasm and the newest chapter of AAO was established in Athens serving southeastern Ohio.

• New tabling kits for all AAO chapters were unveiled. These kits include vital information to share All Aboard Ohio’s mission, increase membership, build chapter engagement, and enhance brand awareness across the state.

• The AAO Statewide Meeting explored the future of city-to-city bus transit in Ohio and its critical role in shaping a connected, multimodal transportation network.

• Midwest Connect’s future looks promising after the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission announced secured funding for the route. 

• The Rail Passengers Association announced that it has chosen Toledo for its 2026 annual meeting. RailNation: Toledo will bring together industry experts, legislative powerhouses, and advocacy groups and passenger rail supporters from across the country for a jam-packed three-day event that puts Ohio in the national spotlight. 

November

• Social Media growth was off the charts! Facebook topped 9k followers, and Instagram and TikTok both hit 6k at the beginning of the month! 

Your Giving Tuesday Donation Sets the Tone for 2026

All Aboard Ohio is already hard at work planning the 2026 Annual Meeting and preparing for RailNation: Toledo in the fall. The next phase of Corridor ID development requires deeper analysis, stronger public engagement, and sustained advocacy. The future is now for Ohio’s rail movement. 

Donate to our Giving Tuesday campaign today to keep the momentum moving and help us reach our $5,000 goal.