Ohio lawmakers signed off on a nearly $11.5 billion transportation budget that includes billions for maintenance and hundreds of millions of dollars more to expand the Buckeye State’s existing road network.
House Bill 54 funds transportation infrastructure development and maintenance for fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027. Lawmakers said the budget is about $49 million lower than the executive proposal Republican Gov. Mike DeWine unveiled earlier this year.
The state House unanimously approved the bill, one of four budget bills, sending it to the Ohio Senate for consideration. According to The Columbus Dispatch, DeWine must sign the measure by the end of March.
In a release, state Rep. Bernie Willis, R-Springfield, chair of the House Transportation Committee, said the budget is “designed to strengthen our infrastructure and really drives our economy here in Ohio.”
“This fiscally responsible transportation budget ensures we can fund important road and bridge projects in every corner of Ohio and literally keep our state moving,” state Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, chair of the House Finance Committee, said in a release. “I’m grateful to our members who engaged in the process by offering many great policy amendments that improved the bill.”
The spending plan, which is funded largely by state gas tax revenue and federal highway money, includes $4.1 billion for maintenance, more than $393 million to build new highways and $382 million for “targeted safety upgrades” for the state’s roads. Maintenance ranges from roadway replacement to culvert inspections to bridge maintenance; with 26,729 bridges, Ohio has the third most bridges of any state in the country.
The measure also establishes the Ohio Airport Improvement Program under the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation. The program will use revenues generated from the sale of aviation fuel to support improvements at publicly owned airports across the state.
The program is expected to receive more than $4.6 million per year.
“By investing in both physical infrastructure and our transit authorities, we are showing our commitment to ensuring Ohioans have access to both good paying jobs and the worldclass amenities found in every corner of our state,” state Rep. Jamie Callender, R-Concord, said in a release.
The state, which has the fourth most active rail miles in the country with 5,081 miles, would also join the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact, which includes membership to the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission. The legislation includes $50,000 over the next two fiscal years to cover the costs of joining the compact, which includes the goal of expanding regional passenger rail services.
While the bill is primarily an infrastructure measure, it includes money under the economic development banner.
It allocates $30 million during the two years for the Workforce Mobility Partnership Program, created in 2023 with House Bill 23. The program helps regional transit authorities with planning, equipment, technology, and operating costs for creating new access to employment opportunities.
“By providing reliable transportation to high-quality training and job opportunities, we are removing barriers to employment, strengthening the local workforce, and ensuring businesses have access to skilled talent,” AWT Foundation Executive Director Teresa Simons said in a release.
The measure also includes $1 million in fiscal 2026 for ODOT to conduct a pilot program distributing private transit vouchers to low-income Ohioans. The agency must report back to state lawmakers by Jan. 1, 2027.
“Without reliable transportation, both job seekers and members of the community can face barriers when trying to reach services across the county,” Geauga County Board of Commissioners President Jim Dvorak said in a statement. “By supporting workforce mobility, we can ensure workers are able to access job opportunities, employers have access to a skilled workforce, and our seniors are able to safely access medical and community resources.”
Unrelated to transportation, the measure bars Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles employees from offering voter registration to residents who are ineligible to vote, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
