MAHONING VALLEY House panel OKs bill with millions in appropriations

Rep. LaTourette is optimistic the bill will be signed into law by Memorial Day.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved a bill that would bring $21.82 million worth of projects to the Mahoning Valley.
The bill goes to the full House next week for a vote, and then on to the U.S. Senate. After the two legislative bodies work out final details of the bill, it will go to President Bush for approval.
The six-year highway and transit bill died last year because the House and Senate couldn't come to an agreement on the amount of funding. Also, Bush threatened a veto after expressing concern about the cost.
The bill approved by the House committee calls for $284 billion for highway, public transportation and road safety projects. Political watchdog groups say the bill is full of pork.
"This bill has been delayed because of election-year politics," said U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette of Concord, R-14th. LaTourette, a House Transportation member, said he is optimistic the president is satisfied with the $284 billion price tag and will sign it into law by Memorial Day.
Details
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, who represents most of Trumbull County and about half of Mahoning County, got $10.2 million worth of funding for the Mahoning Valley into the bill.
At the top of his list is $3 million to expand the National Packard Museum and to renovate the Packard Music Hall in Warren.
Ryan also got $2.5 million into the bill for design and construction of roads and safety improvements at Youngstown State University.
Ryan got $2 million into the bill to construct access improvements to Interstate 680 and internal roads for the Mahoning River Corridor of Opportunity that includes Youngstown, Struthers and Campbell.
Also in Ryan's district is:
U$1.5 million for design and construction work to the Warren Riverwalk and adjacent facilities.
U$1 million to construct interchange improvements at state Routes 46 and 82 in Howland Township.
U$200,000 for the Niles Trumbull Transit System.
The congressman also got $5.8 million into the bill for improvement work in Portage and Summit counties, which he also represents.
"These projects will help grow our economy, create good-paying jobs and improve the quality of life for residents in our area," Ryan said.
Strickland's effort
U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, who represents a portion of Mahoning and all of Columbiana County, also got $16 million worth of projects into the bill.
Of that amount, $11.5 million is for projects in Mahoning and Columbiana counties. Strickland also represents 10 other counties.
The Valley project that stands to gain the most from the passage of the bill is the Wellsville freight intermodal shipping facility. Strickland got $5 million for the facility into the bill.
Other Valley projects in the bill from Strickland's district include:
U$2.5 million to widen state Route 170 in Calcutta.
U$2.5 million to widen Western Reserve Road in Mahoning County.
U$1 million to install a stop light and turn lane at the intersection of state Route 14 and Washingtonville Road in Columbiana County.
U$500,000 for further construction of the MetroParks bikeway through Mahoning County.
"Passage of this bill out of committee takes us one huge step closer to seeing that these projects become a reality," Strickland said.
More for Trumbull County
LaTourette got $120 million into the bill for projects in his district that includes all or parts of Lake, Geauga, Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Summit, Portage and Trumbull counties.
Of the $120 million, Trumbull County would get $120,000. The seven northern townships in Trumbull County that LaTourette represents make up a small fraction of his congressional district.
The $120,000 would go toward the construction of safety and other improvements to Rutledge Transfer Road in Vernon Township.