Boccieri urges creation of transportation district

The district would make it easier to obtain funding, the senator said.

COLUMBUS — A state senator is urging local officials to create a transportation district.

State Senator John Boccieri, D-33rd, New Middletown, said it would be to the benefit of the entire area if officials were to consider a transportation district that would include rail, highway and aerospace assets in an effort to combine resources.

Boccieri also said Congressman Tim Ryan’s efforts to find an Economic Development Director for the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport is “on target.”

“We have fantastic transportation assets in the Mahoning Valley,” Boccieri said. “If we can find the ability to combine these assets into one district rather than pull resources independently — this regionalization of assets can be a huge benefit.”

According to Boccieri, funding from a variety of sources could be combined and pooled so that the port, rail and transit authorities would form a district.

The transportation district would make it easier for state and federal officials to obtain earmarks and grants rather than fight for those resources independently, Boccieri stated.