Ohio Turnpike lease plan will benefit northern Ohio, ODOT chief says

By Tom Breckenridge

The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND

Most of the several billion dollars the state hopes to collect by leasing the Ohio Turnpike would be spent on projects across northern Ohio, where the 241-mile toll road operates, says the director of the Ohio Department of Transportation.

A lease deal would limit toll increases, ensure the turnpike is properly maintained and deliver money for projects that won’t get done under the current, dwindling stream of tax dollars, says ODOT Director Jerry Wray.

Faced with growing opposition to a turnpike lease, Wray went on offense last week to refute what he calls “misinformation” about the proposal, which is at a crucial stage. Ohio legislators are crafting a two-year spending bill that includes provisions to pursue a turnpike lease.

Gov. John Kasich wants to lease the turnpike but won’t give away the store, Wray said.

“The deal has to benefit Ohio, or we won’t do it,” Wray said during a sit-down interview with Plain Dealer editorial writers and a reporter.

Turnpike salaries for toll-takers are excessive, and the toll road is generating money far beyond what it needs to operate, Wray and his staffers say.

“It’s a very rich system with a lot of revenue coming in that’s an asset to the state,” Wray said. “It’s not being used to benefit the state of Ohio.”

ODOT funding is near “crisis” levels, he said. Drivers are hitting the road less, partly due to high gas prices, and they are driving higher-mileage vehicles.

That’s dampened state and federal revenue from taxes at the fuel pump, which generate about $2.4 billion. That’s not enough to meet the needs of an aging road system, ODOT officials said.

Leasing the turnpike would bridge the funding gap, yielding money for various projects, ODOT officials said.

Kasich has said he’d like to clear $2.4 billion from a lease deal. A majority of that would go to northern Ohio, Wray said.

Kasich would like a 30-year lease, with an upfront payment and a yearly cut of the toll revenue, Wray said.

But local leaders and transportation planners say they are against leasing the turnpike, which is separate from ODOT. The turnpike is governed by a nine-member board, which includes the ODOT director, and covers all its expenses with toll revenue.

The turnpike is well run, local officials say, and putting it in the hands of a private operator could lead to a host of problems.

Higher tolls are likely, which could result in truck traffic diverting to alternate routes. That would make them less safe and costlier for local communities to maintain, local officials said.

Wray said a lease would be structured to cap tolls and to ensure roads are maintained to ODOT standards, from grass cutting and bridge upkeep to pavement replacement and snow removal.

A private operator would face penalties if they don’t meet expectations, Wray said.