The Ohio Department of Transportation is asking for feedback on its long range transportation plan, now referred to as Access Ohio 2050.
"We update this every five years," ODOT Press Secretary Matt Bruning said, "and the idea is this is kind of the roadmap to help us with what kinds of things we need to be looking at way down the road."
ODOT kicked off a series of open houses statewide Monday night in Mansfield to get feedback from stakeholders and the public on the plan.
"I think what you'll see is a comprehensive guide for what are the needs, what are the wants, what are the aspirations maybe for transportation far out into the future," Bruning said.
Goals of Access Ohio 2050 include safety, preservation of the state's transportation assets, efficiency and mobility. Strategies presented at the open house in Mansfield include exploring improvements to eliminate bottlenecks for people and freight, supporting statewide economic development and improving access to transit.
From previous public meetings and responses to an online survey, ODOT is already getting an idea of what Ohioans want to prioritize, Bruning said.
"We've also learned that people want more transportation options, whether that's biking, whether that's transit, whether that's walking," he said.
Safety has also been a top priority for respondents, Bruning said.
"Safer roads and safer transportation is a top priority," he said. "About 95% of respondents have said that prioritizing roadway safety and infrastructure investments is something that we should be doing."
Since the plan was last updated, a lot has changed in Ohio, especially Central Ohio, Bruning said.
"I don't think anybody in Central Ohio, for example, saw Intel investing what they have invested in Licking County," he said, "so now that's part of that long range plan."
ODOT Statewide Planning Manager Randy Long is hearing those specific concerns about economic growth in the region.
"In the Central Ohio region there's a lot of growth," he said, "and there's more emphasis on capacity and reducing congestion for folks to be able to travel more reliably in Central Ohio.
ODOT plans to release the plan by the beginning of 2026, Bruning said.
ODOT will hold additional open houses in Northeast Ohio in Youngstown on Oct. 20, Akron on Oct. 21 and Cleveland on Oct. 22, and Bruning encourages all Ohioans to weigh in on the project.
"Even if you're someone who maybe says, 'Well I don't drive. Why does this matter?' I mean you still get products that come to your house or you have to go to the store and shopping," Bruning said. "How that freight gets from the manufacturing point to the point of sale is important."
