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A transportation plan that’s updated by local officials every four years has scrubbed references to climate change and resiliency from its latest report, released today in draft form. Instead, the report, which looks out to 2050, now includes data on marriage, birth rates and other demographic data prioritized by the Trump administration.
The 30-day comment period for the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study begins today. Transportation planning administrator Matt Stewart said the changes reflect the politics of a Republican administration that is focusing on different areas than past leaders.
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Stewart said he doesn’t think the new priorities will “dramatically change the way we do our work,” but he didn’t want to put agencies that use the planning document in jeopardy by including references to environmental justice (which used to have a separate chapter in the report) or electric vehicles — priorities in the current bipartisan infrastructure law that have been rolled back or rescinded by current leaders.
“I don’t know where this is all going to land,” Stewart said, referencing lawsuits that have been filed against a number of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump. “It’s just kind of a strange time.”
Stewart doesn’t believe changes in the report will impact which transportation projects move forward. But if there’s more heavy-handed guidance in the future, he added, there’s a strong likelihood urban areas will suffer.
In the meantime, he said projects where funds have already been authorized — such as the resurfacing of White Pond Road — are safe. Others may be at risk, including a $10 million grant the city received earlier this year to help fund the remaking of the Innerbelt.
“I really try to be an optimist,” Stewart said. “I’m hopeful it will work itself out.”
Marriage rates are not required to be included in the report, Stewart said, but Trump’s transportation secretary has been vocal about prioritizing areas that have high marriage and birth rates. Stewart said he thought including that kind of demographic information could help transportation agencies when they apply for federal funding. He said other demographic data that’s part of the report will include age, disability, poverty rates and the number of households that don’t own a vehicle.
And Stewart said the transportation study will no longer include a “benefits and burdens analysis” for each project in an effort to “not ruffle feathers.”
“It’s been stressful, for sure,” he said. “There are a lot of different things to react to.”
The transportation study and a Transportation Improvement Plan, released for public comment on the same timeline, will be open for comment until April 11. The transportation study is a long-range planning document, while the improvement plan includes projects that are being programmed.
Stewart said the transportation study includes a new discussion of passenger rail, though he called it “probably not realistic.” Instead, the focus is on improving safety and maintaining the existing transportation system — an increasingly difficult proposition, he said, as the costs of resurfacing roads and repairing bridges have increased dramatically.
The estimated $6.86 billion cost to maintain what the area already has exceeds the amount of money the region is expected to bring in in the next 25 years for transportation projects, Stewart said. And he said there’s a constant need for safety improvements, so the plan recommends just two-thirds of the maintenance needs be funded.
“We are falling behind,” he said. “It’s much larger than it’s ever been.”
The result of the cost increases means pavement is likely to be in worse condition and bridges will go longer between having improvements made. It’s possible some that are used less frequently could be closed, he said, to ensure drivers’ safety.
“We’re staring at the edge of a cliff,” Stewart said. “We can’t keep up.”
Feedback to be incorporated into final plan
Stewart said he and others are in an “unprecedented period” of not knowing what the Federal Highway Administration, which must approve the plan, is going to look like.
He said bicyclists and pedestrians as well as other transportation users can provide specialized feedback.
The final local approval is set for May 16, giving the group time to incorporate local feedback. Being included in the plan means that projects, when they move forward, can seek federal funds. Without being part of the plan, no federal money is available.
Stewart said he would feel more comfortable updating the area plan in two years, after the dust settles from the current administration’s changes. But he said despite the “comically bad timing,” he’s largely comfortable with what the reports will include.
“I don’t feel like it’s futile,” he said. “We know as much as we can know right now.”
In addition to being able to comment online, there will be two public meetings where people can provide feedback on the transportation plan.
The first will be April 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Akron-Summit County Public Library’s main branch, at 60 High St. in Akron, in meeting room 1.
The second will be April 3 at 5:30 p.m. at the Kent Free Library at 312 W. Main St. in Kent, in the second floor meeting room.
There will also be a virtual meeting March 20 at 6:30 p.m. where the Citizens’ Involvement Committee will present the plan. Visit amatsplanning.org/cic-meeting-registration or call 330-375-2436 for more information.
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Economics of Akron Reporter (she/her)
Arielle is a Northeast Ohio native with more than 20 years of reporting experience in Cleveland, Atlanta and Detroit. She joined Signal Akron as its founding education reporter, where she covered Akron Public Schools and the University of Akron.
As the economics of Akron reporter, Arielle will cover topics including housing, economic development and job availability. Through her reporting, she aims to help Akron residents understand the economic issues that are affecting their ability to live full lives in the city, and highlight information that can help residents make decisions. Arielle values diverse voices in her reporting and seeks to write about under-covered issues and groups.
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