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Botosan

“‘Over-programming’ puts us in a position to obtain funding for additional projects beyond our available funding.”

– AMATS TIP Coordinator Victor Botosan

2016 will be a high water mark for funding of transportation projects in the Greater Akron area.  For the first time in its 54-year history, AMATS – the agency responsible for area transportation planning – has programmed nearly $35 million for various highway, bike and pedestrian projects throughout the region.

AMATS Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Coordinator Victor Botosan says that the record funding level was accomplished through the agency’s pursuit of two strategies: The “over-programming” of projects in the region’s four-year TIP and trading funds with other metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in Ohio that were not fully utilizing all of their funds.

“‘Over-programming’ puts us in a position to obtain funding for additional projects beyond our available funding.  That may sound contradictory, but that allows us to put projects on the radar of the state and federal governments by including them in our TIP.  If funds become available, then we have a better chance of landing them,” Botosan explains.

Federal funding recently became available for these over-programmed projects through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Program, the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program and Transportation Alternatives Program.

The region is also reaping the benefits of nearly $7.5 million in trades that AMATS made with several of its sister MPOs across Ohio in recent years, which were lean ones for many agencies in terms of project funding.  These funding trades will support projects in the Greater Akron area.

The result of this funding influx is that the agency can now fund 36 projects throughout the region.  Botosan notes that most of the nearly $35 million in funding will be used for highway projects with the largest portion being dedicated to preserving and maintaining the region’s existing system of roadways.

“Some pretty significant projects are going to benefit from this funding.  The East Summit Street project in Kent will receive more than $6 million and a project to re-route state Route 59 Innerbelt in Akron will receive $5 million.  There are also sidewalk projects in Akron and the Village of Hiram that will receive a boost,” Botosan says.

A complete listing of 2016 projects is available on the AMATS web site by clicking here.