The 2019 AMATS Annual Meeting began on Friday, Oct. 11 with a call to order by Policy Committee Chairwoman and Richfield Mayor Bobbie Beshara. As she welcomed the record number of more than 180 attendees to the Sheraton Suites Akron Cuyahoga Falls ballroom, the mayor recounted some of the agency’s most significant accomplishments over the course of the year.
Making the agency’s voice heard in Columbus regarding the need for new transportation revenue led the mayor’s list of achievements by AMATS. The mayor proudly informed the attendees that state policymakers heeded the Policy Committee’s March resolution endorsing Gov. DeWine’s proposed increases in state fuel taxes. Before turning the podium over to AMATS Director Curtis Baker, the mayor noted that – while the estimated future preservation needs of the Greater Akron area total nearly $4 billion – those needs also represent a single region out of many across the nation that are striving for diminishing federal funds.
After thanking the event’s sponsors, Baker described the funding challenges that the agency faced during 2019, many of which are still ongoing. Despite these challenges, the region witnessed the successful launch and completion of several significant projects within the region, according to Baker. The Main Street Redevelopment Project in Akron, Howe Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls, Cleveland-Massillon Road in Norton, and major improvements on state Routes 8, 18 and 91 were just some of AMATS’ success stories during the year.
Beshara and Baker’s presentations – along with Ohio Department of Transportation Director Dr. Jack Marchbanks and Akron-Canton Airport President and CEO Renato Camacho’s speeches – are available for viewing on our web site and YouTube channel – AMATSPlanning. We hope that you will become a channel subscriber. It’s a great way to stay informed regarding transportation news in the Greater Akron area.