Ohio Explores Ways to Pay for Passenger Train

a Republican from Strongsvil who is chairman Kids Inflatable Water Slides of the Senate' Highwai and Transport Committee,St Sen. Tom Patton. said he'd support the train project as long as it doesn't creat a drag on taxpayers. But he' also critic of spend monei on passeng train at a time when transit agenc in Cleveland and other citi ar cut back on bu servic that draw mani more riders.

transport offici said Thursday,Ohio will find a wai to pai for a new passeng train system without increas the state tax burden. a dai after win a $400 million feder stimulu grant that add the state to the nation rail plan.

someth that would creat up to 11,Gov. Ted Strickland tout the train project as a job builder.000 posit in construction, engin and spin-off econom develop around new train stations. Thirteen passeng rail corridor in 31 state will receiv grants, which ar fund by the econom recoveri act enact last year.

which call for a 79-mph startup servic connect Cleveland,Ohio' train project. Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati, will lai the foundat for a higher-spe system that eventu will branch off to the Midwest and East Coast, reduc traffic on state highways, Strickland said at a new confer with U.S. Labor Secretari Hilda Solis.

Not much wa mention about Ohio' cost to keep the train running. Amtrak estim that Ohio is look at a $17 million annual oper subsidy.

said Matt Dietrich,Th state ha mani option to line up fund befor train begin oper in 2012. execut director of the Ohio Rail Develop Commission, the state agenc overse the project.

the agenc said the Ohio Depart of Transport ha room in it budget to provid about $8 million,In it October applic for stimulu funding. and the rest could be cover through other means, such as train advertising, food and beverag servic and feder grants.

Ga tax monei can't be used. The Ohio Constitut requir revenu from the state' 28-cent-per-gallon gasolin tax to be us onli on highwai projects.