Bill to repeal interchange mandate passes in the Ohio Senate

COLUMBUS — Senate Bill 155, which repeals the requirement to construct interstate highway interchanges under certain conditions, passed in the Ohio Senate on Wednesday. The bill passed 30-1, with state Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, as the only senator to vote against it. Dolan's Senate District 24 encompasses the city of Strongsville. State Sen. Mark Romanchuk, R-Ontario, is the bill's primary sponsor and represents Brunswick. "The transportation budget included language to construct an interchange off Interstate 71 at Boston Road in Brunswick, Ohio, despite strong opposition from local governments and the metropolitan planning organization," he said. "This budget language moved forward." Senate Bill 155 aims to both repeal the language in the transportation budget and require the Ohio Department of Transportation in partnership with the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency to conduct a traffic congestion mitigation plan on that section of I-71. Romanchuk said the language must be repealed because of the precedent it sets. "The 123rd General Assembly recognized that it's a bad idea to have legislators determining where highway projects are located and created the Transportation Review Advisory Council or TRAC," he said. "Legislators are not allowed to serve on that council. Why? Because General Assembly members know nothing about transportation projects and bring a political bias, which can lead to a waste of public dollars." State Sen. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, said she heard from people in both Brunswick and Strongsville who said they did not want another interchange in their city. "One of the things that was an unintended consequence was that people in both communities sort of unified around how much they opposed the whole idea of having this interchange put upon them, rather than through using a study," she said. "I urge support of this study and urge support of this bill." Brunswick Vice Mayor Nick Hanek said the fight against a Boston Road interchange is not over, but this was a big step forward. "What the legislature did hear from was residents of Strongsville and Brunswick who were opposed, who do not want to lose their homes, who do not want the increased tax burden and who do not want to fundamentally reshape a community," he said. Strongsville Mayor Tom Perciak did not respond to a request for comment as of Wednesday evening. Now, Senate Bill 155 goes to the Ohio House of Representatives, while its companion bill House Bill 276 is still in committee. "The residents pushed hard against this unwanted mandate, and we are making an impact and pushing," Hanek said. "This fight continues, and we're not going to stop until the interchange mandate is out of law." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.