April 14, 2010 Director Jolene Molitoris Ohio Department of Transportation 1980 West Broad Street Columbus, OH 43223 Dear Director Molitoris: I would like to thank you and your staff for your efforts to work with me to provide answers to my questions on the Department of Transportation’s 3C Rail plan. You and your staff have been professional and helpful as we work to improve transportation in Ohio while making the best possible use of the tax dollars entrusted to us. In spite of the work that you and your staff have performed to date there remain a number of unanswered questions on the 3C Rail plan. Questions remain on factors that would affect the annual operating subsidy, long term estimates of the subsidy, future capital funding to eventually create a high speed rail system, and the sufficiency of the current $400 million federal award to address train car needs and infrastructure improvements that must be made prior to the start of even basic service. While your staff has been as forthcoming as possible with the information they have I cannot help but feel that what we are considering is a hodgepodge of information cobbled together in an attempt to get a rail plan ready, and not a well researched, well thought out plan that the people of Ohio deserve to have in place prior to their government embarking on a $400 million initial commitment with an unknown future cost. T would request that you slow down the process. I believe there is a vital need for the Department to gather together the proponents and researchers that have backed 3C Rail to put together a comprehensive presentation of not only the current plan, but also where the 3C Rail route might find itself in 20 years, including what sort of subsidy will still be required at that time. When this presentation is completed I would request that you schedule a meeting with the members of the Controlling Board for a bipartisan presentation and question and answer period with policy staff and rail experts that are able to answer detailed questions. Ido not believe that 3C Rail is a partisan issue. Recently the Administration made comments that the initial $25 million Controlling Board request for additional environmental analysis, engineering, and planning is not subject to the supermajority requirement that was added to the state transportation budget because it is not being spent on construction. This violates the intent of the language included in House Bill 2 and I also believe it will turn what has been a policy debate into a partisan issue. The Ohio Department of Transportation needs bi-partisan Controlling Board support. To push 77 South High Street * Columbus, Ohio 43215-6111 aethrough this $25 million request on a simple majority 4-3 party line vote will only poison the well for future discussion and make your task of finding supermajority support all the more difficult when that time comes. I urge you to take the time and do the research to achieve bi-partisan support now, rather than push this request through on a simple majority. Tthank you for your consideration of this request and for your efforts to provide accurate information and answers to my questions. I look forward to our continued work on 3C Rail. Sincerely, Sf fottinger te Representative 71° Ohio House District CC: Joe Secrest Controlling Board Members Governor Strickland President Harris Speaker Budish