Welcome to TAGNO

Executive Directors Zone

While we look forward to exciting things to come in 2012 - not the least being the potential for leasing or restructuring the Ohio Turnpike - a glance back shows that transportation issues in Northwest Ohio made significant gains in the past year.

Intermodal transportation made great strides, including the development of the Midwest Ironville terminal and the Port Authority's seaport. And both the Airline Junction and CSX National Gateway are being completed.

Meanwhile, the I-73/74/75 National Corridor Association unveiled a new logo at its annual meeting in Washington D.C. in May. The group held an important follow up meeting in Columbus in September. The association was renamed in 2010 and I-75 added in an effort to boost the activity of Ohio and Michigan. Warren Henry (TMACOG) and Rich Martinko (UT) have now joined me as Ohio's co-directors.

Below is information about a new brownfield pilot initiative that is more holistic and will aid communities in cleaning up contaminated sites, a strategy I fully support as vice chairman of the Clean Ohio Council.

While adequate funding for road and bridge projects is lacking at the moment we must continue to be vigilant in identifying and promoting those projects that will maximize the benefits to the entire region and these include improvements to I-75/475, the potential for widening I-75 between Toledo and Findlay and enhancements to the Cherry Street corridor near downtown Toledo.

Tom Kovacik