Chapter 5501 | Department Of Transportation

Section 5501.01 | Department of transportation definitions.

• Effective: June 29, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 86 - 123rd General Assembly

As used in Chapters 5501., 5503., 5511., 5513., 5515., 5516., 5517., 5519., 5521., 5523., 5525., 5527., 5528., 5529., 5531., 5533., and 5535. of the Revised Code:

(A) "Transportation facilities" means all publicly owned modes and means of transporting people and goods, including the physical facilities, garages, district offices, and other related buildings therefor, and including, but not limited to, highways, rights-of-way, roads and bridges, parking facilities, aviation facilities, port facilities, rail facilities, public transportation facilities, rest areas, and roadside parks.

(B) "Public transportation" means publicly owned or operated transportation by bus, rail, or other conveyance, which provides to the public transit or paratransit service on a regular and continuing basis within the state, and may include demand-responsive transportation, subscription bus service, shared-ride taxi service, car pools, van pools, or jitney service. "Public transportation" does not include school bus transportation or charter or sightseeing services.

(C) "Road" or "highway" includes all appurtenances to the road or highway, including but not limited to, bridges, viaducts, grade separations, culverts, lighting, signalization, and approaches on or to such road or highway.

(D) "Right-of-way" has the same meaning as in division (UU)(2) of section 4511.01 of the Revised Code.

(E) "Telecommunications service provider" means an entity that, for a fee, provides telecommunications services, including, but not limited to, voice, data, interactive or two-way telecommunications services, without regard to the way such services are delivered.

(F) "Telecommunications facility" means a facility for the provision of telecommunications services. The facility may include, but is not limited to, a tower, monopole, antenna or other ancillary equipment, or buildings used to deliver telecommunications services.

Section 5501.02 | Director of transportation to prescribe rules and appoint employees.

• Effective: September 17, 1996
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 572 - 121st General Assembly

All duties, powers, and functions conferred by law on the department of transportation and the divisions of the department shall be performed under such rules as the director of transportation may prescribe, and shall be under the director's control. The director shall appoint such employees of the department as are necessary, and shall prescribe their titles and duties.

Section 5501.03 | Department of transportation - powers and duties.

• Effective: July 1, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 51 - 130th General Assembly

(A) The department of transportation shall:

(1) Exercise and perform such other duties, powers, and functions as are conferred by law on the director, the department, the assistant directors, the deputy directors, or on the divisions of the department;

(2) Coordinate and develop, in cooperation with local, regional, state, and federal planning agencies and authorities, comprehensive and balanced state policy and planning to meet present and future needs for adequate transportation facilities in this state, including recommendations for adequate funding of the implementation of such planning;

(3) Coordinate its activities with those of other appropriate state departments, public agencies, and authorities, and enter into any contracts with such departments, agencies, and authorities as may be necessary to carry out its duties, powers, and functions;

(4) Cooperate with and assist the public utilities commission in the commission's administration of sections 4907.47 to 4907.476 of the Revised Code, particularly with respect to the federal highway administration;

(5) Cooperate with and assist the Ohio power siting board in the board's administration of Chapter 4906. of the Revised Code;

(6) Give particular consideration to the development of policy and planning for public transportation facilities, and to the coordination of associated activities relating thereto, as prescribed under divisions (A)(2) and (3) of this section;

(7) Conduct, in cooperation with the Ohio legislative service commission, any studies or comparisons of state traffic laws and local traffic ordinances with model laws and ordinances that may be required to meet program standards adopted by the United States department of transportation pursuant to the "Highway Safety Act of 1966," 80 Stat. 731, U.S.C.A. 401;

(8) Prepare, print, distribute, and advertise books, maps, pamphlets, and other information that, in the judgment of the director, will inform the public and other governmental departments, agencies, and authorities as to the duties, powers, and functions of the department;

(9) In its research and development program, consider technologies for improving safety, mobility, aviation and aviation education, transportation facilities, roadways, including construction techniques and materials to prolong project life, being used or developed by other states that have geographic, geologic, or climatic features similar to this state's, and collaborate with those states in that development.

(B) Nothing contained in this section shall be held to in any manner affect, limit, restrict, or otherwise interfere with the exercise of powers relating to transportation facilities by appropriate agencies of the federal government, or by counties, municipal corporations, or other political subdivisions or special districts in this state authorized by law to exercise such powers.

(C) The department may use all appropriate sources of revenue to assist in the development and implementation of rail service as defined by division (C) of section 4981.01 of the Revised Code.

(D) The director of transportation may enter into contracts with public agencies including political subdivisions, other state agencies, boards, commissions, regional transit authorities, county transit boards, and port authorities, to administer the design, qualification of bidders, competitive bid letting, construction inspection, research, and acceptance of any projects or transportation facilities administered by the department, provided the administration of such projects or transportation facilities is performed in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations with oversight by the department.

(E) The director may enter into cooperative or contractual agreements with any individual, organization, or business related to the creation or promotion of a traveler information program. The traveler information program shall provide real-time traffic conditions and travel time information to travelers by telephone, text message, internet, or other similar means at no cost to the traveler. The director may contract with a program manager for the traveler information program. The program manager shall be responsible for all costs associated with the development and operation of the traveler information program. The compensation due to a program manager or vendor under any of these agreements may include deferred compensation in an amount determined by the director. Excess revenue shall be remitted to the department for deposit into the highway operating fund.

(F) Any materials or data submitted to, made available to, or received by the director of transportation, to the extent that the materials or data consist of trade secrets, as defined in section 1333.61 of the Revised Code, or commercial or financial information, are confidential and are not public records for the purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

Section 5501.031 | Energy conservation in planning, design, and utilization of transportation facilities.

• Effective: March 17, 1989
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 357 - 117th General Assembly

The department of transportation shall:

(A) Consider energy conservation as an integral factor along with economics, engineering, safety, and the environment in the planning, design, and utilization of transportation facilities;

(B) Reevaluate existing plans for highways and other transportation modes and require regional transportation studies and local planning agencies operating under state coordination or with state funds to cooperate in such reevaluation. Such reevaluation shall consider shifts to energy conservation modes and improvement in modal energy efficiencies, and shall include both technological alternatives and administrative or management strategies. Short-term conservation measures must be adaptable to long-term conservation requirements to include permanent reductions in gasoline usage and revitalization of railroads.

(C) Take all necessary steps to increase the level of awareness of transportation professions and related government sectors of those techniques that are immediately available to reduce petroleum consumption in improving operation and maintenance of transportation facilities;

(D) Review construction specifications and design standards for highway construction and maintenance, with a view to pursuing the elimination of those found to be unnecessary and wasteful of energy;

(E) Submit recommendations to the department of development and to the general assembly, designed to reduce the energy intensive nature of the existing transportation system, control the growth of gasoline demand, and support other efforts to conserve energy;

(F) In cooperation with the department of development, encourage and promote the establishment of carpool and vanpool programs including preferential parking for vehicles used in carpools or vanpools. The department of transportation shall also study the feasibility of preferential traffic control for public transportation vehicles and variable working hours as additional conservation measures.

The department shall undertake to utilize to the fullest extent funds made available under federal or state programs for the development of park-and-ride lots to serve carpools and vanpools and encourage the use of public transportation facilities. Potential locations and funds for park-and-ride lots shall be identified in at least one location in each standard metropolitan statistical area in the state. These locations shall be reported to the department of development.

Section 5501.04 | Distribution of duties, powers, and functions of the department; deputy directors.

• Effective: September 10, 2012
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 487 - 129th General Assembly

Pursuant to section 5501.02 of the Revised Code, the director of transportation shall distribute the duties, powers, and functions of the department among the divisions of the department.

Each division shall be headed by a deputy director, whose title shall be designated by the director, and shall include those other officers and employees as may be necessary to carry out the work of the division. Each deputy director of each division shall be in the unclassified civil service of the state and shall serve at the pleasure of the director. The director shall be responsible for the determination of general policies in the performance of the duties, powers, and functions of the department and of each division. The director shall have complete executive charge of the department, shall be responsible for the organization, direction, and supervision of the work of the department and the performance of the duties, powers, and functions assigned to each division, and may establish necessary administrative units therein. Each deputy director of each division, with the approval of the director and subject to Chapter 124. of the Revised Code, shall appoint the necessary employees of the division and may remove such employees for cause.

Section 5501.05 | Prohibiting use of highway funds for non-highway purposes.

• Effective: April 6, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 281 - 134th General Assembly

Moneys appropriated to the department of transportation and derived from fees, excises, or license taxes relating to the registration, operation, or use of vehicles on public highways, or to fuels used for propelling such vehicle, shall not be expended for any purpose other than as provided in Section 5a of Article XII, Ohio Constitution, and such moneys may be expended only for expenses directly chargeable to the purposes set forth in such section. The director of transportation may make rules facilitating, to the extent practical under the circumstances, the use of public transportation systems and aviation systems by persons with disabilities.

Last updated March 10, 2023 at 1:08 PM

Section 5501.051 | Transfer of realty to municipality for health care services.

• Effective: April 16, 1993
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 297 - 119th General Assembly

Notwithstanding section 5501.05 of the Revised Code, real property purchased with money appropriated to the department of transportation may be transferred to a municipality with a population of no more than ten thousand persons as of December 31, 1992, if the real property is to be used for the public purpose of providing health care services to the community.

Section 5501.06 | Department of transportation succeeds to rights and duties of department of highways.

• Effective: September 28, 1973
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 200 - 110th General Assembly

(A) For the purpose of succession to all duties, powers, and functions transferred, and of the conduct and completion of matters relating thereto, the department of transportation or the director of transportation shall be held to constitute the continuation of the department of highways and the director of highways. All rules, regulations, acts, determinations, and decisions pertaining to such duties, powers, and functions of the department of highways and the director of highways, in force and effect at the time of such transfer, shall continue in force and effect until further action thereon by the department of transportation or the director of transportation. Wherever the department of highways is referred to in any provision of law, or in any contract or document that pertains to such duties, powers, and functions, the reference or designation shall be held to refer to the department of transportation or the director of transportation. No pending action or proceeding to which the department of highways or the director of highways is a party and which pertains to such duties, powers, and functions shall be affected by any provision effecting the transfer of such duties, powers, and functions, but may be prosecuted or defended in the name of the department of transportation or of the director of transportation; and in any such action or proceeding, the department or the director, upon application to the court, shall be substituted as a party.

(B) The director shall make annually, at the end of each fiscal year, in quadruplicate, a report of the transactions and proceedings of his department for such fiscal year, specifically disclosing the total receipts and disbursements of each division within the department, together with a summary of the official acts of the director and the department. On the first day of August of each year, one of such reports shall be filed with the governor, one with the secretary of state, one shall be kept on file in the office of the department and one with the legislative auditor who shall transmit copies to the members of the house and senate finance committees.

Section 5501.07 | Office of public transportation of division of multi-modal planning and programs.

• Effective: April 6, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 281 - 134th General Assembly

In addition to those duties, powers, and functions the director of transportation assigns to it, the office of transit:

(A) May issue grants from any public transportation grant appropriation to county transit boards, regional transit authorities, regional transit commissions, counties, municipal corporations, and private nonprofit organizations that operate or will operate a public transportation system.

The director shall establish criteria for the distribution of such grants. These criteria may include and the director may consider each of the following:

(1) The degree to which comprehensive regional transportation planning goals may be attained through a program for which a grant will be used;

(2) The amount of local financial or other support of public transportation operations and facilities affected by the program;

(3) The levels of existing service and fare;

(4) The degree to which the proposed plan demonstrates approaches of potential value to other local transit boards, authorities, commissions, counties, municipal corporations, and private nonprofit organizations operating public transportation systems;

(5) The degree to which the grant applicant will use state and local funds to match a federal grant;

(6) Such other factors as the director determines.

Any criteria established by the director for the distribution of such grants shall be consistent with the requirements of the United States department of transportation, or any administration in the department, including, but not limited to, the federal transit administration. The director may designate in the criteria certain dates after which applications for specified portions of the appropriations made for this purpose will not be accepted.

(B) May issue grants from any elderly and disabled transit fare assistance grant appropriation to county transit boards, regional transit authorities, regional transit commissions, counties, municipal corporations, and private nonprofit organizations that operate or will operate public transportation systems for the purpose of reducing the transit or paratransit fares of elderly or disabled persons. The director shall establish criteria for the distribution of such grants.

(C) May administer provisions of federal public transportation acts or programs applicable within the state, pursuant to an agreement entered into by the director with an appropriate official of the federal agency responsible for implementation of the federal acts or programs. The federal acts or programs shall include, but are not limited to, programs authorized under the "Act of July 5, 1994," 108 Stat. 785, 49 U.S.C.A. 5301, as amended.

(D) Shall furnish, upon request and within the limits of appropriated funds, guidance in technical or policy matters to a county transit board, regional transit authority, regional transit commission, county, municipal corporation, or private nonprofit organization that operates or proposes to operate a public transportation system, and provide assistance and liaison in the preparation and submission of applications for federal and state funds;

(E) May apply for and accept grants or loans from any federal agency for the purpose of providing for the development or improvement of public transportation facilities or for the coordination of any activities related to the development or improvement of such facilities, and may provide any consideration from any public transportation grant appropriation and enter into any contracts that may be required in order to obtain such grants or loans from a federal agency.

Last updated March 10, 2023 at 1:08 PM

Section 5501.071 | Deposit of public transportation program funds to highway operating fund.

• Effective: June 30, 1995
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 107 - 121st General Assembly

All funds received by the department of transportation from federal, local, or private sources for the purpose of carrying out public transportation programs shall be deposited into the highway operating fund.

Last updated April 21, 2022 at 3:30 PM

Section 5501.08 | Metrics for statewide strategic transportation planning.

• Effective: July 1, 2015
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 53 - 131st General Assembly

The department of transportation, in order to assist in statewide strategic transportation planning, shall develop metrics that allow the comparison of data across transportation modes and that also incorporate the full spectrum of state strategic transportation goals, including all of the following:

(A) Anticipated future costs of maintaining infrastructure in acceptable condition, both short-term and long-term;

(B) Short-term economic impact, one to five years, and long-term economic impact, thirty years and longer;

(C) Economic impact on a region's future rate of job growth and job retention;

(D) Motorist, bicyclist, and pedestrian counts, and number of accidents by mode.

Section 5501.10 | Classification and prioritization of new construction plans and contracts.

• Effective: June 30, 1995
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 107 - 121st General Assembly

Within three months of the effective date of this act, the department of transportation shall establish a written policy for the classification and prioritization of all new construction plans and contracts. The policy shall consider all aspects of new construction planning in a manner allowing the comparison of competing projects. The director of transportation shall utilize the policy in regard to all new construction plans and contracts.

Last updated April 21, 2022 at 3:34 PM

Section 5501.11 | Department of transportation with respect to highways.

• Effective: June 29, 2005
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 68 - 126th General Assembly

(A) The functions of the department of transportation with respect to highways shall be to do all of the following:

(1) Establish state highways on existing roads, streets, and new locations and construct, reconstruct, widen, resurface, maintain, and repair the state system of highways and the bridges and culverts thereon;

(2) Cooperate with the federal government in the establishment, construction, reconstruction, improvement, maintenance, and repair of post roads and other roads designated by the federal authorities;

(3) Conduct research and cooperate with organizations conducting research in matters pertaining to highway design, construction, maintenance, material, safety, and traffic;

(4) Cooperate with the counties, municipal corporations, townships, and other subdivisions of the state in the establishment, construction, reconstruction, maintenance, repair, and improvement of the public roads and bridges.

(B) To fulfill its functions under division (A) of this section, the department shall develop and maintain a pavement management system. The system shall inventory and evaluate basic road and bridge conditions throughout the state highway system and develop strategies to improve those conditions, minimize annual maintenance of the state highway system, and ensure that a disproportionate percentage of the roads and bridges on the state highway system are not due for replacement or major repair at the same time. The department shall identify and promote longer pavement life spans to lessen user delays and the disruption to traffic on the state highway system.

Section 5501.12 | Chief engineer.

• Effective: September 17, 1996
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 572 - 121st General Assembly

The director of transportation shall appoint a chief engineer, who shall be a registered professional engineer and who shall serve at the pleasure of the director. The chief engineer is exempt from state civil service requirements and regulations, and shall perform such duties as are designated by the director.

Section 5501.14 | Division of state into districts - district deputy directors.

• Effective: September 17, 1996
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 572 - 121st General Assembly

The director of transportation shall divide the state into not exceeding twelve districts and give to each district an appropriate number or name. Each district shall manage all activities within the area of the district, including transportation planning, intermodal coordination, design, operation, and maintenance of highways and bridges, and any associated administrative activities.

The director may appoint and assign to each district a district deputy director. Each district deputy shall serve during the pleasure of and perform such duties as are prescribed by the director. Each district deputy shall exercise professional judgment in the administration of all district activities and shall be accountable for all district duties. Policy, procedures, and operational plans of a district deputy shall follow the overall goals and objectives of the department of transportation.

The director may establish, equip, and staff an office in each district for the use of the district deputy, and the director may acquire suitable space for such office by purchase or lease or by the purchase of a site and the erection of a building thereon.

Section 5501.16 | Chief clerk and secretaries.

• Effective: March 17, 1989
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 357 - 117th General Assembly

The director of transportation may appoint a chief clerk, who shall be exempt from civil service requirements or regulations.

The director may appoint a secretary to the director and a secretary to each assistant director. Secretaries so appointed shall be exempt from civil service requirements or regulations.

Section 5501.17 | Assistants to prepare plans and surveys - contracts with planning commissions.

• Effective: July 1, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 51 - 130th General Assembly

The director of transportation may employ such assistants as are necessary to prepare plans and surveys. Compensation paid for the preparation of plans, surveys, and specifications shall be regarded as a part of the cost and expense of the improvement for which they were made and shall be paid from funds set aside for the improvement.

The director may appoint additional clerks and stenographers, and such other engineers, inspectors, technicians, and other employees as are necessary to carry out Chapters 4561., 5501., 5503., 5511., 5513., 5515., 5516., 5517., 5519., 5521., 5523., 5525., 5527., 5528., 5529., 5531., 5533., and 5535. of the Revised Code. All such technicians employed under the authority of this section shall be eligible to receive pay during periods of on the job training or while attending special training schools conducted by the department of transportation. Such employees and appointees, in addition to their salaries, shall receive their actual necessary traveling expenses when on official business.

The director may contract with regional, county, or municipal planning commissions or county engineers having adequate staffs, and with planning agencies of adjacent states, for the preparation of comprehensive transportation and land use studies and major thoroughfare reports, or parts thereof, and pay the commissions, county engineers, or planning agencies of adjacent states for such work from funds available to the department.

Section 5501.20 | Department of transportation business plan.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Career professional service" means that part of the competitive classified service that consists of employees of the department of transportation who, regardless of job classification, meet both of the following qualifications:

(a) They are supervisors, professional employees who are not in a collective bargaining unit, confidential employees, or management level employees, all as defined in section 4117.01 of the Revised Code.

(b) They exercise authority that is not merely routine or clerical in nature and report only to a higher level unclassified employee or employee in the career professional service.

(2) "Demoted" means that an employee is placed in a position where the employee's wage rate equals, or is not more than twenty per cent less than, the employee's wage rate immediately prior to demotion or where the employee's job responsibilities are reduced, or both.

(3) "Employee in the career professional service with restoration rights" means an employee in the career professional service who has been in the classified civil service for at least two years and who has a cumulative total of at least ten years of continuous service with the department of transportation.

(B) The director shall adopt a rule in accordance with section 111.15 of the Revised Code that identifies specific positions within the department of transportation that are included in the career professional service. The director may amend the rule that identifies the specific positions included in the career professional service whenever the director determines necessary. Any rule adopted under this division is subject to review and invalidation by the joint committee on agency rule review as provided in division (D) of section 111.15 of the Revised Code. The director shall provide a copy of any rule adopted under this division to the director of budget and management.

An employee in the career professional service is subject to the provisions of Chapter 124. of the Revised Code that govern employees in the classified civil service.

(C) An employee in the career professional service shall receive a written performance review at least once each year or as often as the director considers necessary. The department shall give an employee whose performance is unsatisfactory an opportunity to improve performance for a period of at least six months, by means of a written performance improvement plan, before the department takes any disciplinary action under this section.

(D) An employee in the career professional service may be suspended, demoted, or removed pursuant to division (C) of this section or for disciplinary reasons under section 124.34 or 124.57 of the Revised Code. An employee in the career professional service may appeal only the employee's removal to the state personnel board of review. An employee in the career professional service may appeal a demotion or a suspension of more than three days pursuant to rules the director adopts in accordance with section 111.15 of the Revised Code.

(E) An employee in the career professional service with restoration rights has restoration rights if demoted because of performance, but not if involuntarily demoted or removed for any of the reasons described in section 124.34 or for a violation of section 124.57 of the Revised Code. The director shall demote an employee who has restoration rights of that nature to a position in the classified service that in the director's judgment is similar in nature to the position the employee held immediately prior to being appointed to the position in the career professional service. The director shall assign to an employee who is demoted to a position in the classified service as provided in this division a wage rate that equals, or that is not more than twenty per cent less than, the wage rate assigned to the employee in the career professional service immediately prior to the employee's demotion.

Section 5501.21 | Department seal - records, documents - deposition of director.

• Effective: July 3, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 62 - 133rd General Assembly

The director of transportation shall provide a seal of the department of transportation, which shall be inscribed: "State of Ohio, Department of Transportation."

Copies of records or parts thereof, and copies of any plan, drawing, document, or paper writing in the department when certified by the director to be true and correct copies of the record, plan, drawing, document, or paper writing and attested by the seal of the department shall be received in evidence in the courts of the state in the same manner and with the same effect as though the record, plan, drawing, document, or paper writing were offered. Any such copy as may be required by any party to any suit, upon request of such party, shall be furnished by the director.

The director need not produce in any court an original paper or electronic record, plan, drawing, or other document.

All records, plans, and other documents and drawings of the department shall be open to the inspection of any interested person, subject to such reasonable rules as to the time of inspection and as to supervision, as the director prescribes.

Section 5501.22 | Actions against director.

• Effective: September 28, 1973
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 200 - 110th General Assembly

The director of transportation shall not be suable, either as a sole defendant or jointly with other defendants, in any court outside Franklin county except in actions brought by a railroad company under section 4957.30 of the Revised Code, or by a property owner to prevent the taking of property without due process of law, in which case suit may be brought in the county where such property is situated, or in any action otherwise specifically provided for in Chapters 5501., 5503., 5511., 5512., 5513., 5515., 5516., 5517., 5519., 5521., 5523., 5525., 5527., 5528., 5529., 5531., 5533., and 5535. of the Revised Code.

Section 5501.23 | Lectures by director.

• Effective: September 28, 1973
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 200 - 110th General Assembly

The director of transportation, either in person or through a representative of the department of transportation, may accept invitations to give addresses or lectures before persons interested in transportation improvement and development. In such cases the director, or the person designated by him, shall receive his actual and necessary expenses in addition to his salary.

Section 5501.24 | Director may call conference.

• Effective: September 28, 1973
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 200 - 110th General Assembly

The director of transportation may call into conference any employee of the department of transportation or the officials of any county, township, or municipal corporation for any purpose connected with the director's official duties. Any employee of the department so called into conference shall be entitled to receive his actual and necessary expenses in addition to his salary.

Section 5501.25 | Bond of employees.

• Effective: September 28, 1973
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 200 - 110th General Assembly

Each employee or appointee under Chapters 5501., 5503., 5511., 5512., 5513., 5515., 5516., 5517., 5519., 5521., 5523., 5525., 5527., 5528., 5529., 5531., 5533., and 5535. of the Revised Code in cases other than where the amount of the bond is fixed, may be required to give bond in such sum as the director of transportation may determine. All bonds shall be conditioned upon the faithful discharge of the duties of their respective positions and such bonds, except the bond of the director which shall be approved as to sureties by the governor, shall be approved as to the sufficiency of the sureties by the director, and as to legality and form by the attorney general, and shall be deposited with the secretary of state. The premium on such bonds shall be paid out of appropriate funds of the department of transportation. Bonds authorized or required by this section may, in the discretion of the director, be individual, schedule, or blanket bonds.

Section 5501.27 | Increased penalties for traffic violations in construction zone.

• Effective: June 1, 2004
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 52 - 125th General Assembly

(A) The director of transportation shall adopt rules that do the following:

(1) Rules governing the posting of signs advising motorists that increased penalties apply for certain traffic violations occurring on streets or highways in a construction zone;

(2) Rules governing the posting of signs to be used pursuant to section 2903.081 of the Revised Code giving notice to motorists of the prohibitions set forth in sections 2903.06 and 2903.08 of the Revised Code regarding the death of or injury to any person in a construction zone as a proximate result of a reckless operation offense or speeding offense.

(B) The rules required under divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section shall include guidelines to determine which areas are appropriate to the posting of such signs. The guidelines may include consideration of the following: the duration of the work on the street or highway, the proximity of workers to moving traffic, the existence of any unusual or hazardous conditions, the volume of traffic on the street or highway, and any other appropriate factors. The director shall formulate design specifications for the signs described in division (A)(1) of this section advising motorists of the increased penalties and the signs described in division (A)(2) of this section notifying motorists of the prohibitions set forth in sections 2903.06 and 2903.08 of the Revised Code regarding the death of or injury to any person in a construction zone as a proximate result of a reckless operation offense or speeding offense as described in that division. For purposes of traffic violation penalties, nothing in this section is intended to conflict with any standard set forth in the federal manual of uniform traffic control devices for streets and highways.

(C) As used in this section and in section 4511.98 of the Revised Code, "construction zone" means that lane or portion of street or highway open to vehicular traffic and adjacent to a lane, berm, or shoulder of a street or highway within which lane, berm, or shoulder construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, or any other work of a repair or maintenance nature, including public utility work, is being conducted, commencing with the point where the first worker or piece of equipment is located and ending where the last worker or piece of equipment is located.

Section 5501.31 | Director of transportation - powers and duties.

• Effective: July 1, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 51 - 130th General Assembly

The director of transportation shall have general supervision of all roads comprising the state highway system. The director may alter, widen, straighten, realign, relocate, establish, construct, reconstruct, improve, maintain, repair, and preserve any road or highway on the state highway system, and, in connection therewith, relocate, alter, widen, deepen, clean out, or straighten the channel of any watercourse as the director considers necessary, and purchase or appropriate property for the disposal of surplus materials or borrow pits, and, where an established road has been relocated, establish, construct, and maintain such connecting roads between the old and new location as will provide reasonable access thereto.

The director may purchase or appropriate property necessary for the location or construction of any culvert, bridge, or viaduct, or the approaches thereto, including any property needed to extend, widen, or alter any feeder or outlet road, street, or way adjacent to or under the bridge or viaduct when the extension, widening, or alteration of the feeder road, street, or way is necessary for the full utilization of the bridge or viaduct, or for any other highway improvement. The director may purchase or appropriate, for such length of time as is necessary and desirable, any additional property required for the construction and maintenance of slopes, detour roads, sewers, roadside parks, rest areas, recreational park areas, park and ride facilities, and park and carpool or vanpool facilities, scenic view areas, drainage systems, or land to replace wetlands, incident to any highway improvement, that the director is or may be authorized to locate or construct. Also incident to any authorized highway improvement, the director may purchase property from a willing seller as required for the construction and maintenance of bikeways and bicycle paths or to replace, preserve, or conserve any environmental resource if the replacement, preservation, or conservation is required by state or federal law.

Title to property purchased or appropriated by the director shall be taken in the name of the state either in fee simple or in any lesser estate or interest that the director considers necessary or proper, in accordance with forms to be prescribed by the attorney general. The deed shall contain a description of the property and be recorded in the county where the property is situated and, when recorded, shall be kept on file in the department of transportation. The property may be described by metes and bounds or by the department of transportation parcel number as shown on a right of way plan recorded in the county where the property is located.

Provided that when property, other than property used by a railroad for operating purposes, is acquired in connection with improvements involving projects affecting railroads wherein the department is obligated to acquire property under grade separation statutes, or on other improvements wherein the department is obligated to acquire lands under agreements with railroads, or with a public utility, political subdivision, public corporation, or private corporation owning transportation facilities for the readjustment, relocation, or improvement of their facilities, a fee simple title or an easement may be acquired by purchase or appropriation in the name of the railroad, public utility, political subdivision, public corporation, or private corporation in the discretion of the director. When the title to lands, which are required to adjust, relocate, or improve such facilities pursuant to agreements with the director, is taken in the name of the state, then, in the discretion of the director, the title to such lands may be conveyed to the railroad, public utility, political subdivision, or public corporation for which they were acquired. The conveyance shall be prepared by the attorney general and executed by the governor and bear the great seal of the state of Ohio.

The director, in the maintenance or repair of state highways, is not limited to the use of the materials with which the highways, including the bridges and culverts thereon, were originally constructed, but may use any material that is proper or suitable. The director may aid any board of county commissioners in establishing, creating, and repairing suitable systems of drainage for all highways within the jurisdiction or control of the board and advise with it as to the establishment, construction, improvement, maintenance, and repair of the highways.

Chapters 4561., 5501., 5503., 5511., 5513., 5515., 5516., 5517., 5519., 5521., 5523., 5525., 5527., 5528., 5529., 5531., 5533., and 5535. of the Revised Code do not prohibit the federal government, any government agency, or any individual or corporation, from contributing a portion of the cost of the establishment, construction, reconstruction, relocating, widening, resurfacing, maintenance, and repair of the highways or transportation facilities.

Except in the case of maintaining, repairing, erecting traffic signs on, or pavement marking of state highways within villages, which is mandatory as required by section 5521.01 of the Revised Code, and except as provided in section 5501.49 of the Revised Code, no duty of constructing, reconstructing, widening, resurfacing, maintaining, or repairing state highways within municipal corporations, or the culverts thereon, shall attach to or rest upon the director, but the director may construct, reconstruct, widen, resurface, maintain, and repair the same with or without the cooperation of any municipal corporation, or with or without the cooperation of boards of county commissioners upon each municipal corporation consenting thereto.

Section 5501.311 | Leases or lease-purchase of transportation facilities.

• Effective: August 5, 2016
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 233 - 131st General Assembly

(A) Notwithstanding sections 123.01 and 127.16 of the Revised Code the director of transportation may lease or lease-purchase all or any part of a transportation facility to or from one or more persons, one or more governmental agencies, a transportation improvement district, or any combination thereof, and may grant leases, easements, or licenses for lands under the control of the department of transportation. The director may adopt rules necessary to give effect to this section.

(B) Plans and specifications for the construction of a transportation facility under a lease or lease-purchase agreement are subject to approval of the director and must meet or exceed all applicable standards of the department.

(C) Any lease or lease-purchase agreement under which the department is the lessee shall be for a period not exceeding the then current two-year period for which appropriations have been made by the general assembly to the department, and such agreement may contain such other terms as the department and the other parties thereto agree, notwithstanding any other provision of law, including provisions that rental payments in amounts sufficient to pay bond service charges payable during the current two-year lease term shall be an absolute and unconditional obligation of the department independent of all other duties under the agreement without set-off or deduction or any other similar rights or defenses. Any such agreement may provide for renewal of the agreement at the end of each term for another term, not exceeding two years, provided that no renewal shall be effective until the effective date of an appropriation enacted by the general assembly from which the department may lawfully pay rentals under such agreement. Any such agreement may include, without limitation, any agreement by the department with respect to any costs of transportation facilities to be included prior to acquisition and construction of such transportation facilities. Any such agreement shall not constitute a debt or pledge of the faith and credit of the state, or of any political subdivision of the state, and the lessor shall have no right to have taxes or excises levied by the general assembly, or the taxing authority of any political subdivision of the state, for the payment of rentals thereunder. Any such agreement shall contain a statement to that effect.

(D) A municipal corporation, township, or county may use service payments in lieu of taxes credited to special funds or accounts pursuant to sections 5709.43, 5709.47, 5709.75, and 5709.80 of the Revised Code to provide its contribution to the cost of a transportation facility, provided such facility was among the purposes for which such service payments were authorized. The contribution may be in the form of a lump sum or periodic payments.

(E) Pursuant to the "Telecommunications Act of 1996," 110 Stat. 152, 47 U.S.C. 332 note, the director may grant a lease, easement, or license in a transportation facility to a telecommunications service provider for construction, placement, or operation of a telecommunications facility. An interest granted under this division is subject to all of the following conditions:

(1) The transportation facility is owned in fee simple or easement by this state at the time the lease, easement, or license is granted to the telecommunications provider.

(2) The lease, easement, or license shall be granted on a competitive basis in accordance with policies and procedures to be determined by the director. The policies and procedures may include provisions for master leases for multiple sites.

(3) The telecommunications facility shall be designed to accommodate the state's multi-agency radio communication system, the intelligent transportation system, and the department's communication system as the director may determine is necessary for highway or other departmental purposes.

(4) The telecommunications facility shall be designed to accommodate such additional telecommunications equipment as may feasibly be co-located thereon as determined in the discretion of the director.

(5) The telecommunications service providers awarded the lease, easement, or license, agree to permit other telecommunications service providers to co-locate on the telecommunications facility, and agree to the terms and conditions of the co-location as determined in the discretion of the director.

(6) The director shall require indemnity agreements in favor of the department as a condition of any lease, easement, or license granted under this division. Each indemnity agreement shall secure this state and its agents from liability for damages arising out of safety hazards, zoning, and any other matter of public interest the director considers necessary.

(7) The telecommunications service provider fully complies with any permit issued under section 5515.01 of the Revised Code pertaining to land that is the subject of the lease, easement, or license.

(8) All plans and specifications shall meet with the director's approval.

(9) Any other conditions the director determines necessary.

(F) In accordance with section 5501.031 of the Revised Code, to further efforts to promote energy conservation and energy efficiency, the director may grant a lease, easement, or license in a transportation facility to a utility service provider that has received its certificate from the Ohio power siting board or appropriate local entity for construction, placement, or operation of an alternative energy generating facility service provider as defined in section 4928.64 of the Revised Code. An interest granted under this division is subject to all of the following conditions:

(1) The transportation facility is owned in fee simple or in easement by this state at the time the lease, easement, or license is granted to the utility service provider.

(2) The lease, easement, or license shall be granted on a competitive basis in accordance with policies and procedures to be determined by the director. The policies and procedures may include provisions for master leases for multiple sites.

(3) The alternative energy generating facility shall be designed to provide energy for the department's transportation facilities with the potential for selling excess power on the power grid, as the director may determine is necessary for highway or other departmental purposes.

(4) The director shall require indemnity agreements in favor of the department as a condition of any lease, easement, or license granted under this division. Each indemnity agreement shall secure this state from liability for damages arising out of safety hazards, zoning, and any other matter of public interest the director considers necessary.

(5) The alternative energy service provider fully complies with any permit issued by the Ohio power siting board under Chapter 4906. of the Revised Code and complies with section 5515.01 of the Revised Code pertaining to land that is the subject of the lease, easement, or license.

(6) All plans and specifications shall meet with the director's approval.

(7) Any other conditions the director determines necessary.

(G) Money the department receives under this section shall be deposited into the state treasury to the credit of the highway operating fund.

(H) A lease, easement, or license granted under division (E) or (F) of this section, and any telecommunications facility or alternative energy generating facility relating to such interest in a transportation facility, is hereby deemed to further the essential highway purpose of building and maintaining a safe, energy-efficient, and accessible transportation system.

Last updated May 13, 2021 at 1:59 PM

Section 5501.312 | Contracts for use or service of transportation facility.

• Effective: September 29, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly

(A) The director of transportation may do all of the following:

(1) Contract in the manner provided by this section with one or more persons, a transportation improvement district, one or more governmental agencies, or any combination thereof, desiring the use or service of a transportation facility, and fix the terms, conditions, rentals, or other charges for such use or services. Such contract may provide for acquisition by such person or governmental agency of all or any part of the facility for such consideration payable over the period of the contract or otherwise as the director in the director's sole discretion determines to be appropriate.

(2) Make loans from any available source, including the federal share of a project, for the planning, acquisition, or construction of transportation facilities upon such terms as the director may determine or authorize, including secured or unsecured loans, and in connection therewith, enter into loan agreements, subordination agreements, and other agreements, accept notes and other forms of obligation to evidence the indebtedness and mortgages, liens, pledges, assignments, or other security interests to secure the indebtedness, which may be prior or subordinate to or on a parity with other indebtedness, obligations, mortgages, pledges, assignments, other security interests, or liens or encumbrances, and take such actions as are appropriate to protect the security and safeguard against losses, including foreclosure and the bidding upon and purchase of property upon foreclosure or other sale. Repayments of a federal share loan may be obligated by the director for any transportation purpose, including the reloaning of such repaid funds for other projects. Reloaned funds would be considered state loans, not federal share loans.

(3) Sell transportation facilities under such terms as the director may determine, including conditional sale or installment sale, under which title may pass prior to or after completion of the facility, or at any time provided in the agreement pertaining to the sale, including sale under an option to purchase at a price which may be a nominal amount or less than true value at the time of the purchase;

(4) Grant a mortgage, lien, or other encumbrance on, or pledge or assignment of, or other security interest with respect to, all or any part of a transportation facility, or on, of, or with respect to any lease, sublease, sale, conditional sale or installment sale agreement, loan agreement, or other agreement pertaining to the lease, sublease, sale, or other disposition of a facility or pertaining to a loan made for a facility, or any guaranty or insurance agreement made with respect thereto, or any interest of the department of transportation therein, or any other interest granted, assigned, or released to secure payments to be made by the department, which mortgage, lien, encumbrance, pledge, assignment, or other security interest may be prior or subordinate to or on a parity with any other mortgage assignment, or other security interest, lien, or encumbrance;

(5) Contract for the acquisition or construction of a transportation facility or any part thereof and for the leasing, subleasing, sale, or other disposition of the facility in a manner determined by the director.

(B) All money received by the department under this section shall be deposited into the state treasury to the credit of the highway operating fund.

Section 5501.32 | Purchase of real property for highway purposes.

• Effective: April 5, 2001
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 295 - 123rd General Assembly

The director of transportation may purchase property in fee simple in the name of the state by warranty deed, and all or any part of a tract of land when the acquisition of a part of the land needed for highway purposes will result in substantial damages to the residue by severance, controlled access, or isolation. The warranty deed shall contain a description of the property suitable for platting on tax maps. Any instrument by which real property is acquired pursuant to this section shall identify the agency of the state that has the use and benefit of the real property as specified in section 5301.012 of the Revised Code.

Section 5501.33 | Accepting donations of real property.

• Effective: June 21, 1990
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 185 - 118th General Assembly

At any time during the development of a highway project, subject to section 5501.331 of the Revised Code, the owner of an interest in real property may donate to the state, and the director of transportation may accept in the name of the state, all or part of the interest that is needed for purposes of the highway project.

Section 5501.331 | Deed for donated property.

• Effective: June 21, 1990
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 185 - 118th General Assembly

If an interest in real property is donated under section 5501.33 of the Revised Code before adoption of an environmental document prepared by the department of transportation for the highway project, the deed by which the donation is made shall clearly state each of the following:

(A) All alternatives to a proposed alignment of the highway project shall be studied and considered pursuant to the "National Environmental Policy Act of 1969," 83 Stat. 852, 42 U.S.C.A. 4321 et seq., as amended.

(B) Acceptance of the donation shall not influence the environmental assessment of the highway project, including the decision relative to the need to construct the project or selection of its specific location.

(C) The donated interest shall revert to the grantor or his successors or assigns if the interest is not required for the alignment chosen for the highway project after public hearings, if hearings are required, and adoption of the environmental document.

Section 5501.332 | Deed releasing donated property.

• Effective: September 30, 2021
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 110 - 134th General Assembly

Upon the occurrence of the condition stated in a deed pursuant to division (C) of section 5501.331 of the Revised Code, the director of transportation shall prepare and issue a certification of the occurrence to the grantor or the grantor's successors or assigns, the governor, and the director of administrative services.

Upon receipt of the certification, the director of administrative services, with the assistance of the attorney general, shall prepare a deed releasing the property donated under section 5501.33 of the Revised Code to the grantor or the grantor's successors or assigns. The deed shall declare the occurrence of the condition and the consequent reversion. The deed shall be executed by the governor, countersigned by the secretary of state, recorded in the office of the director of administrative services, and delivered to the grantor or the grantor's successors or assigns.

Last updated August 11, 2021 at 1:34 PM

Section 5501.34 | Selling real property no longer required for highway purposes.

• Effective: July 1, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 2 - 128th General Assembly

(A) If circumstances alter the highway requirements after the director of transportation has acquired property so that the real property or part of the real property is no longer required for highway purposes, the director, in the name of the state, may sell all the right, title, and interest of the state in any of the real property. After determining that a parcel of real property is no longer required for highway purposes, the director shall have the parcel appraised by a department prequalified appraiser.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the director shall advertise the sale of real property that is no longer required for highway purposes in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the real property is situated for at least two consecutive weeks prior to the date set for the sale. The real property may be sold at public auction to the highest bidder for not less than two-thirds of its appraised value, but the director may reject all bids that are less than the full appraised value of the real property. However, if no sale has been effected after an effort to sell under this division, the director may set aside the appraisal, order a new appraisal, and, except as otherwise provided in this section, readvertise the property for sale.

(C) If real property no longer required for highway purposes is appraised or reappraised as having a current fair market value of twenty thousand dollars or less, the director may sell the real property to the sole abutting owner through a private sale at a price not less than the appraised value. If there is more than one abutting owner, the director may invite all of the abutting owners to submit sealed bids and may sell the real property to the highest bidder at not less than its appraised value.

(D) If real property no longer required for highway purposes is appraised or reappraised as having a fair market value of five thousand dollars or less, and no sale has been effected after an effort to sell to the abutting owner or owners, the director may advertise the sale of the real property in accordance with division (B) of this section. The director may sell the land at public auction to the highest bidder without regard to its appraised value, but the director may reject all bids that are less than the full appraised value of the real property.

(E) The department shall pay all expenses incurred in the sale of a parcel of real property out of the proceeds of the sale and shall deposit the balance of the proceeds in the highway fund used to acquire that parcel of real property.

(F) Upon a determination that real property previously acquired within a highway improvement project corridor no longer is needed for highway purposes, the director may offer the unneeded property to another landowner located within that project's corridor as full or partial consideration for other real property to be acquired from the landowner. If the landowner accepts the offer, the director shall convey the unneeded property directly to the landowner at the full fair market value determined by the department by appraisal. The director shall credit the value of the unneeded property against the acquisition price of the property being acquired by the department, and the landowner shall pay the department the difference if the value of the unneeded property exceeds the acquisition price of the property being acquired.

(G) Conveyances of real property under this section shall be by a deed executed by the governor, bearing the great seal of the state, and in the form prescribed by the attorney general. The director shall keep a record of all conveyances of real property made under this section. This section applies to all real property acquired by the department, regardless of how or from whom the property was acquired.

Section 5501.38 | Reusing petroleum contaminated sands, gravel and soils as highway construction materials.

• Effective: June 30, 1997
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 215 - 122nd General Assembly

The director of transportation has determined that it is feasible to use in the construction of highways sands, gravel, and soils that contain varying amounts of petroleum products resulting from the upgrading of underground storage tanks. In order to maximize the beneficial reuse of these petroleum contaminated sands, gravel, and soils, the director shall establish a program to promote the reuse of these materials as highway construction materials.

Not later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date of this section, the director of transportation, in consultation with the chief of the bureau of underground storage tanks and the director of environmental protection, shall issue highway construction specifications that facilitate the reuse of petroleum contaminated sands, gravel, and soils that are removed during the repair, removal, or closure of underground storage tanks that are under the jurisdiction of the chief of the bureau of underground storage tanks. Following issuance of the specifications, the director of transportation shall prepare and distribute to any interested party information describing the program of the department to facilitate the reuse of such petroleum contaminated sands, gravel, and soils in the construction of highways.

In order to accumulate a sufficient and ready supply of petroleum contaminated sands, gravel, and soils that meet the specifications, the director of transportation is authorized to construct and operate temporary covered structures in locations that are in close proximity to highway projects and accumulate bulk quantities of these sands, gravel, and soils for reuse. These materials shall be made available to the department of transportation and its contractors for reuse on highway construction projects.

As used in this section, "petroleum" has the same meaning as in division (J) of section 3737.87 of the Revised Code, except that it does not include used oil.

Section 5501.39 | Research laboratory.

• Effective: November 23, 1977
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 221 - 112th General Assembly

The director of transportation shall maintain a laboratory of research and tests and employ qualified personnel to conduct research pertaining to materials, supplies, and equipment used in road construction and maintenance and to test materials, supplies, and equipment used in the construction and maintenance of the state highway system. The director may make tests of road building materials for authorities of any county, municipal corporation, township, or other subdivision of the state. When the director makes such tests he shall collect from such county, municipal corporation, township, or other subdivision of the state a fee sufficient to cover the actual cost of making such tests. The fees collected shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the state highway operating fund.

Section 5501.40 | Housing and care of equipment.

• Effective: September 28, 1973
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 200 - 110th General Assembly

The director of transportation may secure suitable buildings for housing, storing, caring for, and keeping in repair, automobiles, motor trucks, road machinery, and other equipment owned by the department of transportation. Such buildings may be secured by purchase or lease or by the purchase of a suitable site and the erection thereon of suitable buildings. The director may equip such buildings with the necessary tools and equipment for the care and repair of such automobiles, trucks, machinery, and other equipment. The expense incurred by the director in providing such sites and buildings, and storing, housing, caring for, and repairing such automobiles, trucks, machinery, and equipment, shall be paid from any available funds of the department.

Section 5501.41 | Removal of snow and ice.

• Effective: July 3, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 62 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) The director of transportation may remove snow and ice from state highways, purchase the necessary equipment including snow fences, employ the necessary labor, and make all contracts necessary to enable such removal. The director may remove snow and ice from the state highways within municipal corporations, but before doing so the director must obtain the consent of the legislative authority of such municipal corporation. The board of county commissioners on county highways, and the board of township trustees on township roads, shall have the same authority to purchase equipment for the removal of and to remove snow and ice as the director has on the state highway system.

(B)(1) The director may provide road salt to a political subdivision if all of the following apply:

(a) The director has excess road salt.

(b) The political subdivision is otherwise unable to acquire road salt.

(c) The political subdivision is in an emergency situation.

(2) The director shall seek reimbursement from a political subdivision for road salt provided under this division. The reimbursement amount shall equal the price at which the director purchased the road salt.

Section 5501.42 | Supervision of trees and shrubs.

• Effective: September 28, 1973
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 200 - 110th General Assembly

The director of transportation shall have supervision and control of all trees and shrubs within the limits of a state highway. The department of agriculture or other proper department may, with the consent of the director of transportation, take charge of the care of such trees, and such department, in the event it takes charge of such trees, may, with the consent of the director of transportation, plant additional trees within the limits of a state highway. The cost and expense of caring for or planting such trees may be paid out of any funds available to the director or for the development of forestry of the state.

The director may cut, trim, or remove any grass, shrubs, trees, or weeds growing or being within the limits of a state highway.

The powers conferred by this section upon the director shall be exercised only when made necessary by the construction or maintenance of the highway or for the safety of the traveling public.

Section 5501.43 | Contracts in name of state.

• Effective: September 17, 1996
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 572 - 121st General Assembly

Any contract made by the director of transportation under Chapters 4561., 5501., 5503., 5511., 5513., 5515., 5516., 5517., 5519., 5521., 5523., 5525., 5527., 5528., 5529., 5531., 5533., and 5535. of the Revised Code shall be made in the name of the state and executed on its behalf by the director. No appointee of the director, other than the assistant directors of transportation, may bind the director in a contract, except when given general or special authority by the director.

Section 5501.44 | Cooperative agreements for repair of bridges and regional traffic management systems.

• Effective: September 11, 2014
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 533 - 130th General Assembly

(A)(1) Notwithstanding section 5735.27 of the Revised Code, the director of transportation, when the director determines it in the interest of the welfare and safety of the citizens of Ohio, may enter into agreements with other states or subdivisions thereof or the United States relative to the cooperation in the repair, maintenance, or construction of a bridge crossing a stream that forms a boundary line of this state, and may expend state highway funds for said purpose.

Except as provided in division (A)(3) of this section, no such agreement shall be made that obligates this state to expend more than the cost of the construction of such portion of said bridge as is located within the state, and not more than fifty per cent of the cost of maintenance of any such bridge, and no such agreement shall be made that obligates the state in excess of three hundred thousand dollars in any one year for maintenance.

(2) Notwithstanding division (A)(1) of this section, the director may expend funds for the design, construction, inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement of bridge and bridge approaches for the bridge that were transferred from the Ohio bridge commission to the control of the state of Ohio, department of transportation, as provided in Section 4 of Amended Substitute House Bill No. 98 of the 114th general assembly. Following the replacement of that bridge, the director may expend funds for the design, construction, inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement of bridge and bridge approaches.

(3) Notwithstanding division (A)(1) of this section, the director may enter into an agreement with another state for the replacement, improvement, rehabilitation, operation, and maintenance of a bridge or system of bridges at one location that carries two interstate highways over the Ohio river to another state, and the replacement, improvement, rehabilitation, operation, and maintenance of roadways providing for ingress to and egress from that bridge or system of bridges. However, no such agreement shall obligate this state to expend more than fifty per cent of the total project costs.

(4) Any agreement that is entered into under this section shall be approved by the governor and attorney general of the state before it becomes effective.

(5) Each agreement entered into shall designate responsibility for inspection, provide for annual inspection, and require that a report of each inspection be filed with the department of transportation. The director, with regard to all existing bridges or other bridges on a stream that forms a boundary line of this state, shall take all reasonable measures to obtain and to secure the filing of a copy of each inspection report for each bridge with the department of transportation.

(6) The department, upon hearing that a bridge across the Ohio river is scheduled to be closed by a contiguous state, shall make all reasonable efforts to notify the Ohio residents likely to be adversely affected by that closing. The department also shall cooperate and communicate with contiguous states in trying to resolve bridge closing problems.

(B)(1) The director, when the director considers it in the interest of the welfare and safety of the citizens of Ohio, may enter into agreements with other states, subdivisions thereof, metropolitan planning organizations, or the United States, relative to the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and repair of a regional traffic management system, and may expend state and federal highway funds for such purposes, notwithstanding any other provision of the Revised Code.

(2) No such agreement shall be made that obligates this state to expend more than the cost of construction of such portion of a regional traffic management system as is located within the state, and not more than a proportional amount, based upon the system presence in this state, for costs of design, operation, maintenance, and repair.

(3) Any such agreements shall be approved by the governor and attorney general of the state before they become effective.

(4) As used in division (B) of this section, "regional traffic management system" means an integrated, high-technology system to provide remote control center surveillance and monitoring of the regional freeways and main arterial routes in order to reduce and eliminate major backups and delays to motorists in the area.

Section 5501.441 | Toll enforcement agreements.

• Effective: August 31, 2022
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 338 - 134th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "private toll transportation facility" means any person, as defined by section 1.59 of the Revised Code, or other business entity engaged in the collecting or charging of tolls on a toll bridge that was previously owned by a municipal corporation.

(B) The governor, or the governor's designee, may enter into agreements with other states that govern the reciprocal enforcement of highway, bridge, and tunnel toll violations. Such agreements shall pertain to any public toll transportation facility and may include any private toll transportation facility located in those other states. The governor, or the governor's designee, shall make such agreements in consultation with the director of public safety.

(C) Any agreement governing enforcement of toll violations made under the authority of division (B) of this section shall provide for all of the following:

(1) That a driver of a motor vehicle that is registered in one state that is a party to the agreement and who is operating in another state that is a party to the agreement receive the same benefits, privileges, and exemptions as are accorded to a driver of a motor vehicle that is registered in that other state;

(2) That refusal of an application for motor vehicle registration or transfer of motor vehicle registration, in accordance with the laws of the state in which the toll violation occurred, is one mechanism by which toll violations shall be enforced pursuant to the agreement;

(3) That provision of notice between the states regarding toll violations and enforcement of those violations be made by electronic means.

Last updated June 17, 2022 at 4:42 PM

Section 5501.45 | Conveyance of lands not needed for highway or recreation purposes.

• Effective: June 30, 2003
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 87 - 125th General Assembly

(A) The director of transportation may convey or transfer the fee simple estate or any lesser estate or interest in, or permit the use of, for such period as the director shall determine, any lands owned by the state and acquired or used for the state highway system or for highways or in connection with highways or as incidental to the acquisition of land for highways, provided that the director determines, after consulting with the director of natural resources, that the property or interest conveyed or made subject to a permit to use is not needed by the state for highway or recreation purposes. Such conveyance, transfer, or permit to use may be to the grantee or permittee or to the grantee or permittee and the grantee's or its successors and assigns and shall be of such portion of such lands as the director shall determine, which shall be described in the deed, transfer, or other instrument or conveyance and in any permit to use, and may include or be limited to areas or space on, above, or below the surface, and also may include the grant of easements or other interests in any such lands for use by the grantee for buildings or structures or for other uses and purposes, and for the support of buildings or structures constructed or to be constructed on or in the lands or areas or space conveyed or made subject to a permit to use.

(B) Whenever pursuant to this section separate units of property are created in any lands, each unit shall for all purposes constitute real property and shall be deemed real estate within the meaning of all provisions of the Revised Code, shall be deemed to be a separate parcel for all purposes of taxation and assessment of real property, and no other unit or other part of such lands shall be charged with the payment of such taxes and assessments.

(C) With respect to any portion of the state highway system not owned in fee simple by the state, the director may permit the use of any portion thereof in perpetuity or for such period of time as the director shall specify, including areas or space on, above, or beneath the surface, together with rights for the support of buildings or structures constructed or to be constructed thereon or therein, provided that the director determines that the portion made subject to a right to use is not needed by the state for highway purposes.

(D) The director shall require, as either a condition precedent or a condition subsequent to any conveyance, transfer, or grant or permit to use, that the plans and specifications for all such buildings or structures and the contemplated use thereof, be approved by the director as not interfering with the use of the state highway system and not unduly endangering the public. The director may require such indemnity agreements in favor of the director and the public as shall be lawful and as shall be deemed necessary by the director. The director shall not unreasonably withhold approval of such plans, specifications, and contemplated use.

(E)(1) All such conveyances, transfers, grants, or permits to use that are made to state institutions, agencies, commissions, instrumentalities, political subdivisions, or taxing districts of the state, to institutions receiving financial assistance from the state, or to the federal government shall be upon such consideration as shall be determined by the director to be fair and reasonable, without competitive bidding. Conveyances of real property under this section shall be by deed executed by the director and shall be in the form prescribed by the attorney general. Sections 5301.13 and 5515.01 of the Revised Code, relating to the sale or use of public lands, shall not apply to conveyances, grants, transfers, or permits to use made pursuant to this division. An institution receiving financial assistance from the state shall provide the director with acceptable documentary evidence of the state loan, grant, or other state financial assistance. The director shall keep a record of all such conveyances.

(2) As used in this division, "institution receiving financial assistance from the state" includes any public or private organization, especially one of a charitable, civic, or educational character, in receipt of a state loan, grant, or other type of state financial assistance.

(F) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, all conveyances, grants, or permits to use that are made to private persons, firms, or corporations shall be conducted in accordance with the procedure set forth in section 5501.311 or 5501.34 of the Revised Code, as applicable.

(G) In any case where the director has acquired or acquires, for the state highway system, easements in or permits to use areas or space on, above, or below the surface, the director may extinguish them in whole or in part or subordinate them to uses by others, provided that the director determines that the easements or permit to use so extinguished or subordinated are not needed by the state for highway purposes. The director shall make any extinguishments to the current underlying fee owner of record at no cost.

(H) No conveyance, transfer, easement, lease, permit, or other instrument executed pursuant to the authorization given by this section shall prejudice any right, title, or interest in any lands affected thereby which at the date thereof existed in any person, firm, or corporation, other than the state and other than members of the general public having no specific rights in said lands, unless the right, title, or interest was expressly subject to the right of the state to make such conveyance or transfer, grant such right, or execute such instrument, and unless the state by such instrument expressly exercises such right, nor shall any public utility be required to move or relocate any of its facilities that may be located in or on the areas described in any such conveyance, transfer, easement, lease, permit, or other instrument.

Section 5501.451 | Leasing state lands for erecting advertising devices.

• Effective: May 15, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 85 - 122nd General Assembly

In accordance with section 5501.45 of the Revised Code, the director of transportation shall implement a program allowing, by lease or permit, the use of lands owned by the state and acquired or used for the state highway system or for highways or in connection with highways or as incidental to the acquisition of land for highways by persons erecting advertising devices on the property. The program shall be operated in accordance with guidelines in effect on January 1, 1996.

Nothing in this section shall prohibit or restrict the director from determining that property on which an advertising device is located has become necessary for state highway or recreation purposes and terminating a lease or permit. Nothing in this section shall require the director to maintain a lease or permit at a specific location or prohibit the director from modifying the terms of a specific lease or permit.

As used in this section "advertising device" has the same meaning as in section 5516.01 of the Revised Code.

Section 5501.46 | Conveying land to department of transportation by other state agencies and political subdivisions.

• Effective: July 22, 1994
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 715 - 120th General Assembly

Notwithstanding section 9.70 and Chapters 123., 339., 501., 511., 721., 723., 747., 749., 759., 903., 3301., 3313., 3337., 3339., 3341., 3343., 3349., and 3375. of the Revised Code, the various departments of state, institutions, commissions, subdivisions, and districts of the state, and other public agencies, without competitive bidding, may grant, convey, or transfer real property to the department of transportation in fee simple or in any such lesser estate as it determines and for such consideration as is mutually agreed upon, provided that any such transactions under authority of this section with a valuation of forty thousand dollars or more shall first be approved by the state controlling board. Any title to such property or lands taken shall be taken in the name of the state.

Section 5501.47 | Bridge inspections.

• Effective: June 30, 2021
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 74 - 134th General Assembly

(A) The director of transportation is responsible for inspection of all bridges on the state highway system inside and outside of municipalities, all bridges connecting Ohio with another state for which the department of transportation has inspection authority, and all other bridges or portions of bridges for which responsibility for inspection is by law or agreement assigned to the department.

Such inspection shall be made on a schedule established by the director, but at least once every twenty-four months, by a professional engineer or other qualified person under the supervision of a professional engineer, in accordance with the manual of bridge inspection described in division (B) of this section.

The director shall cause to be maintained in each district of the department an updated inventory of all bridges within such district that are on the state highway system, including those located within municipalities, and all other bridges for which the department has responsibility for inspection. The inventory record shall indicate who is responsible for inspection and for maintenance, and the authority for such responsibilities.

On those bridges where there exists joint maintenance responsibility, the director shall furnish a copy of reports to each party responsible for a share of maintenance.

"Maintenance" as used in this division means actual performance of maintenance work.

(B)(1) As used in this division:

(a) "Inspection" means the inspection described in the manual of bridge inspection adopted by the department.

(b) "Highway" means those highway systems in section 5535.01 of the Revised Code, highways, streets, and roads within municipalities, and any other highway, street, and road on which the public travels.

(c) "Bridge" means any structure of ten feet or more clear span or ten feet or more in diameter on, above, or below a highway, including structures upon which railroad locomotives or cars may travel.

(2) The director shall have general responsibility for initiating, developing, and maintaining procedures and practices that provide for and promote professional inspection of bridges. The director shall:

(a) Prepare, maintain, and update a manual of bridge inspection that will provide standards applicable to the inspection of all bridges on, above, or below highways. The manual shall include, but is not limited to, standards relating to frequency of inspection, qualifications of persons inspecting or supervising inspections, and procedures and practices facilitating professional inspection of bridges.

(b) Develop and furnish inspection forms and other forms relating to inspection, and approve forms used in lieu of the departmental forms;

(c) Assist and cooperate with governmental units, upon request, with inspection, disseminate information to appropriate governmental officials and agencies with regard to responsibility and inspection practices, and confer with public officials and other individuals on inspection of bridges; such assistance may be in the form of contracts with counties or municipal corporations for transportation department inspection services;

(d) Inspect any bridge on a highway, with a designated representative of the owner, where the director has reason to believe that the report of inspection does not reflect the condition of such bridge or that the inspection did not accord with the standards contained in the manual of bridge inspection.

Last updated April 12, 2021 at 9:54 AM

Section 5501.48 | Toll bridge inspection.

• Effective: June 30, 2021
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 74 - 134th General Assembly

The operator of a toll bridge located entirely or partly in the state shall inspect such bridge on a schedule established by the director of transportation, but at least once every twenty-four months. The operator shall file a copy of the inspection report with the director. Inspection shall be made or supervised by a professional engineer.

Last updated April 12, 2021 at 9:55 AM

Section 5501.49 | Lift bridge inspection.

• Effective: June 30, 2007
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 67 - 127th General Assembly

(A) The director of transportation is responsible for the construction, reconstruction, major maintenance and repair, and operation of all bridges located on the state highway system within a municipal corporation. The public entity responsible for maintaining the pavements and sidewalks on either end of the bridge is responsible for the routine maintenance of all bridges located on the state highway system within the municipal corporation.

(B) The director may enter into an agreement with the legislative authority of a municipal corporation or a county, upon mutually agreeable terms, for the municipal corporation or county to operate and perform major maintenance and repair on any bridge located on the state highway system within the municipal corporation or county.

(C) The director is not required to obtain the consent of a municipal corporation prior to the performance of any major bridge maintenance and repair. Except in an emergency, the director shall give a municipal corporation reasonable notice prior to the performance of any work that will affect the flow of traffic. No utilities, signs, or other appurtenances shall be attached to a bridge without the prior written consent of the director.

(D) As used in this section:

(1) Major and routine maintenance and repair relates to all elements of a bridge, including abutments, wingwalls, and headwalls but excluding approach fill and approach slab, and appurtenances thereto.

(2) "Major maintenance" includes the painting of a bridge, and the repair of deteriorated or damaged elements of bridge decks, including emergency patching of bridge decks, to restore the structural integrity of a bridge.

(3) "Routine maintenance" includes without limitation, clearing debris from the deck, sweeping, snow and ice removal, minor wearing surface patching, cleaning bridge drainage systems, marking decks for traffic control, minor and emergency repairs to railing and appurtenances, emergency patching of deck, and maintenance of traffic signal and lighting systems, including the supply of electrical power.

(4) "Operation" relates solely to lift bridges and to those expenses that are necessary for the routine, daily operation of a lift bridge, such as payroll, workers' compensation and retirement payments, and the cost of utilities.

Section 5501.50 | Leases of real property not immediately needed for highway purposes for agricultural purposes.

• Effective: June 4, 2012
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 276 - 129th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "agricultural purposes" means commercial animal or poultry husbandry, or the production for a commercial purpose of field crops, tobacco, fruits, or vegetables. "Agricultural purposes" also includes algaculture meaning the farming of algae.

(B) Whenever the director of transportation acquires real property as provided in section 5501.32 of the Revised Code or otherwise acquires real property in fee simple in the name of the state for highway purposes and subsequently finds the property is not needed for such purposes, or will not be needed for such purposes for a period of two years or more following the date of acquisition of the property, and the property is adjacent to or in the near vicinity of property used for agricultural purposes, the director may, at the director's discretion, offer to lease the property for agricultural purposes for one year at a price consistent with rentals of adjacent agricultural lands in the manner provided in divisions (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), and (I) of this section before conveying or transferring the fee simple estate or any lesser estate or interest in the property, or permitting its use by another.

(C) Real property shall be offered for lease by mailing a notice, in writing, to each person who owns or leases property being used for agricultural purposes that adjoins or is in the near vicinity of the property. The notice shall include a general description of the property offered for lease, the cost of the lease, the manner in which the lease will be made, the requirements of this section, a statement that the person shall notify the director in writing within no more than four weeks following mailing of the notice if the person is interested in leasing the property, and such other information as the director considers necessary.

(D) If the director receives information in writing from two or more persons who are interested in leasing the real property, one of whom is the owner of real property that adjoins the property offered for lease, the director may lease the property to that person. If the director receives such information from two or more persons, two or more of whom are owners of real property that adjoins the property offered for lease, the director shall lease the property to the person whose information is contained in the envelope bearing the earliest postmark.

(E) Any lease made under this section shall be conditioned upon the lessee's written agreement to maintain weed control on the property. If the director has reasonable cause to believe that such an agreement is violated, the director, or any of the director's authorized agents, may, at the director's or authorized agent's discretion, do either of the following:

(1) Provide necessary weed control. The expense of providing weed control shall be paid by the director out of any appropriation to the department of transportation available for the establishment, use, maintenance, or repair of highways and the amount thereof shall be reimbursed by the lessee to the department and if not reimbursed the amount thereof shall be certified to the attorney general for collection by civil action against the lessee of the property.

(2) File a complaint by petition in the court of common pleas of the county in which the property is located. Upon a finding by the court that a violation of the agreement exists as alleged in the petition, the court shall enter an order of abatement against the lessee of the property.

(F) If real property offered for lease as provided in this section is located near a highway where the use of the property for crops such as corn and wheat will obstruct the view of any part of the highway from a person operating a vehicle on the highway or on an intersecting highway or private road, or near an airport where such use of the property may interfere with airport safety, any lease made shall be conditioned upon the lessee's written agreement to use the property for only crops that will not create such an obstruction of the view of the highway or interference with airport safety. If the director has reasonable cause to believe that such an agreement is violated, the director, or any of the director's authorized agents, may, at the director's or authorized agent's discretion, do either of the following:

(1) Remove the crop or such part thereof as may be necessary to ensure that the view of the highway will not be obstructed, or that airport safety will not be reduced. The expense of the removal shall be paid by the director out of any appropriation to the department of transportation available for the establishment, use, maintenance, or repair of highways and the amount thereof shall be reimbursed by the lessee to the department and if not reimbursed the amount thereof shall be certified to the attorney general for collection by civil action against the lessee of the property.

(2) File a complaint by petition in the court of common pleas of the county in which the property is located. Upon a finding by the court that a violation of the agreement exists as alleged in the petition, the court shall enter an order of abatement against the lessee of the property.

(G) The director may offer to renew annually any lease of real property made under this section to the current lessee or may offer the opportunity to lease to others in the manner and subject to the requirements and limitations as provided for in this section.

(H) The requirements of sections 5501.32, 5501.34, and 5501.45 of the Revised Code relating to the appraisal, advertisement, manner of sale, and minimum sale price of property not needed for highway purposes and the requirements of sections 5501.34 and 5501.45 of the Revised Code relating to the use of property not needed for highway purposes for recreation purposes, do not apply to a lease or renewal of a lease of real property made in accordance with this section.

(I) Except as provided in divisions (E)(1) and (F)(1) of this section, all expense incurred in the lease of real property under this section shall be paid out of the proceeds of the lease and the balance shall be deposited in the highway fund from which the purchase of the real property giving rise to the proceeds was made.

(J) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the director to acquire real property by appropriation for the purpose of leasing it for agricultural purposes.

Section 5501.51 | Reimbursing utility for facilities relocated by highway project.

• Effective: July 1, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 51 - 130th General Assembly

(A) The state shall reimburse a utility for the cost of relocation of utility facilities necessitated by the construction of a highway project only in the event that the utility can evidence a vested interest in the nature of a fee interest, an easement interest, or a lesser estate in the real property it occupies in the event that the utility possesses a vested interest in such property. The utility shall present evidence satisfactory to the state substantiating the cost of relocation. The director may audit all financial records which the director determines necessary to verify such actual costs.

(B) The director of transportation may establish and enforce such rules and procedures as the director may determine to be necessary to assure consistency governing any and all aspects of the cost of utility relocations. The director may adopt such amendments to such rules as are necessary and within the guidelines of this section.

(C) As used in this section:

(1) "Cost of relocation" includes the actual cost paid by a utility directly attributable to relocation after deducting any increase in the value of the new facility and any salvage value derived from the old facility.

(2) "Utility" includes all of the following:

(a) Publicly, privately, and cooperatively owned utilities that are subject to the authority of the public utilities commission of Ohio;

(b) A cable operator as defined in the "Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984," 98 Stat. 2780, 47 U.S.C. 522, as amended by the "Telecommunications Act of 1996," 110 Stat. 56, 47 U.S.C. 151, and includes the provision of other information or telecommunications services, or both;

(c) An electric cooperative and a municipal electric utility, both as defined in section 4928.01 of the Revised Code;

(d) County-owned or county-operated water and sewer facilities.

Section 5501.52 | Annual reports summarizing state and federal money spent on highway projects.

• Effective: July 1, 1989
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 381 - 118th General Assembly

Not later than the thirty-first day of December of each year, the Ohio department of transportation shall submit reports to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives summarizing, by county and by project, the amounts of state and federal money spent on encumbered for highway projects during the preceding fiscal year. The summaries shall indicate whether a project is for new construction, reconstruction, repair, or maintenance; when it was commenced and when it was or is expected to be completed; the total amount that has been spent on the project; and what the total cost of the project will be when it is completed. Upon request, a copy of the summaries required by this section shall be made available to any county engineer or member of the general assembly.

Section 5501.521 | Department of transportation expense reports.

• Effective: June 30, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 23 - 135th General Assembly

(A) The department of transportation shall prepare expense reports related to grants and loans that are issued by the department through its transportation grant and loan programs. The department shall submit each report to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives at the earliest of the following periods:

(1) The conclusion of the term of loan;

(2) The conclusion of the project funded by the grant;

(3) The end of the fiscal year for each fiscal year that the loan or the project is still pending.

(B) The department shall require the recipient of the loan or grant to assist in preparing the expense reports and itemizing the uses of the loan or grant money issued to that recipient.

(C) The department shall include its administrative expenses in managing the loan or grant program in the expense reports submitted in accordance with this section.

(D) If any content required for inclusion in an expense report under this section is the same content that the department submits to the Ohio state and local government expenditure database established under sections 113.70 to 113.77 of the Revised Code, the department may send copies of that content to the president of the senate and speaker of the house of representatives in lieu of including it in a report under this section.

Last updated May 3, 2023 at 1:10 PM

Section 5501.53 | Private contribution money to support highways and roads used by animal-drawn vehicles.

• Effective: January 1, 2018
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 26 - 132nd General Assembly

(A) Any organization, individual, or group of individuals may give to the state or to any county or township by way of private contribution money to pay the expenses the state or county or township incurs in maintaining, repairing, or reconstructing highways and roads upon which animal-drawn vehicles travel.

(1) All money the state receives under this division shall be credited to the highway operating fund created by section 5735.051 of the Revised Code to be expended by the department of transportation as described in this division. If money is contributed to the state under this section, the donor may direct that the contribution be used to pay the maintenance, repair, or reconstruction expenses of a particular state highway or portion of state highway by specifically designating that state highway or portion thereof at the time of the contribution, and the department shall so expend the contribution. If the donor does not make such a designation, the department shall use the contribution to pay the maintenance, repair, or reconstruction expenses of a portion of state highway located within the county in which the donor resides or in which the organization maintains property and upon which animal-drawn vehicles regularly travel. The department may accumulate contributions designated for a particular highway until such time as the contributions can be expended in a meaningful manner.

(2) If a donor contributes money to a county or township, the donor is not permitted to make any specific road or highway designation. However, the county or township shall expend all contributions received under this section to maintain, repair, or reconstruct any road located within the county or township upon which animal-drawn vehicles travel. A county or township may accumulate contributions received under this section until such time as the contributions can be expended in a meaningful manner.

(B) Not later than the first day of April of every year, the department and every county and township that receives money under this section shall issue a written report detailing the amount of money the state, county, or township received under this section during the previous calendar year; the amount of money expended during the previous calendar year pursuant to this section; the amount of money received under this section but not expended during the previous calendar year; the highway or road projects for which the expenditures were made; and any other relevant data.

Section 5501.55 | Overseeing safety practices of rail fixed guideway systems.

• Effective: June 30, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 26 - 132nd General Assembly

(A) The department of transportation is the designated state agency responsible for overseeing the safety practices of rail fixed guideway systems and the administration of 49 U.S.C. 5329 and 5330. The director of transportation shall develop any guidelines necessary to oversee the safety practices of rail fixed guideway systems that are consistent with the federal act and rules adopted thereunder. A rail fixed guideway system shall not provide funding to the department for the duties related to overseeing the safety practices of rail fixed guideway systems.

(B) In accordance with guidelines developed by the director, the department shall do all of the following:

(1) Establish a safety program documentation standard for transit agencies operating, implementing, or significantly enhancing an applicable rail fixed guideway system within the state;

(2) Oversee adoption of standards and oversee enforcement of laws for the personal safety and security of passengers and employees of rail fixed guideway systems;

(3) Review and approve or disapprove the annual internal safety audit conducted by a transit agency under section 5501.56 of the Revised Code;

(4) Periodically, conduct an on-site safety review of each transit agency safety program based on the agency's safety program documentation and make recommendations for changes or enhancements to the transit agency safety program;

(5)(a) Establish procedures for the investigation of accidents and hazardous conditions, and for coordinating and addressing immediate conditions at a transit agency, as defined in the guidelines developed by the director;

(b) Investigate accidents and hazardous conditions at transit agencies;

(c) Approve or disapprove any corrective action plan of a transit agency intended to minimize, control, correct, or eliminate any investigated hazard;

(d) Enforce the correction of identified hazardous conditions and plans to minimize, control, correct, or eliminate those identified hazardous conditions in a timely manner agreed upon within corrective action plans.

(6) Submit to the federal transit administration any reports or other information necessary to remain in compliance with 49 U.S.C. 5329 and 5330 and the rules adopted thereunder;

(7) Approve or disapprove, oversee, and enforce the development, updating, and implementation of the transit agency's public transportation safety plan as defined and required by the federal transit administration.

(C) The department may use a contractor to act on its behalf in carrying out the duties of the department under this section and section 5501.56 of the Revised Code and 49 U.S.C. 5329 and 5330 and the rules adopted thereunder.

(D) In accordance with the guidelines developed by the director, the department may establish such programs, procedures, and administrative mandates as may be necessary to carry out its duties under this section and section 5501.56 of the Revised Code and 49 U.S.C. 5329 and 5330 and the rules adopted thereunder.

(E) As used in this section and in section 5501.56 of the Revised Code:

(1) "Rail fixed guideway system" means any light, heavy, or rapid rail system, monorail, inclined plane, funicular, trolley, or automated guideway that is included in the federal transit administration's calculation of fixed guideway route miles or receives funding for urbanized areas under 49 U.S.C. 5336 and is not regulated by the federal railroad administration.

(2) "Transit agency" means an entity operating a rail fixed guideway system.

Section 5501.56 | System safety program plan.

• Effective: July 1, 2015
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 53 - 131st General Assembly

(A) Each transit agency shall do all of the following:

(1) Develop a system safety program documentation that complies with the safety program documentation standards adopted by the department of transportation under section 5501.55 of the Revised Code and includes standards and laws for the personal safety and security of passengers and employees;

(2) Conduct an annual internal safety audit and submit the audit to the department for input and approval;

(3) Report accidents and hazardous conditions, as defined in the guidelines developed by the director of transportation under section 5501.55 of the Revised Code, to the department within a time period specified by the department;

(4) Minimize, control, correct, or eliminate any identified and investigated hazardous condition within a time period specified by the department and in accordance with a plan approved by the department;

(5) Provide all necessary assistance to the department as required to allow the department to conduct or participate in appropriate on-site investigations of accidents and hazardous conditions or audits at the transit agency.

(B) Any part of a transit agency's system safety program that concerns security for the system is confidential and is not subject to disclosure, inspection, or copying under section 149.43 of the Revised Code. Security information shall be disclosed only at the discretion of the director or as otherwise provided in section 5501.55 of the Revised Code.

Section 5501.60 | Specific interchange requirement.

• Effective: June 30, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 23 - 135th General Assembly

(A) When the boundaries of two municipal corporations are adjacent, the department of transportation shall ensure that limited access exit and entrance interchanges to an interstate highway located in those municipal corporations are constructed at intervals of at least one interchange every four and one-half miles when the following conditions exist:

(1) The adjacent municipal corporations each have a population of more than thirty-five thousand according to the most recent federal decennial census.

(2) The municipal corporations are located in different counties.

(3) At least one of the municipal corporations is located in a county with a population of more than one million according to the most recent federal decennial census.

(B) The department shall use money appropriated to it for highway purposes to comply with this section.

Last updated May 3, 2023 at 1:11 PM

Section 5501.70 | Definitions for ORC sections 5501.70 to 5501.83.

• Effective: September 11, 2014
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 533 - 130th General Assembly

As used in sections 5501.70 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Affected jurisdiction" means any unit of government within the state in which all or part of a transportation facility is located or any other public entity directly affected by the transportation facility.

(B) "Force majeure" means an uncontrollable force or natural disaster not within the power of the operator or the state.

(C) "Maintenance" includes routine maintenance, major maintenance, and any other categories of maintenance that may be designated by the department of transportation.

(D) "Material default" means any failure of an operator to perform any duties under a public-private agreement that jeopardizes delivery of adequate service to the public and remains unsatisfied after a reasonable period of time and after the operator has received written notice from the department of the failure.

(E) "Operate" means any action to maintain, repair, improve, equip, or modify a transportation facility.

(F) "Operator" means a private entity that has entered into a public-private agreement under sections 5501.71 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code.

(G) "Private entity" means any natural person, corporation, general partnership, limited liability company, limited partnership, joint venture, business trust, public benefit corporation, nonprofit entity, or other business entity.

(H) "Public-private agreement" means the agreement between a private entity and the department that relates to the development, financing, maintenance, or operation of a transportation facility subject to sections 5501.70 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code.

(I) "Public-private initiative" means an arrangement between the department and one or more private entities, the terms of which are stated in a public-private agreement, that provides for all of the following:

(1) Acceptance of a private contribution, including a money payment, for a project or service for a transportation facility;

(2) Sharing of resources and the means of providing a project or service for a transportation facility;

(3) Cooperation in researching, developing, and implementing projects or services for a transportation facility.

(J) "Transportation facility" has the same meaning as in section 5501.01 of the Revised Code and also includes a tunnel, ferry, port facility on navigable waters that are used for commerce, intermodal facility, or similar facility open to the public and used for the transportation of persons or goods, and any building, structure, parking area, or other appurtenances or property needed to operate a transportation facility that is subject to a public-private agreement.

(K) "User fee" means a rate, toll, fee, or other charge established under section 5531.14 of the Revised Code and imposed by an operator for use of all or part of a transportation facility in accordance with that section.

(L) "Utility" means a privately, publicly, or cooperatively owned line, facility, or system for producing, transmitting, or distributing communications, cable television, power, electricity, light, heat, gas, oil, crude products, water, steam, waste, storm water not connected with highway drainage, alternative or renewable energy sources such as wind or solar, or any other similar commodity, including a fire or police signal system or street lighting system that directly or indirectly serves the public.

Section 5501.71 | Authority for department of transportation to enter public-private initiative; solicitation and selection.

• Effective: September 11, 2014
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 533 - 130th General Assembly

(A) The department of transportation may solicit, receive, consider, evaluate, and accept a proposal for a public-private initiative.

(B) In soliciting and selecting a private entity with which to enter into a public-private initiative, the department shall use one or both of the following:

(1) Sealed bidding;

(2) Selection of proposals, with or without negotiations, based on qualifications, best value, or both.

(C) The department shall consider the following factors in evaluating and selecting a bid or proposal to enter into a public-private initiative:

(1) The ability of the transportation facility to improve safety, reduce congestion, increase capacity, and promote economic growth;

(2) The extent that the private entity's proposal addresses the needs identified in the appropriate state, regional, or local transportation plan by improving safety, reducing congestion, increasing capacity, or enhancing economic efficiency and the private entity's proposal is on the transportation improvement program for the affected metropolitan planning organization or the state transportation improvement program;

(3) The proposed cost of and financial plan for the transportation facility;

(4) The general reputation, qualifications, industry experience, and financial capacity of the private entity;

(5) The proposed design, operation, and feasibility of the transportation facility;

(6) Comments from local citizens and affected jurisdictions;

(7) Benefits to the public and the affected transportation facility;

(8) The safety record of the private entity;

(9) The inclusion of a teaming agreement in the bid or proposal that identifies the primary designer of record or design firm representing not less than thirty per cent of the estimated design fee, the primary construction contractor representing not less than thirty per cent of the estimated construction dollar value amount, and the primary financier representing not less than fifty per cent of the total project cost.

(10) Any other criteria that the department considers appropriate.

(D) The department may select multiple private entities with which to enter a public-private agreement for a transportation facility if it is in the public interest to do so.

(E) The department shall select a private entity or entities for a public-private initiative on a competitive basis.

(F) Any materials or data submitted to, made available to, or received by the director of transportation, to the extent that the material or data consist of trade secrets, as defined in section 1333.61 of the Revised Code, are confidential and are not public records for the purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code. Financial information received by the director that is related to a proposal is confidential and not a public record for purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code until such time as a proposal is selected. Prior to submission of a solicited proposal, a private entity may request a review by the department of information that the private entity has identified as confidential, to determine whether such information would be subject to disclosure under section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(G)(1) The department may reimburse one or more private entities for a portion of the actual costs each entity incurred in submitting a proposal for a public-private initiative that was solicited by the department under this section. When considering the reimbursement of such costs, the director shall describe in the request for proposals for a specific public-private initiative the specific terms and conditions for reimbursing one or more private entities. The director may include in the terms and conditions a requirement that each private entity execute an agreement to transfer to the department the rights to the use of the work product contained in the proposal in exchange for receiving the reimbursement.

(2) The director shall make all decisions related to the reimbursement of a specific private entity and related to the maximum amount of the reimbursement. However, the department shall not reimburse a private entity if that entity enters into the public-private agreement that is the subject of the solicited proposal, except as set forth in the request for proposals or in the public-private agreement. The reimbursement of costs under division (G) of this section is exempt from the requirements of Chapter 125. of the Revised Code and sections 127.16 and 127.162 of the Revised Code.

(3) If the department, pursuant to division (G)(1) of this section, includes a reimbursement provision in a request for proposals and the department subsequently terminates the solicitation prior to the solicitation expiration date, the department shall prorate the amount of the reimbursement that is to be paid to each private entity participating in the solicitation on the date the department terminates the solicitation. The department shall calculate the proration percentage by determining the number of days from the date the solicitation first was offered until the date the department terminated the solicitation and dividing that number by the number of days of the original solicitation period.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in writing by the department, if, pursuant to division (G)(1) of this section, the department includes a reimbursement provision in a request for proposals and subsequently enters into negotiations based on the selection of a desired proposal and the department elects to terminate those negotiations for the convenience of the department and through no fault of the proposer, the proposer is entitled to the full reimbursement amount.

Section 5501.72 | Unsolicited proposals.

• Effective: June 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 114 - 129th General Assembly

(A) The department of transportation may receive, consider, evaluate, and accept an unsolicited proposal for a public-private initiative if the proposal meets all of the following:

(1) Addresses the needs identified in the appropriate state, regional, or local transportation plan by improving safety, reducing congestion, increasing capacity, or enhancing economic efficiency and the proposal is on the transportation improvement program for the affected metropolitan planning organization or state transportation improvement program;

(2) Is independently originated and developed by the proposer;

(3) Benefits the public;

(4) Is prepared without department supervision;

(5) Includes sufficient detail and information for the department to evaluate the proposal in an objective and timely manner;

(6) Is made by a private entity that is not prohibited from making an unsolicited proposal under division (AA)(1) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code.

(B) Within ninety days after receiving an unsolicited proposal, the department shall undertake a preliminary evaluation of the unsolicited proposal to determine if the proposal complies with the requirements of division (A) of this section.

(C) Any materials or data submitted to, made available to, or received by the director of transportation under this section, to the extent that the material or data consist of trade secrets, as defined in section 1333.61 of the Revised Code, are confidential and are not public records for the purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code. Financial information received by the director that is related to a proposal is confidential and not a public record for purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code until the department accepts or rejects the proposal. Prior to submission of an unsolicited proposal or a competing proposal, a private entity may request a review by the department of information that the private entity has identified as confidential to determine whether such information would be subject to disclosure under section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(D) If the unsolicited proposal does not comply with division (A) of this section, the department shall return the proposal without further action.

(E) If the unsolicited proposal complies with division (A) of this section, the department may continue to evaluate the proposal in accordance with this section.

(F)(1) If the unsolicited proposal complies with division (A) of this section, the department shall advertise the unsolicited proposal for the purpose of receiving competitive proposals for the proposed transportation facility.

(2) The advertisement shall outline the general nature and scope of the unsolicited proposal, including the location of the transportation facility and the work to be performed on or in connection with the transportation facility and shall specify an address to which a competing proposal may be submitted.

(3) The advertisement shall specify a reasonable time period by which competitors must submit a competing proposal to the department.

(G) The department shall charge a reasonable fee to cover its costs to process, review, and evaluate an unsolicited proposal and any competing proposals.

(H) Upon receipt of any competing proposals, the department shall do all of the following:

(1) Determine if any competing proposal is comparable in nature and scope to the original unsolicited proposal;

(2) Evaluate the original unsolicited proposal and any comparable competing proposal;

(3) Conduct any good faith discussions and, if necessary, any negotiations concerning each qualified proposal.

(I) The department shall evaluate an unsolicited proposal and any comparable competing proposal using the following factors:

(1) Novel methods, approaches, or concepts demonstrated by the proposal;

(2) Scientific, technical, or socioeconomic merits of the proposal;

(3) Potential contribution of the proposal to the department's mission;

(4) Capabilities, related experience, facilities, or techniques of the private entity or unique combinations of these qualities that are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives;

(5) Qualifications, capabilities, and experience of the proposed principal investigator, team leader, or key personnel, who are critical to achieving the proposal objectives;

(6) How the proposal benefits the public;

(7) Any other factors appropriate to a particular proposal.

(J) After evaluating the unsolicited proposal and any competing proposals, the department may do any of the following:

(1) Accept the unsolicited proposal and reject any competing proposals;

(2) Reject the unsolicited proposal and accept a comparable competing proposal if the department determines that the comparable competing proposal is the most advantageous to the state;

(3) Accept both an unsolicited proposal and a competing proposal if accepting both proposals is advantageous to the state;

(4) Reject the unsolicited proposal and any competing proposals.

Section 5501.73 | Public-private agreement.

• Effective: September 29, 2015
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly

(A) After selecting a solicited or unsolicited proposal for a public-private initiative, the department of transportation shall enter into a public-private agreement for a transportation facility with the selected private entity or any configuration of private entities. An affected jurisdiction may be a party to a public-private agreement entered into by the department and a selected private entity or combination of private entities.

(B)(1) A public-private agreement under this section shall provide for all of the following:

(a) Planning, acquisition, financing, development, design, construction, reconstruction, replacement, improvement, maintenance, management, repair, leasing, or operation of a transportation facility;

(b) Term of the public-private agreement;

(c) Type of property interest, if any, the private entity will have in the transportation facility;

(d) A specific plan to ensure proper maintenance of the transportation facility throughout the term of the agreement and a return of the facility to the department, if applicable, in good condition and repair;

(e) Whether user fees, administrative fees, or other charges will be collected for use of the transportation facility in accordance with sections 5531.11 to 5531.18 of the Revised Code and the basis by which such user fees, administrative fees, or other charges shall be determined and modified;

(f) Compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws;

(g) Grounds for termination of the public-private agreement by the department or operator;

(h) Disposition of the facility upon completion of the agreement;

(i) Procedures for amendment of the agreement;

(j) If the agreement contains a construction services component, a contract performance bond executed by a surety authorized by the department of insurance to write surety bonds in an amount specified by the director of transportation, conditioned upon the private entity or contractor performing the construction services portion of the work in accordance with the agreed upon terms, within the time prescribed;

(k) If the agreement contains a construction services component, a payment bond executed by a surety authorized by the department of insurance to write surety bonds in an amount specified by the director, conditioned upon the payment for all labor, work performed, and materials furnished in connection with the construction services portion of the work.

(2) As used in divisions (B)(1)(j) and (k), "construction services" means design-build, construction, reconstruction, replacement, improvement, or repair services.

(C) A public-private agreement under this section may provide for any of the following:

(1) Review and approval by the department of the operator's plans for the development and operation of the transportation facility;

(2) Inspection by the department of construction of or improvements to the transportation facility;

(3) Maintenance by the operator of a policy of liability insurance or self-insurance;

(4) Filing by the operator, on a periodic basis, of appropriate financial statements in a form acceptable to the department;

(5) Filing by the operator, on a periodic basis, of traffic reports in a form acceptable to the department;

(6) Financing obligations of the operator and the department;

(7) Apportionment of expenses between the operator and the department;

(8) Rights and duties of the operator, the department, and other state and local governmental entities with respect to use of the transportation facility;

(9) Rights and remedies available in the event of default or delay;

(10) Terms and conditions of indemnification of the operator by the department;

(11) Assignment, subcontracting, or other delegation of responsibilities of the operator or the department under the agreement to third parties, including other private entities and other state agencies;

(12) Sale or lease to the operator of private property related to the transportation facility;

(13) Traffic enforcement and other policing issues, including any reimbursement by the private entity for such services.

(D)(1) The director of transportation may include in any public-private agreement under sections 5501.70 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code a provision authorizing a binding dispute resolution method for any controversy subsequently arising out of the contract. The binding dispute resolution method may proceed only upon agreement of all parties to the controversy. If all parties do not agree to proceed to a binding dispute resolution, a party having a claim against the department shall exhaust its administrative remedies specified in the public-private agreement prior to filing any action against the department in the court of claims.

No appeal from the determination of a technical expert lies to any court, except that the court of common pleas of Franklin County may issue an order vacating such a determination upon the application of any party to the binding dispute resolution if any of the following applies:

(a) The determination was procured by corruption, fraud, or undue means.

(b) There was evidence of partiality or corruption on the part of the technical expert.

(c) The technical expert was guilty of misconduct in refusing to postpone the hearing, upon sufficient cause shown, or in refusing to hear evidence pertinent and material to the controversy, or of any other misbehavior by which the rights of any party have been prejudiced.

(2) As used in this division, "binding dispute resolution" means a binding determination after review by a technical expert of all relevant items, which may include documents, and by interviewing appropriate personnel and visiting the project site involved in the controversy. "Binding dispute resolution" does not involve representation by legal counsel or advocacy by any person on behalf of any party to the controversy.

(E) No public-private agreement entered into under this section shall be construed to transfer to a private entity the director's authority to appropriate property under Chapters 163., 5501., and 5519. of the Revised Code.

(F) Money collected by the department pursuant to an agreement entered into under this section shall be deposited into the state treasury to the credit of the highway operating fund unless the agreement is related to a toll project under sections 5531.11 to 5531.18 of the Revised Code, in which case the money shall be deposited as specified in the agreement.

(G) Chapter 5525. of the Revised Code does not apply to public-private agreements under sections 5501.70 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code.

Section 5501.74 | Termination of public-private agreement.

• Effective: June 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 114 - 129th General Assembly

In the event of termination of the public-private agreement, the authority and duties of the operator cease, except for any duties and obligations that extend beyond the termination as provided in the public-private agreement, and the transportation facility reverts to the department of transportation and shall be dedicated to the department for public use.

Section 5501.75 | Material default by operator.

• Effective: June 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 114 - 129th General Assembly

(A) Upon the occurrence and during the continuation of material default by an operator, not related to an event of force majeure, the department of transportation may do the following:

(1) Elect to take over the transportation facility, including the succession of all right, title, and interest in the transportation facility, subject to any liens on revenues previously granted by the private entity;

(2) Terminate the public-private agreement and exercise any other available rights and remedies.

(B) In the event that the department elects to take over a transportation facility, the department shall collect and pay any revenues that are subject to lien to satisfy any obligation and may do the following:

(1) Develop and operate the transportation facility, impose user fees for the use of the transportation facility, and comply with any service contracts;

(2) Solicit proposals for the maintenance and operation of the transportation facility under section 5501.71 of the Revised Code.

Section 5501.76 | Issuance of obligations.

• Effective: June 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 114 - 129th General Assembly

Obligations may be issued under section 5531.10 of the Revised Code for the purpose of providing funds to carry out sections 5501.70 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code with respect to the development or financing of a transportation facility.

Section 5501.77 | Powers of department.

• Effective: July 1, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 51 - 130th General Assembly

(A) For the purposes of carrying out sections 5501.70 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code, the department of transportation may do all of the following:

(1) Accept, subject to applicable terms and conditions, available funds from the United States or any of its agencies, whether the funds are made available by grant, loan, or other financial assistance;

(2) Enter into agreements or other arrangements with the United States or any of its agencies as may be necessary;

(3) For the purpose of completing a transportation facility under an agreement, accept from any source any grant, donation, gift, or other form of conveyance of land, money, other real or personal property, or other item of value made to the state or the department.

(B) Any transportation facility may be financed in whole or in part by contribution of any funds or property made by any private entity or affected jurisdiction that is party to a public-private agreement under sections 5501.70 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code.

(C) The department may use federal, state, local, and private funds to finance a transportation facility under sections 5501.70 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code and shall comply with any requirements and restrictions governing the use of the funds, including maintaining the funds separately when necessary.

(D) The director of transportation, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, may adopt such rules as the director considers advisable for the control and regulation of traffic on any transportation facility subject to a public-private agreement, for the protection and preservation of the transportation facility, for the maintenance and preservation of good order within the transportation facility, and for the purpose of establishing vehicle owner or operator liability for avoidance of user fees. The rules shall provide that public police officers shall be afforded ready access, while in the performance of their official duties, to the transportation facility without the payment of user fees.

(1) No person shall violate any rules of the department of transportation adopted under this division.

(2)(a) All fines collected for the violation of applicable laws of the state and the rules of the department of transportation or money arising from bonds forfeited for such violation shall be disposed of in accordance with section 5503.04 of the Revised Code.

(b) All fees or charges assessed by the department of transportation or a public-private operator in accordance with this section against an owner or operator of a vehicle as a civil violation for failure to comply with toll collection rules shall be revenues of the department or public-private operator as set forth in the public-private agreement.

(E)(1) Except as provided in division (E)(2) of this section, whoever violates division (D)(1) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense; on each subsequent offense such person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

(2) Whoever violates division (D)(1) of this section when the violation is a civil violation for failure to comply with toll collection rules is subject to a fee or charge established by the department by rule.

Section 5501.78 | Exemption from ad valorem property taxes and special assessments.

• Effective: September 11, 2014
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 533 - 130th General Assembly

A transportation facility and any tangible personal property used exclusively with a transportation facility that is owned by the department of transportation and leased, licensed, financed, or otherwise conveyed to an operator, or that is acquired, constructed, or otherwise provided by an operator on behalf of the department, is exempt from all ad valorem property taxes and special assessments levied against property by the state or any political subdivision of the state. Building and construction materials that will be incorporated into a transportation facility pursuant to a public-private agreement are exempt from the taxes imposed under Chapters 5739. and 5741. of the Revised Code.

Section 5501.79 | Acquisition of property.

• Effective: June 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 114 - 129th General Assembly

The department of transportation, in the same manner and for the same transportation purposes established in section 5519.01 of the Revised Code, may acquire property, rights-of-way, or other rights in property for transportation use in connection with transportation projects that are part of a public-private initiative in accordance with Chapter 163. of the Revised Code. If the department proposes to acquire property, rights-of-way, or other rights in property for such transportation use at the request of a private entity, the acquisition shall be by the department, in accordance with Chapter 163. of the Revised Code and only if the director of transportation first makes a finding that the acquisition is for a public transportation use and serves the public transportation purposes of sections 5501.70 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code; the director also shall require the private party to pay the costs of the acquisition.

Section 5501.80 | Law enforcement officers; powers.

• Effective: June 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 114 - 129th General Assembly

All law enforcement officers of the state and of an affected local jurisdiction shall have the same powers and jurisdiction within the limits of the transportation facility as they have in their respective areas of jurisdiction and access to the transportation facility at any time for the purpose of exercising such powers and jurisdiction.

Section 5501.81 | Crossing or relocation of facility.

• Effective: June 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 114 - 129th General Assembly

An operator under sections 5501.70 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code and any utility whose facility is to be crossed or relocated shall cooperate fully in planning and arranging the manner of the crossing or relocation of the utility facility.

Section 5501.82 | Sovereign immunity.

• Effective: June 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 114 - 129th General Assembly

Nothing in sections 5501.70 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code shall be construed or deemed to affect any waiver of the sovereign immunity of the state or any officer or employee of the state with respect to the participation in or approval of all or any part of the transportation facility or its operation.

Section 5501.83 | Adoption of rules.

• Effective: June 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 114 - 129th General Assembly

The department of transportation may adopt rules under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to carry out sections 5501.70 to 5501.83 of the Revised Code.

Section 5501.91 | Ohio maritime assistance program.

• Effective: December 29, 2020
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 310 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "port authority" means a port authority created under Chapter 4582. of the Revised Code.

(B) There is hereby established the Ohio maritime assistance program, which the department of transportation shall administer. Under the program, a port authority may apply to the department for a grant to be used as prescribed in division (D) of this section. In order to be eligible for a grant under this section, a port authority is required to meet either of the following requirements:

(1) At the time of application for a grant, the port authority owns an active marine cargo terminal located on the shore of Lake Erie or the Ohio river or on a Lake Erie tributary.

(2) At the time of application for a grant, the port authority is located in, or has jurisdiction within, a federally qualified opportunity zone and the federally qualified opportunity zone has an active marine cargo terminal with a stevedoring operation that is located on the shore of Lake Erie or the Ohio river.

(C)(1) Every applicant for a grant shall submit with its application a written business justification for the investment that indicates the operational and market need for the project in a form the director of transportation shall prescribe.

(2) The department shall evaluate all grant applications according to the following criteria:

(a) The degree to which the proposed project will increase the efficiency or capacity of maritime cargo terminal operations;

(b) Whether the project will result in the handling of new types of cargo or an increase in cargo volume;

(c) Whether the project will meet an identified supply chain need or benefit Ohio firms that export goods to foreign markets, or import goods to Ohio for use in manufacturing or for value-added distribution;

(d) Any other criteria the director determines to be appropriate.

(3) If a grant application does not meet the criteria specified in divisions (C)(2)(b) and (c) of this section, an applicant is not eligible for a grant under this section.

(D) A port authority shall use a grant awarded under this section only for any of the following purposes:

(1) Land acquisition and site development for marine cargo terminal and associated uses, including demolition and environmental remediation;

(2) Construction of wharves, quay walls, bulkheads, jetties, revetments, breakwaters, shipping channels, dredge disposal facilities, projects for the beneficial use of dredge material, and other structures and improvements directly related to maritime commerce and harbor infrastructure;

(3) Construction and repair of warehouses, transit sheds, railroad tracks, roadways, gates and gatehouses, fencing, bridges, offices, shipyards, and other improvements needed for marine cargo terminal and associated uses, including shipyards;

(4) Acquisition of cargo handling equipment, including mobile shore cranes, stationary cranes, tow motors, fork lifts, yard tractors, craneways, conveyor and bulk material handling equipment, and all types of ship loading and unloading equipment;

(5) Planning and design services and other services associated with construction.

(E) A port authority shall pay a matching amount of at least one dollar for each grant dollar received for the proposed project.

(F) The director of transportation shall govern the program established under this section, including the grant application, evaluation, award processes, and how the grant money may be spent by a port authority.