Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
The Department of Public Service is seeking Council approval to accept grant funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) related to the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) Incentive grant program. The Department of Public Service applied for up to $100,000 of said grant monies to fund the purchase of multiple Mobile Road Weather Information Sensors for snow and ice equipment. These sensors take different types of readings, including the level of friction and grip in real time during snow and ice events. This provides critical data to allow better decisions on salt and material usage, plowing effectiveness, roadway safety and speed recovery. This information can be used to save time and material costs, redirecting resources to where they are needed most.
Through this program, funding up to $100,000 per State per Federal fiscal year is made available to support or offset the costs of standardizing innovative practices in a State transportation agency (STA) or other public sector STIC stakeholder. The program is administered by FHWA’s Center for Accelerating Innovation (CAI).
This legislation will authorize the Director of Public Service to formally apply for funding from ODOT for the FHWA STIC Incentive program grant funds and, if awarded, to accept the award on behalf of the Department of Public Service, to execute those documents necessary to accept the grant, to administer the grant funds, and to refund any unused funds to ODOT after the grant period ends if final accounting determines a refund is owed. Separate legislation will be submitted to Council to expend awarded grant funds.
2. FISCAL IMPACT
No financial participation is required at this time. Approval of this legislation will allow the Department of Public Service to apply for a grant award from ODOT relative to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) Incenti...
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