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Kellie Grob

Eastern Corridor Vision Gaining Momentum — Committee Members Seek Funding From State

Cincinnati, OH (02/07/2001) – Members of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments' Eastern Corridor Coordinating Committee and the Hamilton County Transportation Improvement District are taking the next step in making their vision of improving transportation in Hamilton and Clermont Counties a reality by requesting support and funding from the state.

In a presentation to the Ohio Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) on August 8, 2000 committee members will ask for a $4.9 million funding commitment that when combined with $8.8 million in local funds will allow them to continue the Eastern Corridor transportation study and move into the Preliminary Engineering/Environmental Impact Study (PE/EIS) phase. This phase evaluates feasibility prior to construction.

The Eastern Corridor Transportation study identified long-term transportation improvements needed in the eastern sector of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. The comprehensive plan also looked at land use and environmental concerns to develop the multi-modal solution outlined below:

• 10 new or extended bus routes
• 4 new highways
• 3 bike paths
• 1 rail transit system
• 7 wider highways
• 1 busway
• 2 new or improved highway interchanges
• 2 bus routes with increased frequency
• 5 new park-and-ride facilities
• 14 intersections improved with signals or turn lanes
• 7 roads with ARTIMIS extensions or improvements
• 3 roads with improved signal timing

"We've spent the last three years looking at the transportation problems in the Eastern Corridor. More than fifty members of the Eastern Corridor community, from local municipalities to environmental groups, participated in the process. We came to a consensus on the multi-modal solution of bus transit, bike paths, rail and highway improvements. Now we need TRAC's support to make the community's vision a reality," said Hamilton County Commissioner John Dowlin, chairman of the study.

The six main partners in the study; Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, Hamilton County, Clermont County, City of Cincinnati, SORTA/Metro and the Ohio Department of Transportation District 8, have already stepped forward with support resolutions and funding commitments allowing some of the study work to begin. These local funding commitments, combined with the requested TRAC money, will allow the PE/EIS phase of study to proceed in earnest.

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