Project History
What is the Eastern Corridor?
The Eastern Corridor is a program of multi-modal transportation investments that integrates land use, economic development and environmental stewardship to address the growing travel demand between downtown Cincinnati and western Clermont County. The 165 square-mile study area includes several political jurisdictions and communities, economic and employment centers, existing and future development zones, as well as sensitive environmental resources that are all being jointly considered to develop a long-term transportation solution for the area.
Eastern Corridor Project Area Map
What’s already been completed?
A complex project like the Eastern Corridor involves extensive planning and is required under the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to evaluate consequences to the man-made and natural environment.
A comprehensive two-year planning study led by the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) was completed in 2000 and, since 2002, the Eastern Corridor has been following a tiered approach to fulfill NEPA requirements (Click here to read more about tiering)
The Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was completed in 2005 and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a Tier 1 Record of Decision (ROD) in 2006 that identified a multi-modal plan for further evaluation. The Tier 1 plan included:
• A 17-mile new rail transit corridor extending from the Cincinnati riverfront to Milford
• A 13-mile new highway capacity corridor from Red Bank Road at 1-71 to SR 32/I-275 in the Eastgate area of Clermont County, divided into three implementation segments: Segment I – Red Bank, Segment II/III – Relocated SR 32, and Segment IVa – SR 32 Eastgate
• Improved bus transit, including expanded routes, new bus hubs, community circulators, and bus feeder routes to complement rail transit
• Upgrades to the existing transportation network, including local roadway improvements and bikeway connections.
Preliminary alternatives were developed and a conservative range of impacts for the full multi-modal plan was identified. Tier 1 also established a context sensitive framework for the project by incorporating recommendations of a land use vision plan and green infrastructure master plan developed by local communities. Tier 1 was sponsored by a partnership of six local and state jurisdictions and was administered by the Hamilton County Transportation Improvement District.
Tier 1 Recommended Multi-Modal Plan (click here to view- 4mb download)
Additional studies were completed in 2008-09 under the direction of the Eastern Corridor local partnership to help address important environmental issues identified during Tier 1.
One of these studies involved an evaluation of channel movement patterns in the Little Miami River. This information is being used to help locate and design a multi-modal crossing of the river. The second study consisted of an investigation of the Hahn Archaeological District located along the Little Miami River floodplain to better identify potential significant resources. Valuable information from both of these studies will be used in Tier 2 to help avoid and minimize impacts to these sensitive resources.
