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OVERVIEW

The Western Hamilton County Transportation Study (Study) began work in June, 2005. The Study process was administered and managed by the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Government (OKI) with federal funding.

The overall goal of the Study was to develop a strategic plan that will improve the transportation mobility and safety of residents, commuters, visitors and freight movement throughout Western Hamilton County.

The strategic plan for the Study includes documentation of all community involvement, data collection and research, cost estimation, identification and analysis of conceptual alternative solutions and the alternative evaluation process. The result is a set of conceptual planning recommendations for transportation improvements in Western Hamilton County. To view the strategic plan, please visit www.oki.org.

STUDY APPROACH

The essence of effective strategic planning is to clearly attain four benchmarks:

• An analysis of existing conditions related to transportation strengths and weaknesses;
• A comprehensive and coordinated vision for the future with specific and measurable transportation goals;
• An understanding of the present and future gaps in transportation resources which are necessary to achieve the stated vision and
• Widely supported conceptual planning recommendations to address the transportation gaps and fulfill the vision.

The Study took a comprehensive multi-modal approach in order to understand the transportation needs of the area. The approach reviewed and considered all aspects of the transportation system that affect Western Hamilton County including:

• Regional access including connectivity with Dearborn and Butler counties and the eastern portions of Hamilton County;
• Internal circulation systems in the various townships, villages and cities;
• Transit systems with accessibility and circulation and
• Pedestrian and bicycle travel.

EXISTING AND FUTURE CONDITIONS

The Study Area consists of about 178 square miles and 253,000 people or one-third of the population for Hamilton County (2000 U.S. Census).

Long range population projections for Hamilton County reflect a decrease in population from 845,300 in year 2000 to 730,600 in year 2030, approximately a 14% decline. The Study Area as a whole will also continue to experience a population decline. The Study Area's loss of population is projected to occur at a slower rate. Population in year 2000 was 251,600 and is expected to be 236,800 in year 2030, a 6% decline. Despite population decline projections, several jurisdictions in the Study Area are experiencing population growth as indicated in Chart 1.

Employment is projected to increase in the Study Area in contrast to the decrease in population. Total employment is expected to increase from 78,100 in year 2000 to 100,600 in year 2030, a 29% increase.

There are about 110,000 trips made each day from home to work. Approximately 37,900, or 34%, of the residents live and work in the Study Area. The remaining 73,100, or 63% of the resident trips to work, were outside the Study Area. Charts 2 and 3 illustrate the mode of transportation used for these trips.

About 88% of Study Area residents work in Hamilton County, 5% in the Northern Kentucky counties of Boone, Campbell and Kenton, and 4% in Butler County. The remaining 3% is distributed to Clermont, Warren and Dearborn counties.

Approximately 25,800 people live outside the Study Area and work within the Study Area. Chart 5 illustrates the mode of transportation used for these trips.

There are four predominant land uses in the Study Area. These are residential (41%), agricultural (17%), vacant (16%), and parks/recreation (13%). It is expected that land use changes and growth will occur in specific targeted areas as utility infrastructure extensions are constructed.

Utility infrastructure, land use patterns, economic vitality and environmental resources and concerns such as waterways and hillside stabilization were also taken into consideration as important components that affect the transportation system.

An analysis of 34 major developments showed that about 2,700 acres (about 3% of total land in the Study Area) are in the advanced planning stages. Most, 2,200 acres, are planned as residential subdivisions. The impact of new vehicles attributed to these new land uses will be dramatic; potentially adding an additional 140,200 vehicle trips to the road network on a daily basis. Green Township, Crosby Township and the Village of North Bend are projected to absorb most of the new growth.

Key intersections and roadway segments in major corridors were evaluated based on traffic volumes, capacity, Level of Service and safety. Each of these transportation segments were analyzed based on transportation standards. Deficiencies were listed and compared to all other intersections and roadways. Transit service, railroads, river terminals, hiking trails, pedestrians and bicycle service was also analyzed.

Specific characteristics considered in the analysis included:

• Transportation system continuity;
• Capacity of the system and ability to absorb future growth;
• Safety of system users;
  
• Impact on the environment and
• Integration of alternate forms of travel.

As a part of the strategic planning process for this Study, a thorough investigation of previous studies and plans was undertaken to assess the gaps and deficiencies and to serve as a starting point for identifying potential improvement recommendations. The result of this research identified 74 studies and other projects that are underway, moving toward implementation or awaiting program approval. A careful consideration of the 74 studies and projects, existing and future conditions data and the Study's Purpose and Needs Statement provided the basis for understanding the transportation gaps between present deficiencies and future needs. This understanding led to the final step in the strategic plan, the development of conceptual planning improvement recommendations to address Western Hamilton County's present and future transportation needs.

PROBLEMS AREAS AND STRATEGIC PLAN GAPS

The Study identified 26 new projects related to roadways, intersections, interstate, transit, pedestrian and bicycle needs for areas that had not previously been studied. These projects were identified as projects with significant deficiencies that require attention based on existing safety, connectivity and capacity issues. During the course of the Study, these newly identified problem or project areas were collectively referred to as the "Western 26."

RECOMMENDATIONS

In order to provide a rational and balanced set of recommended transportation improvements for the Study, the "Western 26" group of projects were combined with the 74 projects already under study or programmed. A method for evaluating the combined 100 projects was then developed. Each of the 100 projects were reviewed, weighted and ranked using qualitative and quantitative measurements based on the Study's Purpose and Needs Statement as follows:

• Improve Safety
• Improve System Operations and Reduce Congestion/Mitigate Capacity Deficiency
• Promote Connectivity
• Promote Multi-Modal Use
• Be Consistent with Land Use/Zoning Plans
• Avoid Supplemental Impacts
• Use Existing Right-of-Way
• Integrate Access Management
• Cost - Economical and Physical Feasibility
• Level of Local Support

WEIGHTING OF CRITERIA

During the application of the ten evaluation criteria, the Study Team and committee members acknowledged that several of the criteria would have a higher overall impact on the success and/or implementation of the recommendations. Therefore, all the criteria were assigned a "weighting" factor in order to take these more critical aspects of the project into account as part of the evaluation process.

The most important of all of the evaluation criteria was determined to be "Improve System Operations and Reduce Congestion/Mitigate Capacity Deficiency." This criterion was assigned a weighting factor of four (4). The second highest criterion, "Improve Safety," was assigned a weighting factor of three (3). "Avoid Supplemental Impact" and "Cost" were each assigned a weighting factor of two (2). Each of the remaining evaluation criteria was assigned a weighting factor of one (1). For example, the criterion of "Improve System Operations and Reduce Congestion/Mitigate Capacity Deficiency" is considered to be four times more important then "Promote Connectivity" and twice as much as "Cost". These weighting factors were applied to the criteria ratings numbers for each project and a total score for each project recommendation was derived.

PROJECT GROUPING

After the ranking process was completed, each project was separated into one of three groups. The separation was necessary because not all of the evaluation criteria could be applied to each type of project recommendation. For example, the "Safety" evaluation criterion used accident rates, a data source not available for transit, to calculate a point value. So, each transit recommendation received zero points for "Safety." All 100 projects were grouped according to their transportation mode to avoid unintentional skewed rankings. The groups are as follows:

• Roadway Segments and Intersections (61 projects)
• Transit (8 projects)
• Pedestrian and Bicycle (31 projects)

The entire evaluation process was reviewed and approved by the Oversight Team and Advisory Committee. The final ranking of all 100 project recommendations is shown in the Evaluation Matrix.

IMPLEMENTATION

Improvements identified in this plan will only be as effective as the implementation process. It is important to note that implementation will be dependent on a variety factors. The scope of improvements, funding availability and intergovernmental cooperation will all play a role in the success of this planning effort. Some improvements may be implemented rapidly as local entities, the County, or Ohio Department of Transportation initiate the smaller, less costly or less complicated recommendations. Other improvements, more likely those requiring greater amounts of funding, will be slower to materialize. These improvements will involve the coordination and cooperation of various funding agencies. The following text identifies a few of the most apparent and logical methods for implementation.

STEP ONE: ADOPTION OF THE PLAN

The Adoption of the Western Hamilton County Transportation Study Strategic Plan as a guide for consideration by public and private groups is recommended.

The strategic plan will be presented to the OKI Executive Committee with emphasis placed upon high priority recommendations for inclusion in OKI's 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan subject to fiscal constraints and air quality requirements.

Projects with local financial, political and social support are most likely to advance to implementation. The beginning of this process is for a local sponsor to initiate detailed planning, design and a commitment to funding. Inclusion in a locally adopted plan demonstrates some level of support by the community and could be a first step. To further assist implementation, the adoption of this plan by the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission is also presented for consideration.

 

STEP TWO: DEVELOPMENT OF A PROJECT DELIVERY STRATEGY

In order to best serve the public and facilitate those agencies responsible for implementation, it was determined that all 100 project recommendations would be reviewed for the purpose of establishing those most critical to providing maximum regional benefits for transportation service in Western Hamilton County.

It was found that several of the individual 100 recommendations provided a synergistic transportation benefit when combined as six corridor improvement clusters. These improvements, when implemented collectively as a corridor, were considered to also provide the highest positive impact on Western Hamilton County's existing and future transportation system.

Referred to collectively as the REGIONAL CORRIDOR PROJECT PRIORITIES, a common characteristic of all six is the desire for coordination and commitment by all jurisdictions. Implementation will generally require additional right-of-way acquisition for widening and in some cases may have a dramatic impact on adjacent properties. Funding may be difficult to obtain. Preliminary engineering, environmental, community impact and feasibility studies is anticipated. All of these factors combined translate into a construction time line likely to span the next 10 to 15 years.

The six Regional Corridor Project Priorities described below represent improvements that will maximize the return on investment of public funds to Western Hamilton County residents and provide long-term benefits for the transportation system. All of the Regional Corridor Project Priorities will impact existing residential neighborhoods and commercial businesses. Planning and engineering studies should consider mitigation and best practice design factors in order to minimize the impact of traffic and roadway improvements on adjacent properties.

The costs identified for each of the Regional Corridor Project Priorities are conceptual in nature and are presented to provide a general idea of potential costs associated with future studies and construction. Estimates for cost of construction are based on the proposed project concepts and schematics. No preliminary engineering, detailed analysis or field surveys have been conducted by this Study. Therefore, the costs presented should be considered as an order of magnitude estimate. The conceptual costs take into account roadway, signalization, drainage, right-of-way, utility relocation, contingencies and engineering design. All costs are expressed in 2006 dollars and include only those corridor sections as described. (Corridors are listed in order geographically from north to south).

 

COLERAIN AVENUE, U.S. 27, CORRIDOR

(Kirby Road to Raeann Drive, 5.1 miles) Colerain Avenue improvements have long been recognized as critical needs related to economic development, safety, alternative north/south access for the interstate and relief for congestion issues at both the local and regional levels. These improvements expand upon the recently constructed improvements on Colerain Avenue and will require careful cooperation and coordination between several public jurisdictions. This corridor includes two project recommendations that will collectively improve traffic flow and safety while providing better access to residential and commercial properties. Recommendations for both segments include the continued implementation of the Colerain Corridor Planning Study (Subsections 1 and 8), conducting and implementing an access management corridor study for the area between Kirby and Galbraith Roads and from Springdale Road north to Raeann Drive, coordinating and monitoring traffic operations and signal systems and roadway widening to current engineering standards as parcels redevelop. Recent studies have shown that public safety can be improved by installing an emergency preemption system in those areas on Colerain where center medians are constructed. Preliminary Engineering Study: $450,000 Conceptual Construction Cost Estimate: $11,900,000

View of Colerain Avenue South of I-275

 

CHEVIOT ROAD / NORTH BEND CORRIDOR

(Reemlin to Edgewood Roads and from Jessup to Poole Roads, 3.5 miles) Cheviot Road provides an important north/south alternative route and, if upgraded, will allow traffic to be diverted from Colerain Avenue. In addition, Cheviot Road provides a direct connection to I-74 at the North Bend interchange. This corridor includes three project recommendations that will collectively improve traffic flow and safety while providing a reliable alternative route to Colerain Avenue. First, improvements recommended for Jessup to Hanley Roads include access management, signal modifications and signal coordination, street lighting, improvement of the intersection at Blue Rock and Hubble, construction of sidewalks and widening of the roadway to provide a center turn lane and possibly four lanes of through travel. Based on comments received at the public open houses, traffic flow improvements should also be implemented from Hanley to Poole. Improvements include the creation of center turn lanes, selected widening and a widened intersection at Poole Road. In this area, the predominate land use is residential. Therefore, special emphasis should be made to ensure that future improvements are sensitive to retaining the existing residential character of this portion of the roadway. Second, improvements recommended for North Bend Road from Reemelin to Edgewood Roads include access management, street lighting, provision of sidewalks, improvement of the Reemelin Road intersection and possible widening for through traffic. Third, improvements recommended for the North Bend Road segment from West Fork to Monfort Heights Roads include intersection improvements, roadway widening and improvements at the I-74 interchange. Preliminary Engineering Studies: $425,000 Conceptual Construction Cost Estimate: $8,200,000

View of Cheviot Road / North Bend Road at I-74

BRIDGETOWN ROAD, SR 264, CORRIDOR

(Taylor and Ebenezer Roads to Harrison Avenue and Ebenezer Road from Bridgetown Road to Hutchins Road, 1.3 miles) The Study's analysis identified the need for three improvements in this Bridgetown Road Corridor. The combination of these three roadway improvements will provide better access to both residential and commercial properties and will significantly improve traffic flow and safety conditions. First, improvements to the Bridgetown Road/Glenway Avenue/Race Street intersection include signal timing, turn lane additions and potentially a grade separation for selected vehicular movements. This intersection improvement will require future right-of-way acquisition and relocation of several businesses. Second, the improvements for Bridgetown Avenue, Taylor, Ebenezer and Hutchinson Roads include signal timing adjustments, the addition of turn lanes and possible additional through lanes. Third, a final recommendation for Bridgetown Road involves widening Bridgetown Road with additional through lanes to meet current engineering standards between Moonridge and Harrison Avenues. Preliminary Engineering Studies: $275,000 Conceptual Construction Cost Estimate: $7,400,000

View of Bridgetown Road Intersection with Taylor and Ebenezer Roads

 

GLENWAY AVENUE, SR 264, CORRIDOR

(Cleves Warsaw Avenue to Crookshank Road, 0.7 miles) This north/south arterial roadway is an important link between the City of Cincinnati, the Glenway Avenue commercial area and outlying areas of the county. This section of Glenway Avenue serves commercial, residential and institutional (Western Hills High School) land uses. Many small businesses depend on the roadway for both access and parking. Improvements recommended for this corridor ranked seventh on the roadways and intersections evaluation matrix. Improvements include provisions for access management, restriction of selected turns, possible removal of on-street parking, possible elimination of minor intersections, traffic operational and signal improvements, widening and/or realignment at major intersections and roadway widening at selected locations. Preliminary Engineering Study: $175,000 Conceptual Construction Cost Estimate: $3,300,000

View of Glenway Avenue

 

ANDERSON FERRY ROAD CORRIDOR

(Delhi Pike to Julmar Road, 1.9 miles) North/south travel in this part of the Study Area is constrained by the existing roadway network's lack of capacity. The improvement of Anderson Ferry Road will allow better access between Delhi Pike and Cleves Warsaw Pike, two major east/west connectors. These improvements will improve traffic flow, mitigate congestion factors and improve safety, thereby significantly improving transportation service for the general public. Recommended improvements for this corridor include conducting and implementing an access management corridor study, eliminating multiple curb cuts on specific parcels, adding curb from Delhi Pike to Foley Road and from Edfel Way to Rapid Run, providing sidewalks on both sides of the roadway and adding a center left turn lane from Delhi Pike to Cleves Warsaw Road. In addition, an engineering study should include the feasibility of additional through lanes in each direction between Rapid Run and Cleves Warsaw Road. Finally, the intersection of Anderson Ferry with Julmar Road is also recommended for improvement including the introduction of a northbound left turn lane. Preliminary Engineering Study: $225,000 Conceptual Construction Cost Estimate: $4,200,000

View of Anderson Ferry Road South of Foley Road

 

U.S. 50, RIVER ROAD, CORRIDOR

(Waldvogel Viaduct to Addyston eastern village limits, 8.2 miles) River Road is a critical east/west arterial corridor connecting the region with residential, commercial and industrial developments. This roadway carries a high volume of heavy truck traffic in addition to automobiles. There are improvement constraints due to topography and limited availability of right-of-way. Improvements will require a careful and balanced approach. Improvements related to capacity, safety and operations include possible on-street parking restrictions, alignment upgrades, lane widening, turn lanes at major intersections, construction of sidewalks, wayfinding and directional signage, bus pull-offs, elimination of some driveways, intersection improvements and introduction of retaining walls The City of Cincinnati is presently designing a major improvement at the eastern end of this project area, for the Waldvogel Viaduct, which will provide much improved access to and from Sixth Street with connections to Downtown Cincinnati. In addition, the City is now constructing a roadway widening project from the Viaduct to the Fairbanks Road area. Both of these improvements are already funded or scheduled for funding. The remaining improvements on U.S. 50 will be required from about Idaho Street (just west of Fairbanks Road) to the eastern limits of the Village of Addyston. Preliminary Engineering Study: $875,000 Conceptual Construction Cost Estimate: $17,500,000

View of U.S. 50, River Road, at Waldvogel Viaduct

 

STEP THREE: IDENTIFY POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES

Based on the Regional Corridor Project Priorities recommendations summarized above, the total construction cost is estimated to be $52,500,000 with an additional $2,425,000 for preliminary engineering studies. Several of the above improvement projects are likely to be amended into the OKI 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). Inclusion in the LRTP is subject to fiscal constraints and air quality requirements.

At the time of this document's publication, no funding had been committed for implementation of any of the recommendations identified by the Western Hamilton County Transportation Study Strategic Plan. However, a wide range of potential sources are available, including local, state, and federal programs. Due to competition for transportation money, it is expected that a portion of project costs will, of necessity, be leveraged through public/private partnerships when benefits can be clearly allocated.

OHIO-KENTUCKY-INDIANA REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS

Mark R. Policinski, Executive Director
Robert Koehler, P.E., Deputy Executive Director

Administration and Management
Robyn Bancroft, AICP, Corridor Studies Project Manager
Regina Fauver, Project Administrator

Communications
Sarah Woller Fry, Interim Communications Manager
Florence Parker, Public Involvement Specialist
Nicole Weiskittel, Communications Intern

Data Services
Cheng-I Tsai, Data Services Manager

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Dave Shuey, GIS Manager
Aaron Crary, GIS Analyst
James Fausz, Visual Technology Coordinator
Tim Maltry, GIS Technician

Transportation Planning
Don Burrell, AICP, Senior Planner
Mary Luebbers, Senior Planner
Andy Reser, AICP, Model Applications Coordinator

OVERSIGHT TEAM

Hubert Brown Whitewater Township, Trustee
Keith Corman, Colerain Township, Trustee
Jay Hamilton, Ohio Department of Transportation - District 8
Andre Harper, Office of U.S. Senator George Voinovich
Ted Hubbard, Hamilton County Engineer's Office
Beth Bryan, Office of Congressman Steve Chabot
Greg Long, City of Cincinnati Transportation & Engineering
Stephan Louis, Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority Board
Chuck Mitchell, Green Township, Trustee
Walt "Coke" Powers, City of Harrison
Warren Strunk, Crosby Township

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Keith Corman, Colerain Township (Chairperson)
Catherine Barrett, State Representative
Robert Bass, Delhi Township
Aaron Bley, Mercy Hospital Western Hills
Tom Braun, City of Cheviot
Hubert Brown, Whitewater Township
Beth Bryan, Congressman Chabot's Office
E. Dwight Campbell, Great Oaks/Diamond Oaks
Michael Cervay, City of Cincinnati/ Development & Planning
Senator Patti Clancy, Ohio Senator
Jennifer Clippard, Cincinnati Cycle Club
Pat Dewine, Hamilton County Board of Commissioners
Angie Drew, Three Rivers Local Schools
Steve Driehaus, State Representative
Bob Engel, Northwest Local School District
Tom Ewing, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
Woody Fitzmaurice, Cincinnati Public Schools
Kim Gilday-Weber, Riverside Civic and Welfare Club
Joseph Gorman, Camp Washington Community Board
Jay Hamilton, Ohio Department of Transportation - District 8
Andre Harper, Senator Voinovich's Office
Allan Harris, NAACP
Nick Hoesl, Citizens for Civic Renewal
Ted Hubbard, Hamilton County Engineer's Office
Don Hughett, Colerain Township Business Association
Roland Johnson, Land Conservancy of Hamilton County
Martha Kelly, City of Cincinnati/Transportation & Engineering
Bob Lameier, Western Economic Council
Linda Liebau, College of Mount St. Joseph
Tom Losekamp, Harrison Township Board of Trustees
Stephan Louis, Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority
Kat Lyons, Center for Independent Living Options
Jill Mallery, Oak Hills Transportation Department
Timothy Mara, Concerned Citizens of Western Hamilton County
Joel McGuire, City of Harrison
Chuck Mitchell, Green Township Trustee
Chris Moran, League of Women Voters of Cincinnati
Enid Nagel, Sierra Club
Doug Nienaber, Hamilton County Board MRDD
Dan Pillow, Village of Addyston
Gary Raffel, Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Etta Reed, Home Builders Association
Jack Rininger, Jr., Miami Township
Lisa Rowell, Greater Cincinnati /NKY African American Chamber
Eric Russo, The Hillside Trust
Kim Satzger, Port Authority
John Schneider, Alliance for Regional Transit
William Seitz, State of Ohio Representative
Stew Sonnenberg, Federal Highway Administration
Richard Spence, Friends of White Water Shaker Village Inc.
Caroline Statkus, Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission
Larry Stone, Rumpke
Warren Strunk, Crosby Township Trustees
Shawn Sutton, Village of Cleves
Marsha Watts Visher, Urban League of Greater Cincinnati
Alan Weiner, South Western Ohio Trails Association
Peter Witte, Price Hill Civic Club
Carol Wood, Westwood Civic
Tim Zelek, Hamilton County Park District

CONSULTANT TEAM

Edwards and Kelcey
Paul Culter, AICP, Consultant Study Manager
Jack Pflum, P.E., Deputy Study Manager
John Brigham, P.E.
Vanessa Fritsch
Sarah Headlee
Mark Kirby, ASLA
Musa Muhammad

URS
David Wormald, P.E.
Sharon Laylock
Steve Curless, P.E.
Daniel Schwartz

Niehaus Transportation Engineering
John Niehaus, P.E.

Thelen Associates
Dale Proffitt