For Interviews: OKI Deputy Executive Director Robert Koehler (513-379-6124 m.) and OKI Board President Kris Knochelmann (859-835-1500 m.) both are available to speak with media. If you need anything else, please call Jim Pickering, communications specialist 859-801-2403.
OKI Awards Nearly $40M for Regional Transportation Projects
Cincinnati, Ohio – Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) Board President and Kenton County Judge Executive Kris Knochelmann announced today the award of $39.99 million for 23 transportation projects in the region.
“Unanimously, the OKI board has delivered a nearly $40 million infrastructure package that will enhance a number of areas throughout our eight-county region,” Knochelmann said. “Today’s awards are a major investment in our multi-modal transportation network. These projects will improve mobility and safety for drivers, transit riders, cyclists and pedestrians. And, they will raise the quality of life for our citizens.”
The funds were allocated to Ohio and Kentucky projects through two federal programs: the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) program and the Transportation Alternatives (TA) program.
STBG funding will assist eight Ohio projects and seven Kentucky projects, many designed to ease traffic congestion, improve air quality and enhance safety at various areas and cities throughout the region. Ohio initiatives include the Western Hills Viaduct Replacement project; the Cincinnati-Wasson Way trail project; and SORTA bus replacements. Kentucky projects include a Newport-Riverfront Commons Trail at Festival Park; TANK maintenance and operations facility renovations; and replacement of the Elsmere-New Buffington Bridge.
In Ohio, TA funding will benefit the Anderson Twp.-Little Miami Scenic Trail; a Great Parks of Hamilton County trail, connecting Glenwood Gardens to Winston Woods; and the Hamilton Beltline at North B Street. In Kentucky, funding will benefit the Bellevue-Van Voast Pedestrian Bridge; and sidewalks along Sam Neace Drive in Boone County; Garvey Avenue in Elsmere; and Sweet Harmony Lane in Union.
“OKI invests in a mobility network that incorporates all means of transportation to serve the two million people in the OKI region. These projects, totaling nearly $40 million, serve a wide array of communities and their needs,” said OKI’s CEO Mark Policinski. “These projects signify safer walks to school, less congested trips to work, more use of bikes and pedestrian walkways for trips, and the inclusion of new technologies to ease our commutes. Even in these difficult times, the OKI region is resilient and poised for greater growth. These signify a vibrant economy that retains talent while attracting residents and visitors alike.”
OKI is a council of local governments, business organizations and community groups committed to developing collaborative strategies, plans and programs to improve the quality of life and economic development potential of the Tri-State.
OKI Awards Nearly $40M for Regional Transportation Projects – Press Release
OKI Federal Funded Projects List of Projects – October 8, 2020