CINCINNATI -- Feedback from the public last year helped put a stop to the Eastern Corridor Program’s plan to reroute part of Ohio 32 around Newtown and through the Little Miami River valley. Now Eastern Corridor planners are looking to the public to help find new ways to improve mobility through the East Side.
Eastern Corridor officials have planned six focus area workshops between April 13 and May 4. Each workshop will include a presentation on the Eastern Corridor Program that will cover the history of the project and possible future improvements. Attendees will be invited to share their improvement ideas and priorities.
“The input that we receive will be used as part of the equation to identify congestion and safety improvements, and what kind of improvements need to be made,” said Ohio Department of Transportation District 8 spokesman Brian Cunningham.
The plan to reroute Ohio 32 was scrapped in June because of public outcry over the potential economic and environmental impact of the proposed route through Mariemont, as well as concerns about disturbing historical sites. Eastern Corridor planners are now focused on making “lower-impact” improvements to the existing roads between Anderson Township and the Mt. Lookout neighborhood.
“It could include widenings, it could include turn lanes — it could include a variety of things,” Cunningham said. “That’s why we’re asking the public to tell us what they would like to see out there.”
Although the first focus area workshop is planned for April 13, ODOT has already begun collecting public input through the project’s website at www.EasternCorridor.org.
Visitors to the site are invited to take a short survey to provide input on the project, including how different aspects of the project should be prioritized and where problems exist in the project area.
The online survey is open through June 15.
The Eastern Corridor Program is administered by ODOT in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration and the program’s implementation partners. Those include the transportation improvement districts in Hamilton and Clermont counties, the city of Cincinnati, the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority and the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments.
Focus area workshop schedule
Wednesday, April 13
US 50 Corridor Area
6-8 p.m.
Mariemont High School
1 Warrior Way, Mariemont 45227
Thursday, April 14
Newtown Village Area
6-8 p.m.
Miami Valley Christian Academy
6830 School Street, Newtown 45244
Wednesday, April 27
Ancor/SR 32 Hill Area
6-8 p.m.
Anderson Center
7850 Five Mile Road, Anderson Twp. 45230
Thursday, April 28
Linwood/Eastern Interchange Area
6-8 p.m.
Christ The King Parish Center
927 Ellison Avenue, Mt. Lookout 45226
Wednesday, May 4
US 50/ Red Bank Interchange Area
6-8 p.m.
R.G. Cribbett Recreation Center
5903 Hawthorne Avenue, Fairfax 45227
Thursday, May 5
SR 125/SR 32 Area
6-8 p.m.
Mt. Washington Recreation Center
1750 Beacon Street, Mt. Washington 45230
