OKI Awards Nearly $54M for 26 Regional Transportation Projects
Cincinnati, Ohio – Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) Board President and Clermont County Commissioner David Painter announced today the award of $53.8 million for 26 transportation projects in the region.
“Unanimously, the OKI board has delivered a nearly $54 million infrastructure package that will enhance a number of areas throughout our eight-county region,” Painter 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 awarded to Ohio through the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG); the Transportation Alternatives (TA); and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) federal programs. They were awarded to Kentucky through the STBG and TA programs.
STBG and CMAQ funding will aid 13 Ohio projects, while STBG funding will aid six Kentucky projects, many designed to ease traffic congestion, boost transit services, improve air quality, and enhance road safety at various areas throughout the OKI region.
Ohio initiatives include the Western Hills Viaduct replacement project; a shared-use path from Glenwood Gardens to Winton Woods; and a new SORTA Transit Center in North Colle Hill. Kentucky projects include the purchase of four full-sized hybrid-electric fixed route replacement buses; road improvements in Highland Heights, near NKU; and construction of a 2.4-mile segment of the CVG multi-use trail.
In Ohio, TA-funded initiatives will include many sidewalk upgrades; a multi-use trail in downtown Lebanon; and corridor improvements in Milford at Main Street and Lila Avenue. In Kentucky, funding will support sidewalk upgrades near schools in the Bellevue and Edgewood.
“Never have these investments been more critical for our economy, our safety and our future,” said OKI’s CEO Mark Policinski. “They are an investment in both the people and projects of our region. As global competition incessantly challenges us, our infrastructure must be dramatically improved.”
Policinski added, “These improvements range from the basic to the advanced; but, they are all aimed at making the region’s work more successful and its quality of life healthier. OKI continues to work hand-in-hand with the region’s communities to identify solutions to their needs and fulfillment to their dreams.”
