Coming Meetings

[Dawn Longworth]

Just a friendly reminder for those concerned about the Thru the Valley project on I-75.  There is an open meeting from 1-7pm  Wednesday JULY 19th (yes, this week) at the Sharonville Convention Center.  The hours are so everyone can try to attend and see the proposed plans and fill out comment cards.

[Valley Cat]

Rob,

The next OKI Meeting is scheduled for May 11th at 12:30 p.m. at the OKI Board Room at 720 East Pete Rose Way.  Not much notice from me, but Pat Dewine is supposed to proffer a resolution opposing the closing of the Galbraith Rd exit.

[CarthagePrez]

There is no usefull information to be found so far, but apparently there is a new idea to do a "fly-over" bridge that is "an offshoot from Cross County Highway that would send northbound cars up and over the interstate".  I don't know what the idea is, but is sounds hazardous to Hartwell in particular.  The article mentions several meetings coming up in the next two weeks, but I can't find any info on the dates and locations.


http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060510/NEWS01/605100350/1056

[Dawn Longworth]

I need some help.  As a president of the local council in Hartwell, I need input from my residents.  The comments have been few and I do not have enough information to have our community take an official standing on this issue.  At the last HIA meeting, we had ODOT do a presentation and let everyone take their time looking over the maps and asking questions directly to Jay Hamilton w/O-DOT, Erin Peterson w/ME Companies, & Martha Kelly with the City of CIncinnati Transportation & Engineering Dept.  Now, the mayor has not been out and neither have any reps from City Council (except Ghiz staff member) to hear what Hartwell thinks about the Left exit ramp closing.  We have not had enough people coming forward to voice their concerns at the HIA meetings, and my phone is not ringing off the hook.  Yet the Mayor wrote up a motion about the Citys support (nd that included Hartwell, we are part of the city) to keep access to Galbraith Road open and that the closure of the Galbraith ramp would economically impact the surrounding communities.  The has been no presentation to City Hall from ODOT (there will be May 30th) and the results of the economic study are not completed from ODOT.  I feel that all information should be gathered before taking a stand.  That is what I have done and I expect the city to as well. 

Let me know residents.  What are your issues?  Here is where I stand:  I am not for or against the closure of the exit ramp but I do want whatever changes necessary to have a Cross County ramp from SB 75.  This is where Hartwell gets a majority of its traffic--heading west on Galbraith to Cross County.

If the exit closes..How will that affect us?  Will the side streets off Anthony Wayne (Avalon, Oakmont, Parkway, Mystic, Kearney, Sheehan & Millsdale) get over loaded with thru traffic??  We have been wanting speed bumps on streets for awhile now...don't you think this is an issue that needs to be addressed now before it could get worse? Proacive instead of Re-active.

What about Vine Street?  Can we handle all the traffic from Paddock how unsafe will the Rec Center/School zone get? 

How about Galbraith Road.  Ever see the children walk down that street in the morning to school and worry about how close the cars are to the sidewalk?  See all the big trucks & 18 Wheelers speed down that 30MPH strip?  How about the fact that it is not wide enough to be 4 lanes...Why is it then?   Who's liable for those accidents?  The people who drive on those streets or the people who allow street traffic when the area is not wide enough?  That might need to be considered more.

People say the closesure of the left handed exit ramp to Galbraith will shut down businesses.  Cross County highway has Springfield Twp covered. They have Galbraith up west and Hamilton Ave.; How about Davis street or Shepard Lane improvements into Lockland, Wyoming & Reading, etc.  There is still an exit from Cross County to Reading Road too.  There are other options than Paddock and there are other things to consider than JUST the closing of the left handed ramp.  This needs to be looked into a little more closely by residents of Hartwell.

 I did confirm that there is enough room to keep the existing left handed ramp to Galbraith AND add a exit ramp to cross county from SB-75.  We just need to fight for it and stop focusing only on keeping one ramp open.

Please...Hartwell, I need to hear from you. The more people, the more information we can all share. 
Thanks.

[Dawn Longworth]

Meeting in Wyoming tonight at 7:30 and meeting Tuesday night in Hartwell 7:30pm

[Dawn Longworth]

But if we look at all the plans instead of just focusing on Alter Plan B (the only plans that closes Galbraith ramps & provides a ramp to Cross County West from 75-S) there are other plans to exits that will help will all the traffic to exits on newly proposed exit ramps and impovements to others.  Hartwell needs that ramp to Cross County to help with traffic and safety issues.  Even though everyone seems to think that Plan B is the only option out there (its the only one people seem to be talking about) there are other changes to the highway.  Heck, I dont want to get off an exit and sit in traffic for an extr 10-15 minutes when I live so close to the highway I cant hear my neighbors talking to me when I'm outside, but I would be willing to deal with that so I dont have the daily frustration of the large semi-s and through traffic cutting through my neighborhood and school zones.  Once everyone gets to see the plans 1st hand, the other proposed changes will be seen as well as the Galbraith exits.

[Valley Cat]

Safety:

If they close the northbound Galbraith Rd. exit, traffic during rush hour will back up to I-75 from the Seymour Road exit. Given the length of time it takes that light to change now, think what it will be like if all the traffic that exits at Galbraith has to exit there. Also, imagine trying to find a way to cross from Wendy's to Krogers during rush hour. Will ODOT pay to revise the traffic lights.

Financial:

Several businesses have located on or very close to Galbraith Road because of the close proximity to I-75. If they leave for "greener pastures" what kind of economic impact will that have on earning taxes? Cincy won't miss, $30,000-40,000 a year in taxes, but Lockland, Reading, and other communities will.

Logical:

What criteria was used to determine that left-hand exits in inner cities are more dangerous than right-hand exits? People in a left-hand lane planning  to exit Stage Left, drive a little slower? Instead of 80, they go 65? It's not like the Galbraith Road exit is sudden or has a short off-ramp.

Of course, I'm not backing off my original prediction - nothing will be done before 2020. Yeah, the state has approved $135 million. Sounds like a bunch, but it's probably about enought to cover the analysis segment. I've seen estimates that the cost to do the project, from I-275 to Paddock Rd. will be at least 10 times that.

[Dawn Longworth]

I've been there and posted.  It seems most of the posts are about a matter of inconvienence.  Not safety or financial reasons.

[Valley Cat]

The "war" is now being waged on the Internet. http://www.keepgalbraithopen.com/index2.html

[Valley Cat]

In case anyone is interested:

4/17/06 – Wyoming Council Meeting – 7:30 p.m.
4/18/06 – Hartwell Improvement Association Meeting - 7:30 p.m.
5/1/06 – Glendale Council Meeting – 7:00 p.m.