The First Suburbs Consortium of Southwest Ohio (FSC-SWO) and the Hamilton County Transportation Improvement District (TID) have secured a significant boost in their efforts to tackle transportation barriers within the region.
According to a press release from the county, a $300,000 Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will provide funding to conduct a planning study in six Hamilton County municipalities:
Historically, investment in transportation infrastructure in the U.S. has fractured neighborhoods, especially communities of color. As part of Cincinnati's 1948 “Master Plan,” city leaders leveled more than 2,800 homes, businesses, churches and other buildings in the lower West End neighborhood. The “slum clearance” effort was part of a federal “urban renewal” initiative meant to make room for the expansion of I-75 and the Queensgate industrial neighborhood. Residents had no choice but to pack up and leave behind their homes, effectively eliminating a large swath of the predominantly Black West End neighborhood.
Commissioners Denise Driehaus and Stephanie Summerow Dumas echoed Reece's sentiments, emphasizing the grant's potential impact on neighborhood reunification and enhanced connectivity.
According to a press release from the county, a $300,000 Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will provide funding to conduct a planning study in six Hamilton County municipalities:
- Arlington Heights
- Evendale
- Lincoln Heights
- Lockland
- Reading
- Sharonville
Historically, investment in transportation infrastructure in the U.S. has fractured neighborhoods, especially communities of color. As part of Cincinnati's 1948 “Master Plan,” city leaders leveled more than 2,800 homes, businesses, churches and other buildings in the lower West End neighborhood. The “slum clearance” effort was part of a federal “urban renewal” initiative meant to make room for the expansion of I-75 and the Queensgate industrial neighborhood. Residents had no choice but to pack up and leave behind their homes, effectively eliminating a large swath of the predominantly Black West End neighborhood.
Commission President Alicia Reece said the goal of the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant is to foster a more connected and inclusive Hamilton County while revitalizing local economies.
"The stark barriers of highways and train tracks create both a physical disconnect and can contribute to a loss of economic productivity in our communities," Reece said.
Commissioners Denise Driehaus and Stephanie Summerow Dumas echoed Reece's sentiments, emphasizing the grant's potential impact on neighborhood reunification and enhanced connectivity.
“With the receipt of this grant, our planning study will help guide us towards reunifying neighborhoods,” said Summerow Dumas. “I look forward to see the creative solutions put forth by the partners to ensure better connectivity.”
“I am grateful for the impact this project will have on these communities and Hamilton County as a whole,” added Driehaus.
What's next?
The county says the First Suburbs Consortium of Southwest Ohio and the Hamilton County Transportation Improvement District will work with local communities to identify solutions to overcome transportation challenges "by developing a strategy for targeted infrastructure investment in the region."
