The earliest this project could be constructed is in 2026, but Smith also said that it could happen well after that date.Ī specific route has not been identified, and in fact, Allen Messer, Hamilton’s assistant director of engineering, said they’ve looked at “16 or so routes, but we haven’t identified a route yet.” North Hamilton Crossing, according to the city, would provide similar benefits. The South Hamilton Crossing, a $32 million project that opened several years ago, provides an overpass across four busy CSX railroad tracks and has reduced travel times and increased safety while providing improved access to Miami University Regionals-Hamilton, Vora Technology Park, and more than 60 acres of vacant land. In addition to inefficient roadway connections to major state routes and interstates, there’s difficulty traveling to the east and west sides of Hamilton, both on streets and across bridges there are high crash rates at key intersections there are travel delays caused by congestion and frequent train crossings and there are few public transit alternatives. The insufficient transportation challenges are only amplified by the positive impact on jobs and progress in Hamilton, city officials have said. The North Hamilton Crossing, to be a mirror project to the South Hamilton Crossing that opened in 2018, would address the growing traffic happening in the city with dozens of new major developments in recent years. “We’ll just have to roll up our shirt sleeves and just do a better job of communicating, and not think that we did not try to communicate, but obviously we did not do a good enough job communicating.” “Even with doing all these things in the last 12-1/2 years, we have more to do, I have more to do, and I admitted that to the group out there,” Smith told City Council. “Even as much as we think we’re doing well, or we’re trying to do, in my opinion, I have failed because they felt that way about the lack of information.”Īfter the North Hamilton Crossing discussion, Smith went outside council chambers to further talk with the residents. “In my opinion, we had tried hard to do better with transparency,” Smith had said. 14 City Council meeting, for being ill-informed about the project. Smith responded to the issues raised, saying last month he believed the city had been transparent and took responsibility for a significant number of North End residents, who had a peaceful protest ahead of the Dec. He’s also fearful it would impact the North End Ballfields, a place where many of the children in the neighborhood play.Īnd any resident that would get displaced, he fears “they would not be able to find appropriate housing at the current market” as many are on fixed incomes and they couldn’t afford even a fair market value home. George Bowman of the North End said during the meeting a primary concern was the route would displace a lot of residents, many of whom have generational homes.

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