OKI Board President Josh Gerth said the TIP projects will enhance mobility and safety, reduce congestion and travel times, promote accessibility, and create economic opportunities, among other things in the tri-state region.
“A robust and thoughtful transportation improvement program is vital to this region and to the residents in whom we serve — and this is what we passed (Thursday),” he said. “It will continue to directly improve their quality of life and access to key transportation services.”
The TIP includes projects for improving highways, bus service and facilities for bicycles and pedestrians. It also identifies the funding necessary to maintain highways and transit service, as well as making travel by people and goods more efficient and safer with improved roadway designs and advanced technologies.
Electric vehicle charging a big focus
TIP funding includes for bridge expansion and preservation, traffic operations and safety improvements — including shoulder widening and traffic signal upgrades, road widening and relocation and the public installation of electric vehicle, or EV, charging infrastructure, which several Butler County communities will collectively have 20 constructed in 2026 and 2027.
Butler County EV charging station projects receiving funds through OKI include four each in Middletown and Hamilton, three each in West Chester Twp. and Oxford, two each in Fairfield and Trenton, and one each at VOA MetroPark and the Miami University Airport.
Hamilton and Fairfield will be adding to their stock of EV stations on city-owned land, but Middletown’s four will be the first public stations.
Middletown announced in 2024 the new EV stations last October, stating they’ll be located at One Donham Plaza, Jacot Park on Grand Avenue, Smith Park on Tytus Avenue and along Central Avenue in the downtown business district.
EV charging stations are popping up coast to coast as more electric vehicles are on the road. California and New York governor offices both this earlier this year announced they are investing $1.4 billion and $60 million, respectively in EV stations.
Last year, it was reported Ohio was to spend $169 million to build EV stations near highways over the next five years.
Other projects to get funding
Though most of the OKI TIP projects in Butler County are related to electric vehicles, others include $2.3 million for the platform and covered shelters for the Amtrak project in Oxford, and construction of new trail along the Great Miami River in Fairfield, Fairfield Twp. and Liberty Twp.
The Butler County TID will receive the largest chunk of the money in the county with more than $4.48 million for right-of-way acquisition and construction of the dual roundabout at Northwest Washington Boulevard, West Elkton and North B Street.
The roundabouts, while a standalone project, are designed to be part of the larger North Hamilton Crossing project, which is a mostly boulevard-style route that crosses the Great Miami River and railroad crossings north of High and Main streets. The final approved path of the North Hamilton Crossing — which the final price tag could be north of $100 million and take several years to complete — has not been finalized, though possible routes have been discussed and presented.
ROUNDABOUT INFO SESSION
The city of Hamilton and Butler County Transportation Improvement District are hosting a public open house from 6 to 8 p.m. April 24 at the Hamilton Freshman School, 2260 N.W. Washington Blvd. to discuss developing plans for dual roundabout projects.
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