BY GREGORY A. HALL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A light-rail transit system for the Cincinnati region is $65 million closer to reality after the money unexpectedly was included in a federal transportation bill.
The bill provides the funding to pay for engineering studies required before construction can begin.
The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) had $4 million, enough to start the $6 million preliminary studies, but not finish them. All engineering work is expected to total $65 million.
Supporters asked local congressmen, at a minimum, to include light rail in the bill, even if it meant no new money. The money that covers a six-year period from 1998-2003 was requested, but OKI officials didn't know the approval was coming.
"That was wonderful because it got us by the worrisome stage," said Kenton County Commissioner Bernie Moorman, chairman of OKI's Interstate 71 corridor committee.
The committee has looked for three years at ways to improve traffic flow between the Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky International Airport and Paramount's Kings Island. The group selected light rail as the preferred alternative for the 33-mile strip. Early estimates call for a price tag of at least $1.1 billion.
The transportation bill also guarantees that once the studies are complete, the light-rail project will be eligible for construction money.
"It makes our pathway clean," Mr. Moorman said. "It gives us the revenue to get those jobs (completed that) we have to get done to get through the door so we can start the actual construction of the project."
The first phase of the project, expected to cost $650 million, will build light rail from downtown Covington to Pfeiffer Road in Blue Ash.
Mr. Moorman said the money should help get light rail over a number of political obstacles.
"What it takes away for right now is the political playing with the issue," he said.
OKI leaders credit three U.S. senators -- Republican Mike DeWine and Democrat John Glenn of Ohio, and Democrat Wendell Ford of Kentucky -- for getting the money included.
OKI representatives made the request in April during visits with staff members of area congressmen.
One hurdle the committee has dealt with is a call by prominent Northern Kentuckians, led by developer Bill Butler and backed by Rep. Jim Bunning, R-Southgate, to study elevated rail.
A group led by Mr. Butler is studying an elevated rail system that would loop through downtown Cincinnati, Covington and Newport and connect to the airport.
"I think what they're trying to do is different from what we are doing," Mr. Moorman said. "We're trying to put in a mass transit system for the average person."
The elevated-rail system would be a tourist attraction and would serve commercial sites.
"We're not in conflict with that," Mr. Moorman said.
The current hurdle is where light rail will cross the river into Kentucky. The Clay Wade Bailey Bridge is being studied, but initial estimates cast doubts as to whether the river crossing could accommodate rail.
"That's part of the preliminary engineering that needs to be done," Mr. Moorman said. "In fact that's one of the very first things we have to look at, get that route established."
Newport city officials want the crossing to use the Taylor Southgate Bridge and enter Covington from Campbell County.
Cincinnati is open to the idea but won't commit money to study it unless Covington supports the plan, Cincinnati City Manager John Shirey said.
That appears unlikely. Covington City Manager Greg Jarvis said commissioners there have been adamant.
The route through Covington still needs to be settled. Once the city decides, OKI will have the preliminary engineering done, Mr. Moorman said.
The most likely route at this point would be to follow the railroad tracks from the Bailey bridge to 12th Street and head west to I-71. The congressional approval also lets OKI proceed with setting up the agency that will operate light rail and finding local money for construction.
