Saturday, October 16, 1999
Transit plaza proposed for Northside
BY TANYA ALBERT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Catching or transfering buses could get a lot easier in Northside.
Now, Metro's second biggest transit point is about a half dozen bus stops scattered around Hamilton and Spring Grove avenues, leaving some people to dart across traffic to catch their next bus.
But the bus company is proposing a $3.7 million park-like transit plaza with 15 park-and-ride spots at Knowlton's Corner, where Hamilton and Spring Grove avenues come together.
The Southwest Ohio Re gional Transit Authority (SORTA), which runs Metro, has $1 million in place from federal and local money. It has asked the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for $2.7 million to fund the project. SORTA should have an answer by December. If the funding is approved, construction would be done by November 2002.
“This just isn't important for Northside, but for Winton Place, College Hill, Mount Airy and any place where people come in from to transfer to buses,” said Terrence Bazeley, Northside Community Council president.
Everyday, 1,600 people board or transfer buses in Northside and 550 buses and 13,000 people pass through the area. During the peak morning and evening rush hours, there's a bus every minute, Metro General Manager Paul Jablonski said. Only Government Square in downtown Cincinnati is busier.
“And with that amount of activity, you hardly have any amenities,” he said. “Narrow sidewalks in there make it difficult to put shelters in.”
Now, bus stops are marked with an orange stripe around a pole and small Metro signs marking the route. Some stops have wooden benches, but the lighting is often poor and there's no protection from the elements.
Several people waiting to catch buses in Northside Friday said they'd welcome a transit plaza.
Jim Braden, 30, of South Fairmount takes one bus to Northside and has to connect there to get to Forest Park. He said he's nearly been hit by a car while trying to cross the street to make the connection.
Ruth Ann Laugle, 38, said she would support the change for the safety improvements.
“It would be all lit up and my daughter wouldn't be scared waiting,” said Ms. Laugle, whose 18-year-old daughter sometimes commutes to work by bus at night.
But Clifton resident Jo Thomas said she's not sure whether the transit center would be good for the community's landscape.
“It's a good concept, but there's other things they can put their money into, like putting it into cleaning up buildings in the area,” she said.
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