By James Pilcher
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LOCKLAND - Bill and Sheila Beetz live less than 30 yards from Interstate 75 and can hear the many accidents at the southbound exit to North Cooper Avenue.

And while the couple is worried about losing their home to possible freeway expansion, they also say that what they see and hear every day has convinced them that something needs to be done.

"We call 911 almost every day," said Sheila Beetz, one of more than 30 residents who attended a public hearing on potential changes to the interstate Thursday. "We know that progress is coming. But we're here to find out how much land they will take."

Indeed, that was on the mind of several attendees. Lockland would be directly affected by any major highway expansions and improvements, especially the southbound "canyon" and the dangerous Cooper exits.

And the highway actually splits and surrounds another developed portion of the city.

Officials in charge of a study on what to do about I-75, who held the public hearing, couldn't provide many answers as to what the repercussions would be.

Judi Craig, corridor study manager for the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, said the effort is not delving into that level of detail.

"These are crucial items to be considered, to be sure, but it won't happen at this stage," Craig told the crowd.

"And to address another point, we are not looking to eliminate access to the interstate here in Lockland, but improving it."

The committee overseeing the study is to vote on how to improve traffic flow Sept. 29. The major options being considered are widening the expressway, a new light-rail line or a combination of both.

"I wonder how much of what's been going on with economic development with Convergys and Kroger would have been avoided if we had tackled this years ago," Marcus Coleman of Walnut Hills said.

"If we had made the city more attractive, with a light-rail system and updated highway, maybe we wouldn't have to go to the lengths to keep such companies here."

E-mail jpilcher@enquirer.com