By Liz Oakes
The Cincinnati Enquirer

AVONDALE - Business leaders, regional transportation officials and a Cincinnati councilman pledged Sunday to set aside $1.5 million to study a possible new interchange for Interstate 71.

Steve Wulff of Blue Ash, left, and Michael Allison of Evanston, spoke as part of the Amos Project public meeting at the Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church Sunday. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

The leaders, speaking before 1,400 people at Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, were brought together by the Amos Project, an activist coalition of 44 local congregations.

The pledge was one of a number made at the group's third annual meeting, which also secured commitments on treatment for girls in the court system in Hamilton County, minority participation in Cincinnati Public Schools' master building plan, and lead testing of children in Northern Kentucky.

Councilman John Cranley, chairman of the city's Finance Committee, agreed to slate $500,000 in the 2004 city budget with the aim of helping fund an Uptown Transportation Study. The study could begin early next year on the effect on nearby neighborhoods of a new interchange at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Joyce Kinley, a member of the Amos Project who is also a representative to the Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana Regional Council of Governments, said that group is expected to OK the pledge at its Dec. 11 Executive Committee meeting.

The Uptown Consortium, a group of influential business leaders, is also promising a matching amount.

The study is required by the federal government before a new interchange, which could cost $35 million or more, can begin, said Cranley.

Also on Sunday, Amos leaders got public promises that local, county and state officials would work toward:

• Restoring eight residential treatment beds for girls in the court system in the county that had been lost because of lack of funding, and investigate the cut in adolescent residential treatment services.

County Commissioner Todd Portune told the crowd, "I would certainly work with Amos, to not only get whatever beds were lost, if any, reinstated, but I think we need more beds than that."

Amos leaders said their long-term goal is to secure county funding for a residential treatment building for troubled girls.

• Beginning a lead-testing program in 2004 for children in Campbell and Kenton counties. Amos officials also said they would push for aid to homeowners and landlords to reduce lead contamination.

• More minority representation in contracts to build new school buildings for Cincinnati Public Schools under its $985 million Facilities Master Plan.

Amos already has achieved some of its goals from last year: gaining a seat on the OKI board; representation on Covington's Citizen Participation Committee, which recommends how federal housing dollars are allocated; and an increase in Hamilton County jury pay, said spokeswoman Ronda Deel.

The group also wanted pay for performance for CPS teachers, which was put on hold with the hiring of a new schools superintendent.

Amos faced a setback when funding for light rail, which it supported, was turned down by voters.

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E-mail loakes@enquirer.com