By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LEBANON - Warren County is taking a hard look at the traffic problems that plague its southwest quadrant.

A task force of about two dozen public officials, business and community representatives met for the first time Friday to discuss the Southwest Warren County Transportation Study. They will spend about two years developing a plan to alleviate some of the county's worst bottlenecks.

KEY PROBLEMS

Taskforce members were asked Friday to point out key transportation issues they feel need to be addressed during the study. Among them were: • Traffic movement between Interstates 71 and 75 • Overall access of Mason-Montgomery and Fields Ertel Roads • Congestion along state routes through Lebanon • Existing highway interchanges

The $1 million study, funded by local and federal dollars, will focus on the area bounded by Ohio 48 to the east, the county line to the south, Ohio 63 to the north and Interstate 75 to the west. The area includes some of Butler County.

About 84,000 people live in southwest Warren County, according to the 2000 Census, and that population is expected to increase to 154,000 by 2030, said project manager Dory Montazemi, deputy executive director with the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments.

"This is a huge, huge growth," he said. "I don't have to tell you in this area that that's going to generate a huge, huge traffic demand. That's something that we're looking forward to addressing through this process."

After the task force identifies some of the key problems and issues, it will use traffic studies, environmental information and other data to develop and prioritize solutions. There also will be a series of public hearings

The plan will then be recommended to OKI, and the ideas will be eligible for federal funding.

"This step is crucial in getting federal funding," County Engineer Neil Tunison said of the study.

The county and local communities are paying about 20 percent of the $1 million study. OKI is using federal dollars to cover the other 80 percent of the cost.

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com