Sierra Club forum takes a closer look at road project

More than 100 community members recently attended a forum sponsored by the Sierra Club to discuss the proposed Eastern Corridor project.

According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, the project includes a light-rail line that would run on existing tracks from downtown Cincinnati to Milford, a complete overhaul of the Ohio 32-I-275 interchange in Eastgate and a 10-mile highway that would link I-71 and Ohio 32.

The project is necessary to address traffic and safety concerns in the area, however, some are skeptical. Mike Fremont, founder of Rivers Unlimited, an organization formed to protect the rivers of Ohio; fears the construction project could endanger the environment of the nearby Little Miami National Wild and Scenic River.

The Cincinnati Enquirer also reported that Hayes Goddard, a professor of economics at the University of Cincinnati, was skeptical of the Eastern Corridor Benefit/Cost Analysis findings, a 2004 preliminary study that said transportation benefits from the projects could outweigh costs by 2 to 1.