Cincinnati resident urges commissioners to press ODOT to reconsider Brent Spence Bridge design

CINCINNATI ' During public comment at the Hamilton County Commission meeting on Aug. 14, a resident identified as Matthew told commissioners he and others are concerned about the Ohio Department of Transportation's design for the Brent Spence Bridge project and the agency's broader approach to regional transportation.

"I'm just here to express some concerns that I and many other Cincinnatians have about ODOT's Brent Spence design right now and their general approach to transportation in the region," the commenter said. He urged county commissioners to bring the concerns to ODOT and asked the agency to "pause for a moment and listen to us a little better." He said he has proposed cheaper alternatives and noted the project's roughly $3,600,000,000 price tag.

Why it matters: The Brent Spence Bridge corridor is a major interstate link for Greater Cincinnati; design choices and cost affect traffic, freight, transit options and regional transportation budgets. Public comments at a county meeting are a formal way to ask elected officials to take up constituent concerns.

What the speaker asked for - The commenter asked commissioners to notify ODOT of public concerns and to consider alternatives that would provide local and through traffic separation while expanding transit choices. - He said the region lacks transit alternatives that reduce reliance on highways and referenced a past proposal, Metro Moves, as an example of an alternative approach.

Follow up: The speaker handed written notes to the clerk and requested the board distribute them among commissioners. Commissioners acknowledged the comment and accepted the materials for distribution; no formal county action on the Brent Spence Bridge was taken at the meeting.

Ending: The commission did not debate the Brent Spence project at length but agreed to circulate the speaker's material to commissioners for their consideration.