A coalition of non-profit, environmental, faith leaders and physicians are raising major concerns about the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project. The Coalition for Transit and Sustainable Development of Greater Cincinnati says highway expansion projects harm already vulnerable populations, including communities of color and low-income communities.
The group submitted a letter to the Federal Highway Administration in January calling for federal officials to look at the environmental impacts of the corridor project before issuing a new environmental assessment and looking at alternatives to the project.
"Our concerns are that this this project is going to have a negative environmental impact on the region, specifically, the people that live adjacent to the I-75 corridor, which average between 20 to 50 percent, depending on the census tract, zero car households," says Matt Butler, president of the Devou Good Foundation and coalition coordinator.
Cincinnati Edition reached out to the Federal Highway Administration and the Ohio Department of Transportation for an interview. The FHWA did not meet our media deadline. ODOT provided this statement:
"We remain committed to working with the Federal Highway Administration to ensure this project meets all federal environmental and civil rights requirements. Thanks to a funding commitment from the federal government, we are able to make these needed improvements without tolls. It is also worth noting that this project does not just connect two states with a bridge, it reconnects downtown to western neighborhoods with improvements that encourage walking and biking and make it safer to do so."
On Cincinnati Edition, we discuss the coalition's concerns with the corridor project, their alternative recommendations and their advocacy for the expansion of public transit.
Guests:
- Matt Butler, president, Devou Good Foundation
- Ryan Crane, MD, Cincinnati ear, nose and throat doctor
- Rev. Johannon Tate, DMIN, pastor, Jerriel Missionary Baptist Church
Listen to Cincinnati Edition live at noon M-F. Audio for this segment will be uploaded after 4 p.m. ET.
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