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July 2005
By Teri Horsley | Friday, July 29, 2005, 01:49 PM
Another quick update … if you plan on heading to Hueston Woods State Park for the weekend.
Traffic is down to one lane on Ohio 177 at the park entrance. They’re replacing guard rails there, so expect delays at least until the end
of today.
That’s about it from me for the week. I’m off to the Butler County Fair in Hamilton, where I’m sure there will be yet another huge traffic tie up. Oh well, as long as there are funnel cakes.
By the way, if you do have the answer to life’s big questions, or if you can get me to Hamilton from Middletown quicker, let me know.
Otherwise, I’ll talk to you Monday …
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By Teri Horsley | Friday, July 29, 2005, 01:38 PM
I was driving to Hamilton from Middletown this morning, pondering life’s big questions. You know, the REALLY big stuff.
Why are we here?
Where are we going?
(and the biggest of all) WHY ARE SEVEN MILE AVE. AND NORTH B STREET IN NEW MIAMI STILL CLOSED TO TRAFFIC?
With West Elkton Road open by the new Hamilton 9th grade school building, I can usually drive from West Middletown through Trenton, down Seven Mile Ave. to B street to West Elkton road on the west side of Hamilton in about 12 minutes. (You can, too, as it is an excellent shortcut).
With Seven Mile Ave. and B. street closed, you must re-route, and it can really eat up your time. The best way to go if you’re headed south from Middletown on Hamilton-Trenton road is to turn left on Third street (Ohio 127) and head into Hamilton. It takes a whole lot longer, but by being forwarned you won’t get stuck near New Miami High School like I did.
One good thing did come out of the experience. There is a very nice convenience store by New Miami High that can help you drown your sorrows, if you forget, and get stopped by the detour. (It did help to cry in my soda).
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By Hamilton County Engineer | Friday, July 29, 2005, 01:32 PM
William W. Brayshaw, the Hamilton County Engineer, would like to announce the closing of Wuest Road just north of Galbraith Road in Colerain Township beginning Monday, August 8, 2005.
The storm sewer replacements are being performed by Adleta Construction and are estimated to take approximately one month for completion (weather permitting) Wuest Road (the first phase of this project) is anticipated to take two weeks; at which time Wuest Road will open and Galbraith Road will close for two weeks.
Any problems or questions should be directed to either Tim Adleta with
Adleta Construction at 554-1469 or to Dan Jones with the Hamilton County Engineer at 946-8430.
Detour will be routed over Galbraith Road to Cheviot Road to Poole Road and vice versa.
For information on other projects, please visit our web site at:
www.hamilton-co.org/engineer
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By Lisa Biedenbach | Friday, July 29, 2005, 01:27 PM
Personalizing or making something your own applies to our vehicles, too. When I glance around the interior of my car, I note how much it reveals about me:
• The 2 audiobooks and numerous other books and magazines tell someone that I am an avid reader/listener with eclectic reading tastes;
• The bag with fabric and pillow forms says someone will be upholstering (not me!);
• The box of music CDs cries “I like many kinds of music;”
• Bottled water tells the onlooker that the driver gets thirsty; and
• The sunscreen and coin change in the console say the driver is prepared for sunny days and parking meters.
Even the pockets on the doors offer clues about me: There are maps for Butler and Hamilton Counties, various cities, including Cincinnati, Dayton, Rochester, New York, Chicago, and state maps galore from the automobile association. Plastic bags are tucked into seatback pockets, as well as 2 umbrellas and a road atlas.
The glove compartment holds a large flashlight, tire warranty, vehicle registration and proof of insurance documents, vehicle owner manuals, pens, plastic eating utensils, sunglasses, assorted fuses and free car wash passes.
And this is just the interior of the car! Another blog will survey the trunk!
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By Teri Horsley | Thursday, July 28, 2005, 02:06 PM
As one of your new traffic bloggers here in southwest Ohio, I have to tell you that this is my pet name for construction delays found on Hamilton’s main drag. With one lane open eastbound, and two westbound, the morning and afternoon rush hours are truly a NIGHTMARE!
I advise avoiding the area altogether, and suggest you take Black
Street across the bridge to Third Street and head into downtown, (from the west side) and reverse the trip on your way home, or from the East.
(You do need to keep in mind that there will be delays in both directions once you get to Third).
Another option is to take Main Street to B. (from the west) and head over to the Columbia Bridge into downtown. (Again reversing on your
way home or from the east). This option is a little out of the way but it beats sitting on the bridge, and looking at cranes while hoping you don’t fall into the river.
With all of this heavy traffic, the alternatives are only somewhat better, saving you just a few minutes of time, but if you’re like me, every minute counts. Now that I’ve said this, probably the best suggestion is to turn off your alarm each morning, and go back to sleep, avoiding the trip until after 10 a.m. You can always tell your boss you’re doing your part for the environment by avoiding sitting in one place flooding the atmosphere with exhaust. (If you are a boss or MY boss, you really didn’t read this here, you’ve just been in too much traffic!)
I can’t wait to keep you updated each weekday on my driving adventures, and I promise you’ll stay informed, and full, as I always know the best places to stop for snacks!
Until next time …
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By Lisa Biedenbach | Thursday, July 28, 2005, 10:21 AM
On my way home from work yesterday, I witnessed a use for cell phones that I had not thought of before.
At the intersection of Winton and Galbraith Roads, a young woman involved in a multi-car auto accident with injuries stood behind her car and took pictures of the car’s damage with her cell phone. For someone like me, who seldom uses her cell phone and has programmed only a few numbers into it and needs to carry the phone’s instructions with her, I thought this was a great use of new technology!
With certain cell phones you can call to report an accident and document damage and accident details immediately. Now, if only the cell phone could provide medical aid.
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By Rusty Jessee | Thursday, July 28, 2005, 09:19 AM
Wow! My first day as a ‘blogger’! What would it be like? What would I write?
More importantly, what important life decisions would be made on my 40-mile trek?
Well, as it’s been a rough week, not many decisions were made. Traffic was light heading south from West Chester to Florence. Heading north was a different story.
All I know is that I’ll be on vacation in two weeks and my ‘vacation watch’ has already begun.
What’s the earliest any of you have had ‘vacationitis’? One week? Two? A month?
Let me hear from you!
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By Ron Mosby | Wednesday, July 27, 2005, 10:52 AM
Ohio 28 barely passes through the southeast corner of Warren County. Yet, a small portion of that state route, within 1,000 feet of the Warren/Clinton county line, will be the beneficiary of repair work in 2007.
Plans are underway to replace the box culvert located near the Warren/Clinton county line. A culvert is a structure that allows water to pass under a roadway. The plan is to fill the existing culvert, built in approximately 1925, and create a new culvert. The current culvert is no longer functioning as designed, and if allowed to deteriorate further, can cause the road to close, causing delays to travelers.
In addition to creating the new culvert, the project will also relocate the existing tributary into Second Creek. Nearby property will need to be acquired in order to complete the project.
Recent statistics show about 9,300 vehicles use the road daily. When engineers plan road improvement projects, they calculate what traffic volumes will be at some point, usually 20 to 25 years in the future. For this project, the target year is 2027. The average daily traffic projected for 2027 is 14,100 vehicles a day.
Whenever the Ohio Department of Transportation plans a project, it is planned in accordance with the mission statement, which is to provide a world-class transportation system that links Ohio to a global economy while preserving the state’s unique character and enhancing its quality of life. Safety is always the top priority.
In this case, a failed culvert can compromise the integrity of the road above it. By properly filling in the deteriorated culvert and creating a new one, the integrity of the road will be maintained.
Currently, the plan is to keep the road open to traffic while the project is in process.
The time frame necessary to complete the culvert replacement will probably be one construction season. Projects of this nature usually do not require a complete road closure; however, it is likely that there will be some lane restrictions during the project.
This project is one example of how the Ohio Department of Transportation is striving to keep your state, federal, and interstate routes at peak performance level.
If you have questions about this or other ODOT projects, please contact Ron Mosby, public information officer for District 8, which covers Warren and Butler counties, at (513) 933-6511, or e-mail him at ron.mosby@dot.state.oh.us
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By Hamilton County Engineer | Wednesday, July 27, 2005, 10:38 AM
William W. Brayshaw, the Hamilton County Engineer, would like to announce the closing of Elliott Ave., just east of Waldman Ave. in Arlington Heights beginning Monday, August 8, 2005.
Work being performed by Sunesis Construction is bridge replacement and is anticipated to last until January, 2006 (tentatively with weather
permitting).
Any problems/questions should be directed to either Dave Thurston with Sunesis at 326-6000 or to Matt Yunger with the Hamilton County Engineer at 946-8420.
Detour will be routed over Galbraith Road to Burkhart Ave. to Clark Road and vice versa.
For information on other projects, please visit our web site at
www.hamilton-co.org/engineer
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By Lisa Biedenbach | Wednesday, July 27, 2005, 07:49 AM
Ever since reading the bestseller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, I’ve looked for red and yellow cars.
The book’s main character, Christopher John Francis Boone, a teen with autism, marks good days and black days by the number of red and yellow cars he passes in a row.
Christopher considers a Good Day one in which he passed 4 red cars in a row; Quite a Good Day when he spots 3 red cars in a row; and a Super Good Day if he sees 5 red cars in a row.
Four yellow cars in a row made it a Black Day. a day when he didn’t speak to anyone, sat reading his books and not eating his lunch. Christopher liked things to be in order.
One day recently I spied 4 classic red Thunderbirds parked at Union Terminal. It was a Good Day.
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By Rusty Jessee | Tuesday, July 26, 2005, 04:54 PM
Ever have one of those restless nights? I did.
Maybe it was my losing the first battle with the bees. At least, if my remembrance of bee biology is correct, there are two fewer bees that can sting me next time.
Maybe it was wondering if, on my way in, the dreaded orange barrel disease will crop up on I-75 and my smooth ride for most of this summer would be gone.
Maybe it was gas going up again. (One gas note: In Kentucky, gas at exit 180 is generally cheaper than at exit 178.)
All I know is that this morning, I could have been coming in at my old 7:00 shift and I would not have had to set my alarm to get up earlier.
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By Lisa Biedenbach | Tuesday, July 26, 2005, 04:41 PM
My daily commute begins at 4:30 a.m. when I travel from my warm bed into the harsh reality of the bathroom, a leg of the daily commute that varies widely depending on how sleep-deprived I feel.
Monday morning, I rose easily and heard loud beating on the roof that prompted me to mutter “It’s raining, huh?” to my driver-husband. There’s nothing like pounding rain to make the Monday commute even more dismal.
The dismal downpour lasted, however, only for a few miles south of Ross Township. By the time we passed Rumpke Dump and its sunrise convoy of garbage trucks, we found dry pavement. This lasted as we traveled the roads of Colerain Township and Cincinnati.
As I drove Central Parkway into Over the Rhine, I discovered only the remnants of rain puddles. My Monday morning commute had taken me across two or three weather zones in 27 miles.
Dismal but interesting indeed!
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By Rusty Jessee | Tuesday, July 26, 2005, 04:35 PM
Well, as I mounted my trusty (but on empty) car this morning after nearly a week off, my thoughts turned to my commute and my blog. What would both be like?
Would either last more than an hour today? Would my 8-year-old son’s desire to be president so he could cut gas taxes ever come true after I spent over $25 to fill my tank up?
My drive this morning was uneventful. Of course, when I walked in the door, within 5 minutes, I was advised of a new major project that I would get to work on. Have any of you had a similar experience … you’re off, you come back for a nice, easy morning and, BAM!, major workload right away?
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By Ron Mosby, ODOT | Tuesday, July 26, 2005, 11:57 AM
Construction will begin this week on Ohio 63 near the railroad tracks at Union Road (near Trader’s World Flea Market) in Monroe to just west of the Black Barn in Lebanon.
A bridge and culvert will be repaired. A temporary traffic signal will keep one lane open to traffic.
Ohio 63 from Monroe to Lebanon city limits will be repaved.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2006.
For information, contact the Ohio Department of Transportation District 8 office in Turtlecreek Twp., (513) 933-6511.
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By Chris Celek
| Monday, July 25, 2005, 01:55 PM
Are you in your car or truck every morning and afternoon, rushing to work and back home again?
Do you know the best stops for coffee? Cheapest gas?
Do you know the best radio stations to relax you when traffic’s barely crawling? Off the top of your head, can you quickly navigate a detour around southwest Ohio traffic delays? Or are you a high-tech commuter, with GPS on the dash to plot your course?
Do your stories about how a two-car crash shut the highway down and prevented you from arriving at work on time always keep you out of trouble with the boss?
If you answered yes, then we’ve got a job for you.
We want road-tested commuters to contribute to this blog about that most universal of southwest Ohio experiences … the daily drive.
In 100 words or less, tell us why what you see and do behind the wheel would inform, entertain and occasionally assist your fellow motorists.
And we don’t want to know that you’ve been a member of AAA since 1993. Lessons learned in the I-75 school of hard knocks count here.
Put “I should be the blogging commuter” in the subject line and email to commuterblog@coxohio.com
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