Hamilton bike path project wants regional group’s backing

Inclusion in OKI’s master plan could pave way for federal funds.


ADD YOUR INPUT

Hamilton residents who would like to participate in the online public survey about the proposed Hamilton Beltline Recreational Trail project should visit http://tinyurl.com/HamiltonBeltline

Transforming a former railroad line on the west side of the Great Miami River into a bike path is among the projects seeking inclusion in the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments 2040 master plan.

Every four years, the OKI Regional Council of Governments reviews proposed transportation and infrastructure improvement projects for its 2040 master plan and develops an update to determine which projects stay or are deleted from the list.

The inclusion of the proposed $7.49 million Hamilton Beltline Recreational Trail project in OKI's master plan is necessary in order for it to be eligible for future federal funding.

In Butler County, nearly 30 projects totalling more than $400 million are proposed in OKI's 2040 Draft Project List.

The proposed Hamilton Beltline Recreational Trail would take a 2.96-mile former CSX rail line that once serviced the former Champion Paper mill and turn it into a bike path that would connect with the Great Miami River Recreation Bike Trail and other bike paths throughout the city.

The project would tie together multiple neighborhoods on the city’s West side and provide students at Hamilton High School and Wilson Junior High with a safe route to school, according to the city.

The city is working to acquire the right of way so it has control to better manage the project, according to City Clerk Nick Garuckas, who has been working on the project with a number of other residents and local leaders.

About 19,000 city residents live within one mile of the proposed trail, according to city officials.

Garuckas facilitated a pair of public information sessions in January that attracted about 100 people.

During those sessions, residents were supportive of the proposed recreation project but raised a number of concerns, including privacy issues of the homes bordering the proposed trail, public safety concerns and ongoing maintenance.

A public information session will be held later this fall and the city is still conducting an online survey seeking residents’ feedback, according to Garuckas.

The city has not yet acquired the rail line right of way, according to Garuckas.

"The funding aspect of this project is still being developed," Garuckas told the Journal-News last week. "Since the announcement of the potential project, the city has applied to multiple funding sources to address the land acquisition portion of the potential project."

A majority of the grants will not announce their respective awards until the fall or early 2017, he said.

According to local historian Jim Blount, the Belt Line — its common name — was chartered to “operate within the commercial limits of Hamilton.”

Its nearly three-mile length made it Butler County’s shortest railroad when formed. It originated on the west at a connection with the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Indianapolis Railroad (originally the Junction Railroad) near Millville and Edgewood avenues.

Later it was renamed the Hamilton Belt Line Railroad and its shortened riverside track ended on Champion property.

Blount said the Hamilton Belt Line became a “Ghost Railroad” in 2012 after SMART Papers opted to close its Hamilton operations.

About the Author