Contact: Monica Menke-Watts - (513) 942-4700
Director of Communications
During construction of the Michael A. Fox Highway, the Butler County TID also built an area on Yankee Road, near the Cincinnati-Dayton Road interchange, for ride sharing. This area is available to anyone wanting to carpool to and from work or McGinnis Park for Metro service.
According to the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) Web site, driving alone is the most expensive way to get to work. Carpooling is a great way to share the ride, cut commuter costs, and help clean our air.
"This particular carpool site was chosen along the highway because of its direct access to I-75, Cincinnati, and Dayton," said Greg Wilkens, TID executive director. "It's currently open for ride sharing or carpooling, and anyone in the community is welcome to use the facility for that purpose. Hopefully in the future, expanded services will be offered at this site," he added.
Amy Terrango, executive director of the Butler County Regional Transit Authority- known as "The Blast" bus service to many in Butler County - said they have applied to the Ohio Department of Transportation for a grant for funding of this particular site. If successful, the grant will help transform the area to a park and ride, in addition to a ride-share facility. The BCRTA is looking into two possibilities. The first option would convert the site to a park and ride facility in conjunction with Metro, an addition to the McGinnis Park stop. The second would be a fixed route, which possibly would begin in Middletown, stop at the site on Yankee Road, and continue to McGinnis Park, where Metro currently operates.
"As with most projects and services, funding is key," said Amy Terrango. "We've been working with Metro and are optimistically awaiting results of the grant application to see where we can go with this facility. The site provides direct access to I-75 and would be a welcome addition to our current bus service. Metro is on board if funding is available, and we will continue looking into the best way to utilize this area."
RideShare
OKI offers a free service called RideShare to help you find a better way to commute to work. They have a database of more than 2,000 commuters who are looking for carpool and vanpool partners. To see if anyone in your area would like to ride share, go to the OKI Web site (www.oki.org) and fill out an on-line RideShare application or call them at 241-RIDE or 1-800-241-RIDE. OKI serves southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and southeastern Indiana.
The Butler County Transportation Improvement District
With a local focus on economic development and safer travel, the Butler County TID plans, finances, and constructs road improvement projects, including the Union Centre Interchange, the Michael A. Fox Highway, and the extension and widening of Muhlhauser Road. It is recognized as a national model for its innovation. Since its inception in 1994, the TID has undertaken planning and facilitation of several projects, including those listed above, the extension of Union Centre Boulevard, the Symmes Road extension, the widening of SR 747, and the Bypass 4/SR 4 intersection improvements and relocation of Reigart Road.
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