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1 Page 1 of 6 Weather Events Visitor's Guide Classifieds Jobs Cars Homes Apartments Shopping Dating Submit Content Subscribe Customer Service Place An Ad Search: All Articles Yellow Pages Entertainment Dining Jobs Cars Homes Search Cincinnati.Com NKY.com Enquirer Post CiN Weekly Community Press & Recorder cincymoms.com Cincinnati USA Data Center Home Local News Sports Business Opinion Life Entertainment Nation/World Obituaries Blogs Search Local news Cincinnati.Com» The Enquirer» Local news» Traffic's bad, getting worse Last Updated: 6:59 am Thursday, September 13, 2007 Traffic's bad, getting worse Planners want your views on long-term fixes Related Stories Talk to us about transportation Commuters drive alone BY MARGARET A. MCGURK MMCGURK@ENQUIRER.COM Print digg us! del.icio.us! The region's transportation planners have figured out how bad traffic congestion is where you live, how bad it will get by 2030 and what choices we have to fix it. This month, you can have a say on solving the problem. What can we do about traffic congestion Traffic congestion has a price: Delays cost local commuters and companies about $780,000 a weekday, or more than $205 million a year, about 5 percent more than three years ago. Those results are included in a three-year study by the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Council of Governments released today as part of the agency's new long-term transportation plan. Meetings this month will seek comments on the plan. The congestion study found that commuters using the most congested road in the region - a 1.4- mile stretch of Interstate 71/75 between Buttermilk Pike and Dixie Highway in Kenton County - collectively lose 1,391 hours every day (almost two months in time) to clogged traffic. The second-worst spot is 2.4 miles of I-75 in Hamilton County from Shepherd Lane to Ronald ENQUIRER FILE PHOTO The Interstate 71/75 "cut-in-the-hill" in Kentucky, a local congestion nightmare. How the study was done The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Council of Governments enlisted staff members who live all over the region to collect data for the congestion study, often during their normal commutes to and from work.

Page 2 of 6 Reagan, which costs 889.84 hours (37 days) in lost time on any given workday.

Slow traffic steals about 4 percent more time from commuters than it did in 2004, when the first such regional congestion study was completed.

2 Page 2 of 6 Reagan, which costs hours (37 days) in lost time on any given workday. Both stretches are included in major highway overhauls planned for the next several years - although financing is not yet certain for the I- 71/75 work in Kentucky. Slow traffic steals about 4 percent more time from commuters than it did in 2004, when the first such regional congestion study was completed. Three years ago, local drivers altogether lost an average of 49,000 hours a day; now the total is up to 51,000 hours - almost six years. Over the course of three years, drivers were given Global Positioning System units that tracked their cars' movements through designated sections in one-second intervals. Data were collected at least twice for morning and evening rush hours. Midday traffic was also measured at least once. The travel information was compared to the speed of free-flowing traffic to calculate delays. Things could get much worse, OKI planners believe. By 2030, daily traffic backups will consume almost 76,000 hours, nearly nine years' worth of lost time. That projection includes benefits of projects already approved for funding, such as the reconstruction of I-75 in Ohio, but not unfunded work, such as the Brent Spence Bridge replacement. The new data on traffic flow will help OKI set spending priorities at a time when demand outstrips transportation funding, said OKI spokesman Brian Cunningham. "Money is scarce, and these projects are expensive," he said. The data are among the OKI research the public is to review and comment on while the agency's plan is under development. "The timing is not a coincidence, that it came out when we are developing out long-term plans for future projects," said Andrew J. Reser, the planner who prepared the report. A final version of the long-term plan will be submitted to the federal government in HAVE YOUR SAY The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Council of Governments has scheduled four open houses this month to exhibit studies, maps and reports related to its long-term transportation master plan, known as Chart An array of solutions The OKI congestion report includes descriptions of every potential action that could help ease congestion, organized into five major categories. Manage demand Impose tolls in highly congested spots. Encourage telecommuting.

3 Page 3 of Regional Transportation Plan Update. Visitors can submit comments about the long-term plan at the open houses listed below, by mail to OKI, 720 E. Pete Rose Way, Suite 420, Cincinnati, OH 45202; or by ing plan@oki.org. The agency also is setting up a comment page on its Web site for direct submissions; A second round of public exhibits will be scheduled in February; dates and locations are to be determined. Encourage ride sharing. Encourage "smart growth." Designate separate lanes for cars with two or more occupants (so-called high-occupancy vehicle or HOV lanes). Convince employers to stagger work schedules. Improve operations Control access to roads and highways. Print digg us! del.icio.us! Cincinnati.Com» The Enquirer» Local news» Traffic's bad, getting worse LOCAL NEWS Exclusive: Mother speaks for first time Traffic's bad, getting worse Check 'n Go under fire Citywide Wi-Fi project fizzles Triplets family gets Pampered Mallory's off to Germany Health secretary talks food safety Accused as killer, now he's just an accomplice Immigration raid a crisis school hadn't planned for Murderer gets 32-to-life 'All I can remember is complete horror,' mother says Cecilia's death prompts law proposal Police: Niece stole $600K Teen sentenced in deaths 2 vie for Seitz House seat Forest Hills eyes $50M in upgrades Three held in drug arrests Two hurt in I-75/I-71 crash Cops: Threat to put baby in oven $1M bond in 2 deaths 15 years for grandfather death Talk to us about transportation Employers to get HealthShare details Are you a senior homeowner? Hawaii trip a first for Lakota East Milford woman wins Clinton lunch Coordinate traffic signals. Install ramp meters on expressways. Improve intersection design. Add intersection turn lanes. Add center turn lanes. "Channelize" conflicting traffic, by using islands and other structures, to keep vehicles moving. Add bicycle paths. Eliminate railroad grade crossings. Adopt advanced technology Expand Artimis. Computerize bus management. Allow electronic payment of fares, fees and tolls. Improve public transit Add or expand bus services. Build a rail transit system.

4 Page 4 of 6 Car thieves shoot man Widow sues cops in killing Motorcyclist dies after striking deer Lebanon lists goals, priorities Investigators seize psychiatrist's billing records Ex-aide to Ney avoids jail time Driver in fatal chase didn't have license Power outage widespread Hundreds pay back support Molotov cocktail starts fire Group critical of sex-offender laws Boehner in Iraq to assess progress report Woman, 79, killed by car Suspect deemed trial-ready KENTUCKY Traffic's bad, getting worse Daughters, sons & money AA crash victim comes home Major guilty of killing wife Sign case headed to court Water works protests permit N.Ky. schools hitting goals Jail escapee eludes police General Cable jumps 7% Former N.Ky. bank president indicted Beshear, Fletcher on KET tonight Two hurt in I-75/I-71 crash Man, 25, shot in head Residents question property purchase Ascent builder tells (mostly) all to kids Supreme Court puts off execution UPS, cities settle on amount NKU counts cost to grow Walk honors special kids Parents guide: Preschoolers GENERAL NEWS Exclusive: Mother speaks for first time Traffic's bad, getting worse Game Face Week 1 Bush on Iraq: What should he say? Check 'n Go under fire Citywide Wi-Fi project fizzles Triplets family gets Pampered Mallory's off to Germany Build and improve park-and-ride sites. Build or expand transit hubs. Allow buses to drive on highway shoulders. Expand highway capacity Add lanes to handle more cars. Eliminate bottlenecks. Quick Links Sign up for Breaking News newsletter Sign up for Breaking news text alert Check out your community pages Post your own news using GetPublished! Advertise Here Cincinnati Corporate Wellness Take care of your Employees Health NOW! We provide Nutrition Lunch & Learn Programs, Metabolic Rate Analysis, Exercise or Weight Loss Programs! Cincinnati Weight Loss Program Weight loss & Life Style change program given by Professionals- Lose avg 2 lbs per week! Oct 9th - Blue Ash & Oct 20th & 22nd - Western Hills! more... wwwpersonalnewtrition.com Morning NetCast Tune in every weekday from 10 am-noon. Watch 2 minutes of the latest news, business and entertainment in video from our Local Information Center. Morning NetCast After School Childcare Needed?

5 Page 5 of 6 Health secretary talks food safety Accused as killer, now he's just an accomplice Immigration raid a crisis school hadn't planned for Murderer gets 32-to-life 'All I can remember is complete horror,' mother says Cecilia's death prompts law proposal Police: Niece stole $600K Teen sentenced in deaths 2 vie for Seitz House seat Forest Hills eyes $50M in upgrades Three held in drug arrests Two hurt in I-75/I-71 crash EDUCATION Symphony marches in to help band's trip N.Ky. schools hitting goals Students with merit NKU counts cost to grow NKU gets grant for arboretum LIVES REMEMBERED Kentucky obituaries GOOD THINGS HAPPENING Impact 100 members work for tips LOCAL BUSINESS General Cable jumps 7% Construction under way Business summary Business digest Business agenda BabysitEase sitters care for your children in your home any time of the day or night. All our sitters are over 18 and have their own transportation. Injured? Arrested? KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! Call an aggressive attorney that can help you. We practice in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Call ( or (859) Christopher Jackson Law FREE REPORT Joe Mercadante quits high-paying corporate job to do real estate investing...in 8 months...see the same FREE report Joe used to get started... Ads by Google Want To Lose Belly Fat? New formula Makes You Feel Full 24 Hours A Day. 2 Bottle Free Trial FatGuysDiet.com Sexy Singles Browse photos of sexy singles Search profiles for free mate1.com Nokia Maps for Mobile Find locations, directions and services with your mobile! maps.nokia.com BUSINESS Toy maker to show origins 30,000 seek Honda jobs Peoples Community Bank sold Loft apartments unveiled General Cable jumps 7%

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