LOVELAND MAGAZINE

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Tag: Pat Manger

  • Branch Hill-Guinea Pike – Bridle Path Lane – Jer-Les Drive – Cook Road – Weber Road construction set to begin

    Branch Hill-Guinea Pike – Bridle Path Lane – Jer-Les Drive – Cook Road – Weber Road construction set to begin

    Detours will be put into place for through traffic

    Batavia, Ohio – The Clermont County Engineer’s Office today announced “safety and access improvements” that will take place along Branch Hill-Guinea Pike from Bridle Path Lane to Jer-Les Drive, as well as the related traffic impacts during the course of the project.

    The Branch Hill-Guinea Pike widening project will add a center turn lane and paved shoulders on Branch Hill-Guinea Pike, as well as a sidewalk along the east side of the road from Bridle Path Lane to Jer-Les Drive. Drainage improvements also will be made. In addition to the roadway work, improvements will be made at the intersection of Branch Hill-Guinea Pike and Cook Road/Weber Road, including upgraded traffic signals and designated turn lanes.

    The project will be completed in three phases:

    • Phase 1 is expected to last approximately five weeks, from June 4 through July 9. During Phase 1, work will take place on the northern end of Branch Hill-Guinea Pike and Cook Road.
    • Phase 2 is expected to last approximately five weeks, from July 9 through Aug. 15. During Phase 2, work will take place on the southern end of Branch Hill-Guinea Pike and Weber Road.

    During both phases, a detour will be put into place for through traffic. Access within the project area will be maintained for local property owners only.

    • Phase 3 of work will take place from Aug. 15 through the fall but will not result in full-time road closures. All roads will be reopened to through traffic with only minor temporary closures taking place as crews complete the final pieces of the project.

    Clermont County Engineer Pat Manger said that the work on Branch Hill-Guinea Pike has multiple components that will improve safety and travel in the area. “A new center turn lane will support smoother travel and help to reduce potential accidents by separating turning traffic from through traffic,” said Manger. “The addition of a new sidewalk will provide safer pedestrian access in the area, and drainage improvements will enhance stormwater management along the road and in the surrounding subdivisions.”

    Miami Township Administrator Jeff Wright highlighted the project team that is working together to support the improvements saying, “The Branch Hill-Guinea Pike widening project is being completed in partnership with Miami Township, Milford Schools and the Clermont County Transportation Improvement District to improve access to Boyd E. Smith Elementary School and support safer travel along Branch Hill-Guinea Pike. The safety of our local students and their families is one of our highest priorities, and the township is pleased to work with the school district and the county to ensure we continue to provide better connections and service to our residents.”

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  • Public hearings set for May 9, 15 on Clermont County’s proposed $5 local vehicle license fee

    Public hearings set for May 9, 15 on Clermont County’s proposed $5 local vehicle license fee

    Batavia, Ohio – Public hearings will be held May 9 and May 15 to gather public opinion about a proposed new $5 local motor vehicle license tax that would be added to the annual vehicle registration fee in Clermont County.

    The May 9 hearing will be held at 7 p.m. at Miami Township Civic Center, and the May 15 hearing will be held at 7 p.m. at the Village of Batavia’s new village hall, the Batavia Armory Town Hall.

    Under the State Transportation Bill (House Bill 26), which took effect on June 30, 2017, counties, as well as cities and townships, are permitted to place an additional $5 license fee on vehicle registration fees. Commissioners must authorize the additional fee.

    The revenues raised by this increased fee would be used by the Office of the County Engineer to repair and repave county roads and bridges.

    In Ohio, county engineers’ offices are funded through the Ohio gas tax (28 cents per gallon distributed equally among 88 counties), and vehicle registration fees. In 2017, the Clermont office received $7.2 million in registration fees and $2.3 million in gas tax revenues. That revenue funds the repairing and repaving of county-maintained roads and bridges.

    County Engineer Pat Manger, in a presentation to Commissioners on March 12, noted that revenue from those two sources has remained essentially flat since 2007. Yet the cost of asphalt has doubled in that time, Manger said, from $57.75 per cubic yard to $132 per cubic yard.

    The additional $5 fee would generate approximately $1 million annually, Manger said. All additional revenue would be used to fund the county Road & Bridge Improvement Program.

    He also noted that at current revenue levels, the average paving cycle for each county road is 38 years, while the industry standard is 10-12 years. The additional revenue would help close the gap, he said.

    “We have a significant challenge to address in fixing our local roads,” Manger told Commissioners. “Expenses continue to increase and we do not have the resources to ensure the level of maintenance our residents expect. This is just one step in the right direction. An increase is absolutely necessary.” 

    If Commissioners approve the fee, it would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2019.

    Hearings:

    7 p.m. May 9, Miami Township Civic Center, 6101 Meijer Drive, Milford MAP

    7 p.m. May 15, Batavia Armory Town Hall, 65 N. Second St., Batavia MAP

    Ohio BMV FAQ on fee:

    http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/links/bmv_Permissive_Tax_FAQs.pdf

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