Time for your input on Oasis bike trail

Greater Cincinnati's transit authority wants the public to now weigh in on a proposal to transform an unused East Side rail line into a bike and pedestrian trail.

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority is scheduled to hold a public meeting on the Oasis Line proposal from 4-5 p.m. on Feb. 20 at the Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum, 3738 Eastern Ave.

Since December, a SORTA subcommittee has been working to reach consensus on the proposed project, which calls for turning about four miles of an old freight line running between Lunken Airport and Downtown into a $4 million recreational trail.

"I directed the subcommittee to get all of the facts, speak with our partners, explore all scenarios, seek the public's input and report back to the board," said Jason Dunn, chairman of the transit authority board. "The SORTA board is only one of many stakeholders on this proposed project. We can better determine our options after we have completed a comprehensive review of the issue."

The project has been caught up in bureaucratic purgatory for more than a decade, but a decision to move forward with the trail could come next month. The transit authority owns the railway's right-of-way access, and the project will require the approval of the SORTA board and Federal Transit Administration.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, an East Side resident, supports the trail proposal and could help clear the way in Washington. His brother, Wym Portman, is part of the Ohio River Way group that has been pushing for the project for nearly a decade. The group believes the trail will help in the city's region's efforts to lure new jobs and residents to the urban core.

The project could be done by early 2017. Ohio River Way, which consists mostly of East Side residents, already has raised $1 million, including $200,000 from the city. The group is confident it can get private donors to cover the remaining costs.

A major hurdle remains, though. A railroad company that uses an adjacent, parallel-running rail line to move freight is fighting efforts to build the trail. Genesee & Wyoming has liability concerns, and railroad companies are typically reluctant to give up access to rail lines – even if they're unused – because of potential future business considerations.

Slow-moving freight trains only use the railway about 2-3 times a day. The Saturday dinner train also runs through the corridor.