Soon Plan Hamilton will be 5 years old. It is time to update the plan to ensure all priorities still align with the growth of our community. We need your help updating it by sharing your vision for our community’s future! Stay tuned for ways to provide input.
Two more phases of the Beltline Recreational Trail receive funding
In 2020, the City of Hamilton made significant proccess on the Hamilton Beltline Recreational Trail. When complete, it will be a 3 mile multimodal path of a former rail spur on the west side of Hamilton that connects west side residents to downtown Hamilton. It will also provide an easy connection onto the Great Miami River Recreational Trail, which is a regional trail network. In 2020, Phase 1 began construction. Additionally, Phase 2 and 3 of the trail received funding. The phase along the river that connects Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill to the High-Main Bridge received a Transportation Alternatives Grant from OKI and the phase connecting Phase 1 to Eaton Road received funding from the Ohio Capital Budget. The Beltine is a critical piece of alternative transportation infrastructure and is expected to have recreational and economic benefits for the community.
City Council adopts Active Transportation Plan as part of Plan Hamilton
The Active Transportation Plan focuses on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements in our community. The plan focuses both on connectivity within Hamilton and as well as connecting Hamilton to regional trail networks. The Active Transportation Plan will help inform upcoming infrastructure projects and will also help better position the City of Hamilton for grant opportunities, such as for Safe Routes to School grants for sidewalks near elementary schools and OKI grants for the Belt Line trail.
Saica Breaks Ground on New Hamilton Facility
Spain-based Saica Group broke ground at the site of its first U.S. plant at Hamilton’s Enterprise Park that will make corrugated packaging from recycled paper. The company plans to create a new 350,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the industrial park. That building will include 17,400 square feet of office space. It has promised to create 64 jobs. Read more about the project here.
Hamilton's Neighborhoods Identified as Top Priority at 2020 State of the City
At the annual State of the City address, City Manager Joshua Smith identified improvements to Hamilton’s neighborhoods as the top priority for the next 10 years. This is a major sign of progress for Plan Hamilton’s Residents, Housing, & Neighborhoods focus area. Read more here.
Street levy approved by Hamilton voters - many neighborhood streets will be paved over the next 10 years
During the March 2020 Primary Election, voters narrowly approved the Street Levy. During the decade that the levy has been approved for, 2021-2030, levy funds will pay for the majority of residential street paving projects in the City of Hamilton. The levy funds will be split among Hamilton’s 17 neighborhoods based upon the percentage of streets that are within each neighborhood. So if ‘Neighborhood A’ has 15% of the total length of streets in the City, that neighborhood will receive approximately 15% of the funding from the levy over the decade that it has been approved for. A number of factors are considered, but the levy funds will be primarily directed by public input.
Prioritizing road maintenance is one of the top goals of Plan Hamilton’s Mobility Plan. Hamilton residents passing a Street Levy is a crucial component of being able to repair more roads in our community.
2020 Action Plan Highlights Plan Hamilton's progress
Plan Hamilton’s first annual report is complete. It has been incorporated into Hamilton’s annual Initiative Update which discusses the City’s top priority projects. Read the report here.
City of Hamilton Receives State Grant for New Sidewalks Near Linden Elementary School
In an effort to move Plan Hamilton’s mobility goals forward, the City of Hamilton applied for and received a Safe Routes to School grant for new sidewalks along Van Hook Avenue near Linden Elementary. The grant is for $367,000 for Phase 1 of the sidewalk project. It will also include crosswalks, signs, and curb ramps.
Currently, there are gaps in the sidewalks, forcing children to walk in the street. The sidewalks will increase safety and the City hopes that it will encourage more children to walk to school For more information, review the Journal-News article here.