. the inside story on the issue s that affect you and the community. this is local 12 news maker. the western hills viaduct was hailed in nib teen 32 when it opened at the gait way to the western hills. the viaduct was one of the 20 plus structures built in conjunction with union terminal. now almost 85 years later, it's just one more piece of crumbling infrastructure that had reached a point that can no longer be safely ignored. good morning and welcome to local 12 news makers. i'm dan. families,s businesses,

to build something new. spending the money to take care of it isn't so popular. governments are seeing this responsible for infrastructure. the skeleton upon which modern urban areas develop. a lot of that is out of sight like sewers and water systems and difficult to convince taxpayers they need to invest to maintain and modernize. other elements like roads and bridges are more visibility, but very expensive to maintain and modernized. infrachuckture that's been aloud to deteriorate and obsolete not only requires attention but controversy. that is where we are with the western hills via duct. it was constructed in the late 19 twenties and 30s to better bridge the very wide and flood prone mill creek valley that hampered in was development. everyone recognized it was much

it was essentially about development of the western hills neighborhoods of the city and the undeveloped and vast unincorporated townships in western hamilton county. i am joined now by today or tune. the commissioner, and wasser to talk about the future of the western hills via duct. >> thank you so much. it's great to be back. let me. >> let me ask you a question off the top about timing. all this construction that's going on along i 75 in that area, we've all, any of us who travel that have seen the incredible work that was done on a hobble street exit. why wasn't the -- why weren't the issues around the western hills viaduct dealt with ten years ago when all the planning for this expansion -- why wasn't it done then? it seems odd to me. >> the western hills viaduct was

major product and that is the brands span bridge. its configuration, includes at the very northern terminus, all of the access to and ties into the western hills viaduct. so design elements and other aspects of that with respect to western hills viaduct had already begun, have gun begun in connection with how it is integrated into the bridge and project and the city both have actually been going back several years making tripping regularly to o dot, applications for funding for the western hills viaduct. so not a lot is known generally with the general public with this. but the fact of the matter is, there has been work design, planning integration of the western shills viaduct into what's going on in i 75 for several years now.

stands. but let's not. for the moment. >> that's part of the issue, dan. the bridge now is all boggled up if you will. but the western hills viaduct we've got to keep going on that. we have to make sure that major project does not suffer because bridge. i think part of why there's such a focus publicly on western hills viaduct the attention is tole solely to that. se a as oppose ed to all the other stuff going on. another background aspect, it's complicated about who's responsible here. a lot of government bodies have their hands in this. so how would you describe it? who owns it? who's responsible? who has some role to play whatever? >> this came up this past monday

improvement district that the three county commissioners and the mayor of cincinnati sit on it. the issue of who owns it. the fact is, the county by law is responsible for bridges that clear span water ways. so the part of the viaduct that clear span it is mill creek is definitely county responsibility. the rest of the bridge or the bio duct is on city land, city right of way. city with the air rights above all of that. and so you could argue that that city responsibility. but the bottom line with this is this: and this came out on our meeting on monday and this is where we have to be as a community on this. it's all of our responsibility. we all have to take ownership of this or it won't get done. so it's city responsibility. it's county responsibility. it is state of ohio responsibility. these are also state roots. >> they are, they are. it's the railroad's responsibility.

clear spanning railroad lines and in this case, we've got the entire clean scoop large , the railroads by law have to contribute to it. we're trying to get a read of whether that's 5 or 10% of the cost. they will be major contributors. the transportation bill includes applications per money for economic development. transportation improvement and for other roadway and bridge improvements. we have to be all of one accord and one voice and get to washington immediately. i'm part of an oki, the ohio kentucky regional dellcation. that we'll be in washington in three day, meeting with key transportation officials joben oh our transportation prior tos, the bridge being one of them sorry, western viaduct. >> sure. sorry.

entities have a role to play and this is expensive. how expensive. what's the projection at the moment. >> the good news is, with the value of engineer going down, the cost is coming down. but it's still expensive. 280, 290 million for this. what does that mean? >> that means you go in with a sharp pen sell and scalpel and look at every single thing on whether it's necessary or is it something that you truly don't have to have. is it -- is it -- what's the word i'm looking for? is it an appendage that's part the appearance of the bridge as opposed to the functionality. you get down to largely constructing things based upon what you need in order for it to work efficiently and for it to function in the manner in which it's intended and you know, unfortunately, from the ethnothat hick perspective,

you do value of engineering. when you're talk about almost $300 million. you can't afford to have those extras. i just point out though that because of the engineering and the esthetics of the current western hills viaduct with those huge arches and that incredible span double deck, it is an architectural statement. and it's part of that whole development of the lower mill creek. and you know, it's unfortunate to hear that. but i understand why i hear that. >> but that raises a really interesting point, dan. and on this the a decision isn't made yet. are we talking about building an entirely new structure or maintaining and improve an existing structure. i thought it was clear we have to build a new structure? >> well i think that's what everybody thinks. but, i'm telling you, that if

generate the money we need in order to build new. some of the discussion is you have to do a fall back in terms of maintaining. but the bottom line here is that no bills, if you will, is not an option. that's completely off the table. because in this situation, unlike the brent spans, this bridge not only is obsolete in terms of traffic, but it's also deteriorating at a rate that you can't ignore it anymore. it becomes a danger; am i correct? >> that is correct. nobody needs to worry about it falling down next year. but the maintenance on the bridge is expensive. it demands a lot of work on an annual basis. and we've got ton a point -- who does that work? >> the city does that work. but the county pays for it. it pays for a lot of it. we write a check every year to the city of cincinnati for that. >> so back to that other question. so you're headed to washington

you're getting the city and the count in the y in the same room. you're trying to work with the railroads. >> and o dot and the utilities and everybody else. so what do you see as the pattern here. what's the time frame? what's going to happen over the next -- what can people expect to be watching for over the next year? what -- where are we on this? >> first of all, we are going to be having monthly public meetings on the bridge. so the public will be well aware and you and anybody educational can come to the meeting. every mouth monday at 1 o'clock, we have a public meeting at the public county transportation improvement district. sxt western hills viaduct is a priority of of the meeting. we'll talk about what happened the last 30 days and what we need to do in the next 30 days. chart the course and start moving forward.

that we are all in together as a region that this is a priority. that this has to happen not just because it's an important local road, but because the viaduct, and you mentioned it in your opening comments today, it is the main arterial connection to western hamilton county. so it's essential to the fabric of the daily lives of over 100,000 people. each and everyday. and it's essential to not only the stability of the neighborhoods that it provides a connection to but all the future economic vitality of those immediate western communities in the city of cincinnati and further on out in western hamilton county. transportation's never just about transportation. >> no not at all. so to answer your question, are we all in? this is -- how will we know that if we're all in? what will happen? a compact? an agreement how will rewill we snow.

we'll have to execute a verity of agreements between the necessary entities. that will be part of it. i also have begun having conversations with the chamber of commerce and representatives of the cbc. and the neighborhood communities that are along the corridor making sure that they are part of the discussion. making sure that they know they are stake holders in this and then they will all have to be a part of delegations, if you will, to columbus, washington, to the railroads, to others to make sure that those entities who's support is critical know that we are speaking with one point here in greater cincinnati on this project. i know this is impossible -- and i believe that's going to happen. in fact, i'm certain that's going to happen. >> i know this is sort of an impossible question right now because we're speculateing out into the future of things that have to be negotiated out, but where do you think -- how do you think these buckets of money,

private railroads, how do you think those all are going to fall? how much federal money can we suspect against $280 million? >> well, any number i put out today, dan, as you know, there's a danger in saying this. because. okay, proportionally? >> proportionally, i hope we get 10% of the cost from the railroads. i hope we're going to get 20% of the cost from the federal government. 20%. >> i would hope that we would get 50% of the cost from the state and in some respect. and i think the balance of it is local matched that comes together. and so i don't know how those figure out. 50, 20, 10, that's 80. so about 20% local match. and so that's city, county, private sector, that's temp tip revenues around the corners that we could capture, all those sort bare.

warning warning warning, this is pure stipulation. and i knew that. so right now you're having these monthly meetings. are you feeling good? are you feeling you're headed in the right direction? momentum here that wasn't a year ago? >> there's no doubt there's momentum that wasn't here a year ago. one of the first paths we have to go down is making sure we don't miss a deadline right now on money we could get for the viaduct. so we have created within 48 hourings of the meeting on monday a four page matrix of all the possible funding sources that there could be. we've got where they are, what the application deadlines are. how much money we think we might be able to get from them. and our february meeting, we're going to go over all of that and identify what we have to fix on right now to make sure that we don't miss out on a opportunity. and then we're going to go out and seize that. and of course, in two weeks,

this as a major jay may major issue with our congressional partners. thank you very much. this has been incredibly timely as it turns out to hear this. and this is one that's really big and important. >> thank you for bringing attention to it tonight. stay tuned. it's been almost 15 years since the riots and civil disturbances

welcome back, as a historian, i believe in thinking seriously about the path is essential. although it is difficult to gain perspective on the recent past, it could be a valuable exercise. a sole ben fat. a historian, conducted systematic history interviews with dr. albert. he would reinterview him every five years knowing that his understanding of what he did in the past and why he did it would change over time. the trigger, not the cause of the rise of 2001, was the shooting of timothy thomas. a young african-american man by police officers steven roach. that what followed were five days of violence and con franation between an angry community and a cincinnati police force. in the after math and killing of sam last summer, the perspective

of 2001 are certainly going to be different than five years ago or ten years ago. one of the first efforts this year to re-examine the lessons of 2001 will takes place on tuesday night, february the second, at the cintas center. and interactive panel discussion entitled 15 years later. the cincinnati riots and the future of the city will include people deeply involved with responding to the riots 15 years ago. including the reverend day monday the third. -- and police captain herry haar real. i am joined this morning by two members of the panel on tuesday night. ryery, who was the project manager for the black united front which emerge as the principal african-american organization demanding change in the after math of the riot. and gabe remember godly. a professor at xavier university. they focus on social and practical philosophy. the theorys of action and

welcome the news makers. >> thank you! welcome back for you. a long time. >>yes. >> umm, you know, that whole point about as we look back, our views of what was happening in this case, 15 years ago changed. how do you think your view, your understanding of what the real dynamic, the under lying dynamic was. how do you think that's changed between now and what you understood when you were a very loud voice on the streets in cincinnati. >> well you know, dan, i don't know if things have changed that much. in the realm of really evoking change on different levels. it never really was just about policing for the cincinnati black united fund. it was about all systems and things that could contribute to the inequities that we now see

that had an intersection as to are. so a few of the things they we say we've changed, we have. we've done a lot of the work department. we've been able to do things do. and do you feel that works? maybe not everything has change? not everything is exactly the way you'd hope. do you feel that work has been know, positive? significant. i think what it gives us is a road map to continue to do better. and i think when we get we've gotten there, something else happens, and we see something will happen. as long as you have law enforcement, politicians, citizens, you're bound to have a -- an event that will stir up where you believe that you've gotten it right. it is a -- gain on the front lines then and now to see things go awry. it's hard for me to see a police involved shooting. it's difficult for me to see

it's very difficult for me not to see community engaged in how policing especially in the city of cincinnati. for you, off little bit of a different role to play here. you sit in the university and -- what do you think? i mean , the real question, if you look at the full title of this effort, it's not just about the riots. it's about what we did with it and the future of cincinnati now. and it's looking forward too. so what's your view about what this equipped people to do in the after math? >> yeah, so i think one of the important out comes of 2001, the lawsuit, the events and unrest of 2001, it's obviously the collaborative agreement. and the collaborative agreement is not simply a document. it's really a living force that

establishing baring just relationships between police and communities and then particularly working together and my understanding is for that to work well, you have to broadly educate people about how the collaborative offerings. and what the obligations are with the police and what the obligations are of the community. and theist not something you can stop doing. it's a continual process. so when you look at the future, part of the future is building out that conversation, educating e educating. and letting them know how the collaborative is suppose ed to work. as policing in changes, in particularly in response to what's happened in the last few years in other cities, one thing that's important is the role for instance, body cams would play. which did not exist in 2001. >> neither did -- so i appreciate him for saying what he said.

i appreciate you saying the -- those are us that a riot is a legal terminology -- so what do we have? >> a very angry people that are sick and tired of being sick and tired. whenever there was a police involved incident, the police would come on the television and needily say it was justified. that is just not how you do things. and that's not how you do things even to this day. even when you see a flippage, it's tae nature of policing to be correct about how they policed. this was something that was so farfetched and i'm so grateful for attorneys that scott green wood and law son, and a whole slew of people that participated in this. the collaborative agreement is sofrlz sited, the foundation of it is the problem solving using the fair process. which the police department did not just sign off on but the city in its entirety signed onto

what do you say to people, because i know some, who say, everybody wants to go back and talk about whatever we call it in 2001 that happened when the riots or civil disturbance or whatever. let's stop talking about that. we're way beyond that. we don't even need to remember it and remember i work if are chamber of commerce. so what would you say to people? >> well typically as a black woman, that's what we hear about our history. so remember, inside the collaborative agreement is a class. all black people who are perceived or walk the industries -- in cincinnati. and come in contact with the police department and all others. i know this because i still read the collaborative to this day. because it is a clear road map to solving problems. we've been problem solving before we knew we were problem solving. so i think, dr. john, that's a writing in our collaborative agreement.

that also that, 2001 scheme what's happened in baltimore and and elsewhere is part of the civil rights movement. we think of it as something that happened in the sixties and it's over. and no one says we should stop thinking about the civil rights movement. we go back and think about it and there are more lessons to learn about it each diamond. but it's a movement and it moves with history. and these events have moved along and are part of that. that's one reason i think that this is actually coming just a week or two after martin luther king week and a number of events on campus in that context. and thinking about that in the context of the civil rights movement, you would never say let's just forget about it. i have less than a minute left. it's brought up on campus it's filled with students who 15 years ago weren't very old or let's just take it with the

young people who maybe now 18, 19, and 20? what's important for them to hear? >> what's important for them to hear is that people citizens drove this process. it was of the creative environment to have that agreement. it was so the communities will. it was -- we're fighting for their futures. this is futuristic, this is their document now. these are the things we came through 2001 and 2. and we're still working on this stuff so we can have the secty in se how policing works. agency that people can change things. that people do matter and it doesn't just happen way up here. >> and i would say say, part of it is requiring history. it's within the context of history that you're an agent. and so, understanding the cloud and on. and all the historians appreciate you saying that. >> if you would like to attend the session, this tuesday night, it's at the cintas center. the interactive discussion will

whether in our personal lives, our community life, failures and tragedies like the civil disturbance or the riots of 2001, they happen. the real marks of a person or community is what do with that failure to make themselves better. thank you for making news makers