"Mayor John Hunter and county and state officials broke ground yesterday for the widening of Colorado Avenue from Lorain's east corporation line to just west of Abbe Road.
"The $4.4 million project will begin Monday and is expected to be complete by November. It is completely paid for by Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. To celebrate this long-awaited construction, Hunter was joined by State Rep. Joe Koziura, County Commissioners Lori Kokoski and Ted Kalo, and Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman Brian Stacy, among others.
"Hunter said the road will be widened to three lanes, which will provide a center two-way left turn lane. The project will also include a bike trail along the south side of Colorado Avenue from Harris Road to connect to the Lorain County Metro Parks trail near East River Road. A traffic light will be added at the intersections of Lake Breeze and East River roads.
"Traffic will be maintained or detoured as needed. For up-to-date construction information, visit www.buckeyetraffic.org."
Read an earlier report on this subject.
"Village Council has accepted a grant to study the expansion of hiking and biking trails in the Chagrin Valley. The $85,000 study will look at trails in the region and identify ways in which they might be connected to trails in surrounding communities.
"The grant is for $68,000 and will be administered through the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency’s Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative planning grant program.
"The $17,000 local match will be shared by Chagrin Falls, South Russell, the South Russell Trails Multipurpose Trails Foundation, Moreland Hills, Orange and the Cleveland Metroparks. Chagrin Falls has committed $4,000 to the study.
"The overall goal is to create a “network of alternative transportation routes,” according to Greg Hopkins, co-chair of the village’s ad hoc hiking and biking committee.
"Councilwoman Janna Lutz said the study is the first step in the process and must be completed before any actual planning or construction of future trails." Read more...
"Some trees planted during construction of the second phase of Marietta's River Trail are already scheduled to be transplanted.
"Several Gingko trees planted along the trail by the Lafayette Hotel are not desirable at that location," said city development director Mike Stocky. The trees line the trail between Ohio Street and the parking lot on the south side of the hotel.
"We'll be moving them," he said. "They're nice trees, but not for that location near the Lafayette.
"...In addition to moving the Gingko trees, Stocky said the city will also make some changes to a section of board fence installed along the trail on Ohio Street near the Williamstown Bridge. The 4-foot-high fence was designed to prevent bicyclists from running off the trail and over the river bank, but it also blocks the view of the river for anyone seated on a park bench located near the fence.
"We'll leave the fence there, but will modify the railing so it doesn't interfere with the view," Stocky said." Read more...
"Acquiring the right-of-way for the next stage of the county-section of the bicycle trail was the talking point Monday morning, March 15, between the park board of Madison County and Madison County commissioners. The section of the Ohio to Erie Trail in question lies on the former Pennsylvania Railroad road bed — the basis for the rest of the trail through the county — from Wilson Road to Jeffersonville-Kiousville Road. That section contains a spur which remains active in the rail transport of grain from the Gallivan grain elevator.
"The park board is seeking easements along that track of 35-feet in width on which to place a 12-foot wide strip of asphalt. Initially the easements were sought on the south side of the track, part of which is owned by Camp Chase Railroad and Gallivan Grainr.
"According to Steve Studenmund, strategic planning and land acquisition manager for Metro Parks of Columbus and Franklin County, talks about the aforementioned easement have not gone well."
"Uhrichsville and Dennison may soon add a system of hiking and biking trails to its list of local attractions. At a town hall meeting in Claymont Junior High Monday night, Uhrichsville Mayor Rick Reiger and Dennison Mayor Teri Edwards unveiled an ambitious plan to build an interconnected system of trails that would extend throughout the two communities.
"Edwards, Reiger and members of the Twin City Recreational Committee presented a tentative map of the proposed trail and invited feedback from residents.
"Reiger said the Panhandle Passage Trail, which will span about 4 to 4 1/2 miles, will connect with other cities. It will be part of the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail which extends from [Dover] to Cleveland.
"Edwards said the trails would better serve residents’ recreational needs and would attract visitors to the community." Read more...
"After a ceremonious kickoff almost two years ago, the city of Columbus has made little progress on its plan to add 50 miles of bicycle projects, including new trails.
"Plans to spend tens of millions of dollars by 2012 building bike bridges, trails, lanes along roads, and other improvements largely have gone nowhere, even though voters approved a bond issue in November 2008 that city officials said would help finance the projects.
"The recession caused the city to scale back the plans, said Public Service spokesman Rick Tilton. "We haven't had any money to do it," Tilton said.
"Of the $18.4 million in bonding authority voters authorized in 2008, only $210,000 in bonds has been issued, said Rob Newman, with the city Finance Department. No money has been spent.
"The city did not take on new debt last year given its budget problems, said Dan Williamson, spokesman for the mayor's office. The 2009 capital-spending plan included no new road work, equipment purchases, park improvements or building projects." Read more...
See a another story (with video) on this topic.
"A narrative tells a lot, not only ordering what has happened prior, but also relating things in a way to portend what could enfold. Given recent positive events, perhaps it's time to re-visit how the argument for a bike-ped path has evolved, and then to a larger extent: in what kind of context did this particular issue’s evolution play out.
"We will begin in and around 2005 during which time public concern was growing that ODOT was not listening to community input regarding design of the Innerbelt. In a letter dated late 2005 to ODOT, the late Congresswoman Tubbs-Jones states she has worries that constituent issues are not being addressed, and that the “bridge proposal cannot and should not be considered a done deal”. Echoing her sentiments, Congressman Kucinich, in a letter dated July 2006 says there is little documentation to the effect of why ODOT is leaning to one particular bridge or another. Further, Kucinich bemoans the logic previously given that “the public can’t be provided with…technical documentation because ODOT is too busy listening to the public”. Read more...
Read another post on this subject.
"Central Ohio Greenways (COG) is a collaborative in central Ohio whose mission is to help communities build and expand their trail and greenway networks. The group is run by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), Franklin County MetroParks, city of Columbus and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Midwest Regional Office. In working with the numerous jurisdictions that attend COG's quarterly meetings, the group decided that a clear, concise and professional signage program for the region was needed.
"While each participating community realized that signage was needed and that consistent regional standards were important, the cost of quality signage was prohibitive to many. So with MORPC's lead, COG took on the challenge and funded the professional design services necessary to create a sign template, which is now available to all jurisdictions in the area. With design costs taken care of and the template available free of charge, each community now only had to find funding for manufacturing and installation.
"The first of the newly designed COG signs have been installed by the city of Columbus Parks and Recreation Department along the Alum Creek Trail. The unique color and design of these signs will brand the entire trail system throughout the region, thus allowing users to quickly identify the trails and know they are in the Central Ohio Greenway network.
View a photo of the new signs on the story source page.
The central Ohio or Columbus area, is the 2nd Ohio region attempting to provide improved trail signage for users. The southwestern Ohio (Miami Valley) area began the first such program in 2008.
SW Ohio bikeway signs include nearby facilities and associates numbers with various trails. In that regard, it is probably the most comprehensive system to date. The Central Ohio signs appear to cover the more basic 'destination & distance' parameters.
Though differing regional signage will still prove helpful on the trail, a more universal or state-wide approach should be considered at some point. Learn more about navigating Ohio bikeways.
"A 1.5 mile segment of the Olentangy Trail will be closed, between Pacemont Avenue and Patterson Avenue, from January 26 to April 19. A detour will be posted beginning from Pacemont Avenue to High Street, south to North Street, to Neil Avenue, then west on Patterson Avenue to return to the trail. From the south, the detour will route from Tuttle Recreation Center at Patterson Avenue, east to Neil Avenue, north to Dodridge Street, east to High Street, north to Pacemont Avenue, then west to return to the trail.
View a map of the detour.
"The closure is due to a sewer improvement project.
"Additional questions or concerns can be directed to gjzonders@columbus.gov or 645-2441 (Recreation and Parks)."
"...Tony Collins, director, said the Bicycle Advisory Committee will present an updated Bikeway Master Plan to the Planning Commission on March 24.
"Both the 1999 plan and the 2010 update include a route designation along Clark State Road from Hamilton Road beyond Hannah Park to Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road," Collins said. "This section of road is designated a 'National Scenic Byway' and also connects many city and township residents to neighborhoods, schools and parks. However, that section of the road is very dangerous for cyclists, joggers and walkers."
"Collins said that road section is classified for "experienced users only."
"Throughout the years, a recreational trail has always been on the wish list but often thought impossible due to funding and other coordination concerns," he said. Collins said the joint collaboration of the Bicycle Advisory Committee, the city and Jefferson Township could move the recreational trail project forward.
"Last week, a new grant opportunity was identified, the National Scenic Byways Discretionary Grant, through the Ohio Department of Transportation," he said." Read more...
"Garnsey Street/Commercial Street Corridor Bike Route Neighborhood Connector Project was awarded $421,462 in CMAQ funds. This project will enhance the Garnsey Street/Commercial Street corridors to establish a shared roadway/designated bike route connecting the Southview neighborhood to the Great Miami River Recreational Trail, the P.A.T.H., and Mote Park. The total project cost is estimated at $624,721."
"...In other business, Firelands Rails-to-Trails President Joe Mantey told council the organization received a grant to rehabilitate the bridge over the Huron River. Work on the bridge will go out to bid in April, work will begin in the summer and completed in the fall.
"Mantey also told council the North Coast Inland Trail [in Huron County] should be completed by the end of 2010. The trail currently encompasses 10 miles in three sections: two miles in Collins, a little more than three from Norwalk to Monroeville and five miles to Ohio 4. The last four to five miles toward Bellevue is unfinished.
"In other trail business, the Donald E. Morrow Park has been dedicated and Firelands Rails to Trails is planning to create the park west of the 1850s depot. The depot will become trail headquarters and the Railroad Heritage Center, a museum of Huron County's railroad history."
"The Kendal at Granville retirement community and the Granville Rotary Club both will shoot for portions of an $11 million pot of state money available for pathways projects.
"The Ohio Department of Transportation has ruled that both are eligible to apply for Transportation Enhancement Program grants that would provide up to 80 percent of the cost of their proposed projects.
"Rotary has proposed a $1.2 million bridge connecting the T.J. Evans Bike Path and Raccoon Valley Park. Kendal’s plans are for a $2 million pathway linking it and the Spring Valley Nature Preserve to Granville.
"Granville Township has agreed to submit applications on behalf of both projects by the May 1 deadline." Read more...
Read another story on this subject.
Last November we reported that Google had begun incorporating bikeway maps into their map platform. At that time, however, the trails had not been interfaced with their mapping tools.
Today Google has released a beta version of their 'Biking Directions.' You can now find the best route from point A to B by bike! The platform uses bike trails and more bike-friendly roads as suggested routes for your next cross-town or cross-state trip.
See the video below for an overview and user tips. Go here to try it out!
We'll offer a more detailed report on the new tool in an upcoming Map Blog.
"No public undertaking in Cleveland provokes the same righteous enthusiasm as the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The 101-mile recreational pathway — which, when complete, will connect Cleveland's lake shore to Central Ohio — is a key feature of one of the most ambitious park projects in state history. The trail stirs the hopes of cyclists, naturalists, history buffs, hikers and, of course, politicians.
"An eager public has waited patiently; organizers of the Towpath Trail have spent almost two decades collecting money and buying land for the pathway, which runs through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and along the Cuyahoga River. But, while slow, the project had encountered remarkably few obstacles or controversies — until recent months — in the six-mile stretch inside Cuyahoga County." Read more...
"Several members of the city council expressed hesitation toward funding a $60,000 shortfall in the city's bike-trail development.
"Law Director Terre Vandervoort proposed a plan at Monday's city council meeting to use $50,000 of the city's pre-pay natural-gas fund, which provides Lancaster about $500,000 a year for the next 15 years. She said the remaining shortfall could be paid for with a grant from the Fairfield Foundation.
"If we don't receive additional funding, we will have to adjust the route to use the streets," Vandervoort said. The current plans develop the route in wooded areas owned by the city behind commercial properties, including Kroger near Pierce Avenue." Read more...
"You might wonder how National Trails get their money. National Trails receive federal dollars. But not all trails are created equal. Although the North Country Trail is the longest of the trails, its current funding level of $928,000 is the highest it has ever been. On this budget the National Park Service supports 3.5 employees and shares the balance with the North Country Trail Association. The NCTA (with membership and grant monies added) has 5 full-time and 3 part-time staff." Read more...
"Funds allocated for future bike paths in Columbus will help the city further its goal of having trails along all four major stream corridors within the city.
"Mayor Michael Coleman announced at his State of the City address Feb. 24 that the city is putting aside $6 million in its capital budget for bike trail improvements. It's all part of the Bicentennial Bikeways Plan, the city's continued effort to make Columbus a more bike-friendly town by 2012, Coleman said during his address. "We are determined to make Columbus Bike City, USA," Coleman said.
"One major aspect of the trail expansion is connecting all trail portions along Alum Creek. Only about five miles of the trail is completed now, and the goal is to complete all 21 miles, said city Recreation and Parks Director Alan McKnight.
"When it's done, it will go from Westerville all the way down to Three Creeks, which is a park that we jointly operate with Metro Parks on the South Side," McKnight said.
"About two additional miles of the trail is already under construction, McKnight said, although contracts were awarded late last year, so work has been slow because of the snowy winter weather." Read more...
Read another article (with audio file) on this subject.
"Gov. Ted Strickland has jumped into the fray over whether to add a bike lane to the planned Inner Belt Bridge project, ordering the transportation department to study whether such a multipurpose lane is even feasible.
"The Ohio Department of Transportation has said it already studied whether to add a lane for bicyclists and pedestrians and had decided against it for various reasons -- cost, maintenance and user safety, among them.
"But at the direction of the governor, we will take a renewed look," said Scott Varner, ODOT spokesman.
"What would potentially be the narrowest lane across the $450 million bridge has drawn the biggest debate for politicians." Read more...
See a previous post on this topic.
"The southern part of Grove City will become safer for bicyclists and walkers in the next two years, officials say.
"Council members have approved a $604,610 appropriation that will help pay for improvements to White Road at Interstate 71. The project will include repairs to the supporting structures under the two bridges that carry Interstate 71 over White Road, as well as the construction of a bicycle path that will run alongside White Road in that area.
"The Ohio Department of Transportation will pay for the bridge repairs, and Grove City will pay 100 percent of the cost for the path and the accompanying retaining wall. The appropriation will cover the entire estimated cost of the city's portion of the project.
"City Administrator Phil Honsey said the project would benefit numerous people who use the road as it is now, putting themselves in peril as they share the narrow roadway with motor vehicles. "There are a lot of people -- joggers, cyclists -- who use that dangerous roadway because it is one of only four places to cross the freeway," he said.
"Council members also passed a resolution to support a green frame plan, the purpose of which is to equip the city with features that are friendly to visitors, particularly pedestrians. Among the features that could be added to the Town Center landscape are brick sidewalks, bump-out parking and more trees." Read more...
"Plans to extend the Towpath Trail from Steelyard Commons to north of the I-490 bridge in Cleveland will be discussed at a public meeting [today]. The northern end of the trail currently ends at lower Harvard Avenue in Cleveland, but has a one mile stretch that's been completed to Steelyard Commons.
"Ohio Canal Corridor Director Tim Donovan says planners need the public's approval for the proposed path through Cleveland's near west side.
"Donovan says the final phase of the trail will extend it all the way to Canal Basin Park, an urban park in the Flats. The plans for the final phase will begin within the next two months. Donovan expects to break ground in 2012 and the trail will be open in 2013.
"The public meeting will be held at OLA/St. Joesph Center in Tremont from 4:30-7:30 p.m."
Listen to a short audo clip about the meeting.
Read a follow up report on the meeting.
"Tuscarawas Lions Club President Joe Krocker presented a proposal for a hike and bike trail to Village Council on Thursday. Krocker’s proposal included a map showing the trail and how it could offer more exposure to sites in the village including the Snyder’s Landing Boat Launch. The trail would be approximately one mile long but Krocker noted that this could be expanded outside of the area and possibly connect to other trails being developed.
"Council agreed to form a committee to review the proposal and Krocker suggested they speak with Dan Rice of the Ohio & Erie Canal Coalition to get a better idea on a timetable and costs. The Lions would assist with fundraisers for the project that would encourage community recreation and physical fitness. Village Administrator D.J. Meek said some grant applications could also be submitted." Read more...
"The Sandusky County Park District is working to complete the North Coast Inland Trail. Park Director Steve Gruner said the last phase is just under five miles long, from Clyde to Sandusky County Road 177 on the east side of Bellevue.
"He applied for grants from the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for $1.9 million. With the grants, the park district would have to come up with $125,000. He said he'll learn next week whether the district can submit a full application for the funds.
"Gruner said the park district bought land from Sandusky County Road 260 to 177 in the mid-1990s with the idea of developing it for the bike trail." Read more...
The Toledo Metropolitan Council of Governments is seeking public input on their new transportation plan.
"...TMACOG kicked off its "On the Move: 2007-2035 Transportation Plan" hearings Friday afternoon at the downtown Toledo library. The bulk of the plan covers Lucas and Wood counties in Ohio, but crosses into Michigan to include Bedford, Erie and Whiteford townships. Maps displayed showed a future bike path along Memorial Hwy. in Ottawa Lake and a high-speed rail line crossing Monroe County from Toledo to Detroit.
"TMACOG’s Keith Streiffer said the project list on the books now will expire soon. The new plan will be updated by mid-2011 and provide the area with an overall blueprint for transportation funding for years to come. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) covers the rest of Monroe County and follows similar procedures in updating its plans. It recently completed one such update.
"This plan could look very different than what it does right now," he said. "People have to provide input. They have to tell us what they want."
"...For a list of future public hearings in northwest Ohio, to comment on the plan or to view maps associated with the plan, visit www.tmacog.org." Read more...
"Dayton and Kettering are stepping up their timelines to complete one of the biggest missing links in the region’s bikeways system: a route from downtown to the southeastern suburbs.
"The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission on Thursday, March 4, unanimously approved almost $2 million as early as 2012 for two projects that will hook up with the existing Iron Horse Trail at the northern city limits of Centerville and run north to the University of Dayton campus.
"Don Spang, executive director of the MVRPC, said the so-called Southeast Bikeway Corridor is his agency’s top priority, because it’s one of the last remaining gaps in the regional bikeways network.
“It’s also in one of the highest density areas of the region, so it would probably be one of the highest-used bikeway components in our system,” Spang said." Read more...
"...Council members also raised concerns about a $100,000 increase the committee recommended the week before for the Ohio & Erie Canalway Corridor, which would provide funding to complete a portion of the Towpath Trail in the Barberton area, as requested by Tim Crawford (D-District 7).
“I cannot see us spending another $100,000,” said Nick Kostandaras (D-District 1). “This is not in the best interest of our finances.”
"Gloria Rodgers (R-District 3) said she’s concerned about funding projects that are just in one district. “I don’t think this is a priority at this time,” she said.
"Crawford defended the additional funds, which were to be added to $125,000 originally slated for the project. “This is an economic situation, not a district situation,” he said. “If you look at where most of the development of the Towpath has been spent, it has not been in District 7.”
"Council members considered putting the legislation, which had already been through the required three readings, on time. But Brunot said holding up the legislation could hold up the Engineer’s Office as it gets projects started.
"Council then amended the legislation to reflect the reductions and adopted the resolution by a vote of 10-1, with Crawford in opposition."
"A drunken driver has been sentenced in the crash that left a 12-year-old boy dead in Dayton last summer.
"DaQuan Sales was on his bicycle on Elmhurst Road in Dayton last June when he was hit and killed by a car driven by Antwonne McGuinnis. Police said McGuinnis was intoxicated and driving without a license. On Thursday, a judge gave him the maximum penalty for the boy’s death, which is one year in jail.
"A grand jury never indicted McGinnis for Sales’ death.
"On Thursday, News Center 7 talked with Magistrate Collette Moorman, who sentenced McGuinnis, and she said she would like to see tougher laws in Ohio for drunken drivers who are involved in crashes that leave people dead."
"U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) wrote to Governor Ted Strickland (D-OH) [Thursday] urging him to include a bicycle and pedestrian path in construction plans for the replacement Innerbelt Bridge in downtown Cleveland. The project, recently described as “Ohio's largest single infrastructure project ever,” will be partially funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
“With a strong and growing bicycling community in Cleveland, a sizeable carless population, and new development in nearby neighborhoods, it would be penny-wise and pound-foolish to build this bridge with only cars and trucks in mind,” wrote Sen. Brown. “We can only do this project once, and it is critical we do it right.”
"Brown praised the work of the Ohio Department of Transportation under Gov. Strickland’s administration, noting its unprecedented approach to supporting different modes of transportation." Read more...
Read a previous post regarding this topic.
"Two North Ridgeville High School students are enjoying success in their goal to extend the quarter-mile trail through South Central Park, and establish a safe place for recreation in the city.
"At Tuesday night’s meeting, City Council agreed to seek two grants to help fund the project, which is estimated at $200,000. One grant would pay 80 percent of the cost and the other would pick up 75 percent of the project’s pricetag. Council is applying for both grants to increase chances of obtaining funding.
"Cross country runners Caitlyn Tipple and Morgan Rogers hope to earn their Girl Scout Gold Award by extending South Central’s trail by nearly two miles, where it would wind through the park’s wooded area, around the lake and through the playground.
"They began working on the project in July. So far, they raised about $6,600 through various fundraisers, according to Recreation Director Missy Williams. The girls have about a year after graduation to complete the project and still be eligible for their gold awards." Read more...
"If approved by Orange Township voters, a three-year, 1.5-mill parks levy renewal on the May ballot will raise $1.5 million to aid in the construction of new park trails.
"Orange Township Maintenance and Parks Director Beth Hugh said the parks levy would cost homeowners about $15 annually per $100,000 in property value.
"Four applications for grants also have been submitted for the Orange Township parks fund. The grants, if approved, will generate another $1 million and change.
"...At present, there are 6.2 miles of existing trails in the township's parks with 4.5 more miles up for construction in 2010. In 2011, 1.2 additional miles of trails may be added, with 4.3 more miles in 2012 and 6.3 miles in 2013.
"The grants applied for include two from the Clean Ohio Trail Fund, one from the Recreation Trails Program, and one from the Land and Water Conservation Fund." Read more...
"For the past several years, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has been working closely with local, state and national partners around the country on the Campaign for Active Transportation.
"Building on the successes of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program, the ACT Act would establish a competitive active transportation investment fund, to invest in walking and bicycling improvements in targeted communities around the country.
"These resources would enable communities to build interconnected systems—allowing people to travel between the places they work, live, play, learn and shop without needing car. If the act is passed, the U.S. Department of Transportation will administer a competitive fund, which will invest in communities that best make the case for resources to shift large numbers of trips from driving to walking and bicycling.
"The two billion-dollar program, with funds set aside within the Surface Transportation Program, will allow dozens of communities nationally to improve their walking and bicycling networks." Read more...
"The new trailhead facility and shelter at the Marion Tallgrass Trail passed building code inspection on Wednesday.
"Architect Tom Schifer of Jester, Jones and Schifer was on hand as the project designer and manager to put together a list of final touches. Aaron Wiegand of GP Wiegand Construction Inc. reviewed details of what needed to be done yet as funding comes available.
"It is beautiful! I'm ready to move in, but we have to wait until we get operations funding to do that," Park Director Karen Kelley said in a news release. "But for now this facility and shelter will be a place we can put on programs and let the general public enjoy while we construct the trail." Read more...
"The City of Dublin is hosting two public input sessions as part of its ongoing Multi-Modal Transportation Study (MMTS). The sessions will feature stations where residents can give their thoughts and opinions on the current and future viability of alternative means of transportation in Dublin.
"The sessions will be held on Tuesday, March 9 and Monday, March 15, from 3 to 7 p.m. in the Community Hall at the Dublin Community Recreation Center, 5600 Post Road.
"The study is being coordinated with the Bicycle Advisory Task Force (BATF) to ensure that its recommendations are incorporated into future transportation initiatives in Dublin. Both the MMTS and BATF were created by the City Administration in response to the 2008 City Council goal of evaluating multiple modes of transportation for possible implementation in future capital improvement programs.
"For more information, contact Jonathan Papp, a planner with Land Use and Long Range Planning at 614-410-4683 or jpapp@dublin.oh.us."
"Galena's Big Walnut Creek trail bridge is finished, but it's not yet accessible, village officials reported in a Feb. 23 press release.
"Village leaders recently bid out the approach and trail work, with the $69,000 contract going to W.B. Republic, Village Council approved. The work, to begin this spring, includes 815 feet of trail leading up to the bridge completed by the Righter Co.
"The entire project has been made possible with a grant of up to $148,000 from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant, $8,000 from Delaware County Friends of the Trail and $23,631 from Galena."
Here's another article on the bridge.
"Five Rivers MetroParks is excited to announce the commencement of Phase III of RiverScape MetroPark, a project that will offer more amenities for visitor comfort and accommodate the needs of RiverScape’s continuing success. Known for breathtaking landscapes, interactive fountains and free entertainment along the banks of the Great Miami River, RiverScape MetroPark has become a favorite outdoor gathering place in downtown Dayton. For almost nine years, this downtown hotspot has offered a cool getaway right in the middle of the city with free concerts, educational programming and the community’s favorite festivals amid the scene of floral landscapes, hanging baskets and relaxing swings.
Plans for RiverScape Phase III include:
"Metro Parks, Serving Summit County on Wednesday hired an engineering firm to design a new bike-hike trail from Akron through Tallmadge to Kent.
"The Floyd Browne Group of Akron will be paid $275,010 to design the Freedom Secondary Trail that gets its name from the old rail line. The firm will design the initial phase of the project from Southwest Avenue in Tallmadge northeast to the Kent-Tallmadge border, a distance of 41/4 miles. That section will include one bridge, six street crossings and retaining walls in some places.
"The park district will later seek a firm to design a quarter-mile connector trail to Kent's trail along Middlebury Road next to the Cuyahoga River and the rest of the main trail from Southwest Avenue in Tallmadge southwest to the Northside Station near downtown Akron. The total distance of the Freedom Secondary Trail will be 8 1/2 miles, when completed.
"The park district also agreed to vacate a portion of Stanford Road on the border between Boston and Sagamore Hills townships as part of a still-developing project with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to relocate the Bike & Hike Trail." Read more...
"Before work can begin on extending the Little Miami Scenic Trail, the public gets its chance to voice its opinions and concerns.
"During [Thursday] night's public meeting at the Newtown administration building, those involved in the project offered site plans and provided information to interested area residents.
"The project will extend the trail from the Little Miami Golf Center to Clough Pike [Rd.], which intersects with state Route 32. The trail will run through Short Park.
"The $2.6 million project will mostly be paid for through federal funds and is expected to begin in 2012." Read more...
"The Ohio Supreme Court ruled [yesterday] in favor of the Erie MetroParks in one of a handful of cases regarding land ownership of the Huron River Greenway.
"The case could have resulted in proceedings to determine property valuations, MetroParks attorney Thomas Young said.
"Ten residents named in the lawsuit did not file it within the required four-year time frame, and the statute of limitations had run out, according to the court.
"The residents filed the case in January 2009.
"In 1995, the property in dispute was turned over to the Erie MetroParks board, according to court documents. Residents argued they acquired the property through the Milan Canal Company, which then was taken over by Key Bank. Lawyers for the parks argue the canal company never owned the property; therefore, the bank and residents had no claim to it." Read more...
Here's another article on this subject.
"...Krivchenia has agreed to sell the lot, with an estimated 170 feet of Ohio River frontage, to the city which would maintain the property as a permanent green space that would also provide a riverside right-of-way for the third phase extension of the city's River Trail hiking and biking pathway.
"This route will not affect any neighbors in that area, and if we have to (route the trail) another way it will cost $93,000 of our own money," said Mayor Michael Mullen.
"The city plans to pay for the property with a $161,700 Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission." Read more...
A well kept secret in Guernsey County is no longer under wraps. The Great Guernsey Trail is open for use, according to the Guernsey County web site.
It's not often that a completed Ohio rail trail materializes without some regional or state-wide press during the development process. But that appears to be the case with the Great Guernsy Trail. Preliminary web searches failed to find more than a few articles on a project that's been in-the-works for several years. Here's what we do know:
The trail is paved and extends roughly 6 miles from just east of Cambridge, Ohio to the city of Lore, in southeastern Ohio. The county web site lists the bikeway length at 12 miles, however, the map they provide correlates closer to the 6-mile length reported in this post from July '09.
If you've visited the new trail, send in more details and we'll pass them along.
"Licking Township residents fighting against construction of a bike path on land they claim to own have asked the Ohio Supreme Court to consider the case.
"The residents, represented by Powell attorney John G. Neal, filed a notice of appeal Feb. 17 with the state Supreme Court. The court is not required to hear the appeal, however.
"A three-judge panel from Ohio's Fifth District Court of Appeals ruled Jan. 5 to uphold Licking County Common Pleas Judge Thomas Marcelain's April 29 ruling that the Thomas J. Evans Foundation is sole owner of property proposed for a 6-mile bike path from Heath to Hebron.
"The residents did not say at the time of the Court of Appeals' decision if they would appeal further. The residents contend in the recent filing that the case qualifies as one of public or great general interest.
"This case involves the age-old dispute between average citizens and a corporation seeking to claim land bought and paid for by those average citizens," the residents state in the filing. "All of the appellants involved knew of the railroad right-of-way across their respective properties, but no one ever expected to be divested of the railroad portion of their lands so that a corporation could develop the property for public use as a bicycle path or public walkway." Read more...
"...In Ohio, $10,000 will help Ohio River Way, Inc. pave a segment of the Ohio River Trail to link downtown Cincinnati to Lunken Airport. This path offers views and serves both recreation and transportation needs. The path could serve up to half a million people."
"The City of Lakewood has been awarded $50,000 from NOACA’s Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative Program to undertake a study of strategies to improve the pedestrian access, traffic movement and the streetscape on the eastern end of Madison Avenue.
"...The study will include an assessment of pedestrian and bike access and the aesthetics of the streetscape of Madison Avenue between Clarence Avenue and West 117th Street. In the long term, it is hoped that implementation of the study recommendations will help to transform the eastern end of Madison Avenue into a pedestrian-, bicycle-, and transit-friendly destination that attracts businesses, workers, residents and visitors from throughout the community and the region, thereby strengthening the commercial district and improving the values of the neighborhood’s housing stock." Read more...
"Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) met Tuesday with members of the Cleveland Planning Commission, including director Robert Brown, to discuss the path forward to ensure that plans to replace the I-90 Innerbelt bridge include a separate roadway for bikes and pedestrians.
“The State of Ohio should be encouraging opportunities for the people of Cleveland to cross the Cuyahoga River in a way that is good for public health, good for the environment, good for businesses, and good for communities,” said Kucinich.
"The current Innerbelt Bridge does have sidewalks and people can walk across it. Plans for the new bridge would include a lane that was separate from traffic for safety reasons.
"Kucinich says cities are moving toward being more liveable, walkable, bikeable and sustainable. This, he says, would help Cleveland become a more modern, 21st century city."
Read a previous post on this subject.
"...The [city] council also added a multipurpose-trail plan to the parks and recreation master plan.
"When implemented, the plan will connect Valley View, Holmesbrook and Muhl Parks on the city's west side by bicycle and pedestrian trails."
"...Centerville-Washington Parks joined Miamisburg and Bellbrook-Sugarcreek as the only Miami Valley park districts to receive ratings of outstanding or better for 2009.
"Centerville-Washington Parks’ outstanding rating came for their Iron Horse Trail Paving Project. The trail, a paved bike and walking path, begins at Hempstead Station Road in Kettering and goes south 1.9 miles, mostly through a wooded corridor in Centerville, past Iron Horse Park and terminating at Interstate 675.
"Carol Kennard, director of the park district, said the trail was a joint effort of Centerville, Kettering and the park district, and relied in part on grants from Clean Ohio Trails, Bikes Belong, Washington Twp. and the Yeck Foundation. The trail is part of a larger multiuse trail system that was approved in 2005." Read more...
"After five years, construction is readying to begin on a paved bike path through Pearson North, which directly will connect the existing Starr Avenue bike lane and Oregon Municipal Complex bikeway.
"Oregon City Council last week approved a contract with Norfolk Southern Railway Co. for up to $30,040 to design and construct a specialized safety crossing over the railroad track. The project will be bid out in March, said Paul Roman, Oregon's public service director and acting city administrator.
"...Mr. Roman said planning for the Pearson North bike path along Starr Avenue and connecting to the existing bikeway at Starr Avenue Extension began about five years ago, when Toledo Area Metroparks negotiated a land swap with Toledo Edison Co. It took a couple of years to negotiate the crossing with the railroad, he said.
"Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments is the primary source of funding for the bike path construction project, and Oregon and Metroparks will split the rest, Mr. Roman said. Oregon's total share of the project will be about $100,000, and Metroparks will do the maintenance, he said." Read more...
"One goal of the Pickerington city council is to create safe routes to school for local students. City Engineer Greg Bachman's plan for bicycle paths fits the bill.
"Last summer, Pickerington conducted a phone survey to determine the needs of its residents. From the results, council formulated a "strategic plan" listing priority projects.
"Providing children with safe routes to school was a priority, Councilman Brian Wisniewski said. "There is hardly any busing within a mile of the schools," Wisniewski said. "It's an obvious safety issue." Students must trespass through yards or walk along streets as they travel back and forth to school, Wisniewski said.
"Bachman combined the strategic plan's goal for safe routes to schools with the 2006 Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan for bike trails.
"Five trails are envisioned," Bachman said. "The trails are primarily orientated east-west in order to connect Pickerington neighborhoods to the Diley Road multi-purpose trail and to Pickerington Ponds Metro Park." Read more...
"The city of Kent is set to receive $20 million in federal stimulus money to build a new multi-modal center as part of the Kent Central Gateway project.
"The transportation facility will serve as a stop for the Portage Area Regional Transit Authority, and will also serve walkers and bike traffic. City officials said it will house restaurants, shops and a parking deck.
"The plan to build the multi-modal center has been in the works for a couple of years. The city, PARTA and Kent State University have been working together on the plan which is designed to link the University to the center of town.
"Beyond the $20 million for the center, additional projects are slated. There are plans for a hotel and conference center, corporate facilities and restaurants." Read more...
"The city applied for a $41,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources that, if approved, would create a 2,000-foot bicycle trail.
"It would start at the end of the existing trail that ends at the Staybridge Hotel property and would extend north to Hampshire Road, then intersect with the Metro Parks Bike and Hike Trail."
"[Monday] on the Streetsblog Network, member blog Portlandize published a great post summarizing the economic benefits of better cycling infrastructure. The piece serves as a response to those who might have their doubts about Portland's ambitious new Bicycle Plan for 2030.
"Just passed unanimously by the City Council, the plan will spend $600 million over 20 years to build more than 700 miles of new bikeways, with the goal of increasing the share of bicycling trips to 25 percent of total trips by 2030. Mayor Sam Adams is currently working on a plan to raise $20 million to kick start the initiative.
"It's a huge step for a U.S. city. Portlandize's Dave Feucht explains why he thinks it will be money well spent, an investment that will provide a multifaceted and direct economic return to Portland's citizens:" Read more...
"A rusty Missouri River railroad bridge that came to symbolize the battle between historical tourism and modern transportation has been saved from demolition due largely to federal stimulus funds.
"Gov. Jay Nixon announced Thursday that Union Pacific Corp. has agreed to give the old bridge to the central Missouri city of Boonville, which hopes to convert it for use by hikers and bikers on the Katy Trail State Park.
"The 78-year-old bridge, which hasn't carried a train in a couple of decades, had been targeted to be torn by Union Pacific so that its steel could be used to build a much-need, second railroad crossing over the Osage River east of Jefferson City. But last week, the federal government awarded Missouri $31 million in railroad stimulus funds, three-fourths of which will be used to help build a new Osage River bridge. That alleviated the need for the steel from the old Katy bridge, said railroad spokesman Ben Jones." Read more...
"...The Ohio Department of Transportation will spend almost $3 million to upgrade the two tunnels and another pedestrian tunnel under the Shoreway at Lake Avenue. The renovation, which includes ramps so the tunnels are accessible to people with disabilities, will begin this summer as part of the first phase of the $60 million Lakefront West project designed to transform the West Shoreway into a tree-lined boulevard.
"The tunnel rehabilitation is sorely needed, said Cleveland Councilman Matt Zone, who represents the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. The West 76th Street tunnels are dark and dank. The south end of the Shoreway tunnel is overgrown and the north end by Edgewater Park is full of sand, debris and water.
"The tunnels will become welcoming, safe and navigable for pedestrians, bikers and people with strollers, according to the plan recently presented to the Cleveland Planning Commission by Paul Volpe, president of City Architecture, which is doing the work for ODOT.
"The biggest impact will be between the tunnels south of the Shoreway. The 24-foot grade drop from the railroad tunnel exit to the West Shoreway tunnel entrance will be removed and a switchback ramp will be added, Volpe said. The ramp will provide views of the lake across the road and include vine-covered retaining walls, places to sit and extensive landscaping.
"A path from the tunnel's exit at Edgewater Park will be extended to existing multiuse paths, and landscaping will prevent sand from blowing in. The project will also have public art." Read more...
"A law requiring motorists to give 3 feet when passing bicycle riders on Mississippi roads appears headed to passage.
"Nearly identical House and Senate bills -- entitled the John Paul Frerer Bicycle Safety Act -- have passed their respective houses and are headed to the other chambers for action.
"Currently, 14 states require a 3-foot gap for bicycle riders. They are Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.
"Five other states, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota and Virginia are considering 3-foot laws, and at least two others -- Iowa and Washington -- have bills in committee that were introduced last year." Read more...
"It's unlikely that a sidewalk will be included in a $4.5 million project to replace nearly a half-mile of pavement along Ohio 7 at the I-77 interchange this year - and that's a matter of concern for Marietta City Councilman Tom Vukovic, D-4th Ward.
"It's very unsafe there - I've walked it. The only place to walk is on the berm of the road," he said. "And it's really dangerous for bicyclists."
"The nearly half-mile project, from north of Acme Street to the Duck Creek Bridge, is scheduled to go out for bids by May and includes lighting and signal upgrades, as well as approach repairs to the bridge. But many people also walk or bicycle through the corridor to access the Wal-Mart shopping plaza. Vukovic noted that there is also an apartment complex in that area.
"I would think that ODOT would be keenly aware that pedestrians use that roadway regularly to get to work or go shopping at businesses in that area," he said." Read more...
"The Cuyahoga Valley National Park has 160 miles of trails for hiking, bicycling, skiing and horses.
"But trail lovers in Northeast Ohio want more, including mountain biking and a water trail along the Cuyahoga River for canoes and kayaks between Akron and Cleveland.
"Other suggestions include paving the limestone-topped Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail to improve safety, developing an improved trail from Blue Hen Falls to Buttermilk Falls in Boston Township, requiring bicyclists to walk their bikes on the wooden boardwalk across the Beaver Marsh on the Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga Falls and developing a hike-only trail through the old Coliseum grasslands in Richfield Township."
"...To submit trail suggestions, go to http://parkplanning.nps.gov/cuva. Click on Trail Management Plan. Comments can also be mailed to: Superintendent, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 15610 Vaughn Road, Brecksville 44141." Read more...
"A meeting to discuss extending the Little Miami Scenic Trail three miles south of Newtown will be conducted at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Newtown administration building.
"The open house-style meeting will discuss the extension of the trail from the Little Miami Golf Center to Clough Pike, which intersects with state Route 32.
"Ross Hamre, planning director for the Hamilton County Park District, said $2.6 million project, $1.9 million of which will be paid for with federal funds, will run through Newtown's Short Park and is expected to begin in 2012. Hamre said there will be some land acquisition involved for easements along the trail, some of which have already been completed.
"Kevin Brill, of the Hamilton County Park District, said once the public meeting is completed, the district will enter into the two-year design process with the state department of transportation before beginning the phase of the project.
"The Little Miami Scenic Trail, one of the longest paved trails in the U.S, now runs from the Little Miami Golf Center [north to Springfield where it becomes the Simon Kenton Trail and continues] to Urbana at its northern end for a total of about 85 miles."
"In case you are living under a rock, Cleveland needs a new bridge on Interstate 90. Despite requests from citizens and public figures, ODOT has no intention of even considering a pedestrian lane or bike path for our new bridge. If we want to make Cleveland a more sustainable city that is built on dense urban neighborhoods and connectivity, rather than the past standard of flight to the suburbs and single car commuters, we need to think in a more progressive way.
"Of course, I am left to think that perhaps ODOT is really not invested in Cleveland as much as they are in the status quo and getting paid. It’s not like adding a pedestrian and bike lane on a freeway bridge is a completely new idea. There are multiple cities across the country who have done it already. ODOT’s argument is a concern over safety and maintenance. They also say that there are plenty of other places to cross the river by foot or bicycle that are safer and more convenient. Really? I wouldn’t call the Lorain-Carnegie bridge a safer byway than I-90 with a separate lane with a concrete barrier. I would say that the spokeperson from ODOT who had the nerve to say such a thing has not been on a bike in the Near West side anytime recently.
"I say go over their heads and send your thoughts to the governor himself, or maybe your state rep or senator. Isn’t this an election year? Make your voice heard." Read more and view the music video.
Read a previous post on this subject.
"...The project involves widening Colorado Avenue to three lanes from Root Road, at the eastern edge of Lorain, to Abbe Road in Sheffield Village, which is approximately 2.7 miles. Culverts will be extended or replaced with upgrades of drainage systems."
"Carney also said the federal stimulus dollars provided enough for an 8-foot wide asphalt bike trail to be constructed along the south side of the road between East River and Harris roads for future connection with the proposed Lorain County Metro Parks trail system." Read more...
"A $148,000 state grant will help separate pedestrians from vehicular traffic within Boardman Park [in Boardman, Ohio]."
"Dan Slagle Jr., park executive director, said the grant covers half the cost of a roughly 4,000-foot-long trail to be installed. “It will be a sidewalk that runs parallel to our main road,” he said.
"The trail will wind along Main Drive and branch off into two sections. One section goes to the park’s community center, where pedestrians can access the park’s other trails. The other piece goes to the Maag Outdoor Theater and circles around the Bicentennial Rock, ending across from St. James Meeting House.
“It goes back into the woods and connects to the existing nature trails,” Slagle said.
"The money came from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ recreational-trail program." Read more...
..."The final phase of the renovation of Lamby Lane Park will begin soon and this phase truly matches the desire of our community," said Wolfe, adding that the new restrooms, pavilion and walking trail that will be constructed at Lamby Lane Park are precisely the amenities residents requested in surveys.
"But the most significant event for the recreation and parks department, Wolfe said, will be the acquisition of the former U.S. Armory Building adjacent to John Bishop Park. The city is finalizing an application with the National Parks Service to obtain the facility.
"We are working with the Parks and Recreation Commission to develop detailed plans (about) how to best utilize (the facility)," he said." Read more...
"Cuyahoga Valley National Park has announced three dates for the first public input session for the new Trail Management Plan (TMP) and Environmental Impact Study (EIS). The dates are Thursday, February 11th from 2:00-4:00 pm and 6:00-8:00 pm and Saturday, February 13th 10:00 am-noon. CAMBA strongly encourages all mountain bikers to attend!"
"...This is the perfect time to let your voice be heard. We strongly encourage all interested trail users, including mountain bikers, to understand the process and get involved in a creative and productive manner. The park wants to hear your IDEAS. What’s most important are what the park refers to as “substantive comments”. That means that you tell the park not only that you want trails for off-road cycling, but WHY you want trails for off-road cycling. For example, maybe you think there are a lot of health benefits or maybe you think it makes the region a better place to live. Think creatively and don’t be afraid to express your opinion!" Read more...
Learn more about the Trail Management Plan.
"It started with a meeting in a London man’s living room. A decade later, Madison County has 16.5 miles of paved walking and biking paths and is part of the cross-state Ohio To Erie Trail.
"The London man is Wayne Roberts, who on Jan. 20 stepped down as president of the Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails, the all-volunteer group he started in 1999.
“I first learned about the Ohio To Erie Trail in a newspaper article. Jim Campbell from Springfield’s Parks and Trails gave a talk about the trail at a women’s club meeting in London,” Roberts said. “From there, I started inquiring around the county to see if anyone was involved with a group to assist with the trail coming through Madison County.”
"When he didn’t find such a group, he started his own. Since that time, the resulting Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails (FMCPT) has worked in tandem with the Madison County commissioners, who make up the county’s park district board, and grant writer Julia Cumming of the Madison Soil and Water Conservation District." Read more...
"U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, frustrated that the Ohio Department of Transportation has dug in its heels and won't consider a multipurpose lane on the new Inner Belt Bridge [in Cleveland], wrote the administrator of the Federal Highway Administration on Friday, asking him to ensure the lane is included in bids for the span.
"In his letter to Victor Mendez, Kucinich wrote that he heard Ohio "cannot veer from its path toward the current plans to exclude bikes and pedestrians. . . . The issue of bike and pedestrian access to this signature bridge must not be swept under the rug due to a bureaucratic snafu."
"Kucinich, a Democrat from Cleveland, sent the letter in response to comments made earlier in the day by Craig Hebebrand, the bridge's project manager, to Cleveland Planning Commission members. Hebebrand said the three design/build teams that will bid this year on the $450 million bridge project can't include an alternate bid to add a multipurpose lane." Read more...
Follow this ongoing story below.
"Activists hoping for a bicycle lane on the new Cleveland Inner Belt Bridge had their idea rejected Thursday by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
"In a statement released by the department's attorney, ODOT said no to the request made by several groups that had enlisted the aid of Kent State University's Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative to create a bike lane on the new bridge over the Cuyahoga River. ODOT has refused for years to consider a bike lane on the bridge, and Thursday reiterated its stance.
"The department said that there are available alternative bike routes; there are safety and maintenance challenges of having a bike lane on the bridge; and the bridge's estimated cost, $450 million, prevents ODOT from designing one." Read more...
Read a previous post on this subject.
"A proposed pedestrian bridge linking the T.J. Evans Bike Path and Raccoon Valley Park will get a shot at making a list of projects eligible for state funding after all.
"The Granville Township trustees agreed last week to sponsor the Granville Rotary Club's application for state Transportation Enhancement Program funds toward construction of the bridge. That will allow the club to submit a letter of interest that will determine its eligibility to apply for a TEP grant. The grant could furnish up to 80 percent of the estimated at $1.2 million cost of building the bridge.
"The club needed backing of a public body in order to request eligibility for the grant. At its Jan. 20 meeting, Granville Village Council voted to submit a letter of interest for TEP funds for a pathway on Burg Street but turned down a proposal to do the same for the bridge project." Read more...
Read a previous post on this subject.
"One member of the Monroe City Council is seeking to better connect neighborhoods. Councilwoman Suzi Ruben says she’d like to have a bike trail in the city as part of the Great Miami River Recreation Trail System in Butler and Warren counties.
“There have been a couple of attempts to try and do something off and on, but it’s a pretty big challenge and it takes some money. If we can get some grants that might be helpful,” she said.
“The real problem is getting across Ohio 63 and getting across Ohio 4. That’s going to take a bridge or something like that. At least if we can connect in with the trail, that’s a good start. Ideally, it would be nice to do both of them at some point.” Read more...
Federal funding for new rail projects -- light and high-speed -- has some wondering if a few Ohio bike paths residing on old rail corridors will be converted back to rail use.
The very definition of railbanking is to preserve corridors for potential future rail use. However, this does not mean a re-conversion is practical or desirable. Many considerations come into play such as:
That's not to suggest that railbanking is a false premise or a waste of time, but rather a number of conditions must exist to make the re-purposing of these corridors viable.
We happened upon an article where a Knox County Commissioner asked an ODOT rep about the possibility of the Kokosing Trail being re-purposed for rail use:
"...Will you take our bike path for that [the proposed 3-C rail line]?” Commissioner Bob Wise asked, referring to The Kokosing Gap Trail from Mount Vernon to Danville, the Mohican Valley Trail from Danville to Brinkhaven, and the still-being-constructed Heart of Ohio Trail from Centerburg to Mount Vernon.
“I would be very surprised to see that happen,” Wyant said, noting that most of the language about reversion to eminent domain in old railroad rights of way is language left over from contracts established over 100 years ago. She said building new railroads would likely be quicker than adapting older roadbeds."
"If a civil rights lawsuit against various county law enforcement agencies is not settled out of court, it will take 18 months before a jury gets to weigh in. That’s when the suit of Anthony Patrick will come to trial before Judge Michael Bennett in U.S. District Court, Western Division, in Cincinnati.
"In August 2009, a suit was filed by Patrick, a Huntington, W.Va.-based construction firm owner, charging his civil rights were violated when he was Tasered and arrested in the village of Chesapeake [Ohio] one year earlier.
"Patrick and a juvenile were biking through Chesapeake as part of an endurance ride through Lawrence County before returning to Huntington. As they came through Chesapeake, they contend they were stopped and Tasered by Lawrence County Sheriff’s deputy Charles Hammonds and Dennis Gibson, then a village patrolmen and now Chesapeake Police Chief.
"Patrick, then 37, was arrested and taken to Lawrence County Jail where he was charged with obstructing official business, resisting arrest, attempted assault on a police officer and operating a bike on the road.
"A year after the incident Patrick filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court naming current Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless, Hammonds, then Chesapeake Police Chief Russell Bennett and the village as defendants.
"The trial is set for July 18, 2011."
"[On January 14th] I defended a young man named Michael in Franklin County Municipal Court. Michael had been cited for "taking the lane" on High Street, i.e. riding in the center of the lane, rather than to the right side of the lane.
"Experienced cyclists like Michael know that this is the safest way to ride on narrow city streets--riding to the right side of a narrow lane invites motorists to pass in the lane which can have deadly consequences. The Columbus traffic code was amended within the last 2 years to specifically address this issue, but it seems law enforcement officers are either unfamiliar with the new law or unwilling to apply it.
"On the evening of December 2, 2009, Michael was riding south on High Street between Nationwide Blvd and Spring St. It was 10:30 at night and raining. Michael was riding in the middle of the lane. A police officer pulled up next to him and directed him to move over to the right side of the lane. Michael refused and said he didn't feel safe there and that he had the right to ride in the middle of the lane. The officer slowed, pulled in behind Michael, turned on his flashing lights and cited Michael under Columbus City Code Section 2173.04(A)..." Read more...
Read a previous post regarding this incident.
Excerpts from a report on stimulus funding for road and bridge work in the Akron, Ohio area:
"...The stimulus projects include improving Frank Boulevard, South Main Street and Hilbish Avenue, rebuilding the Bartges Street bridge over the Ohio & Erie Canal and extending the Towpath Trail from the AES building to the trailhead south of Bartges.
"...Bartges Street bridge over the Ohio & Erie Canal: Replacement, with a twin span over the waterway and future towpath. Cost: $3.1 million, with multiple funding sources, including stimulus. Cost for the Towpath Trail extension from the AES building to Bartges: about $3.3 million, also with multiple funding sources, including stimulus." Read more...
"This [CVNP] Plan is needed as a strategic tool to guide the future course of trail management and development in Ohio’s only National Park. The park’s original 1985 plan is outdated and largely implemented. Regional trail networks have blossomed across Northeastern Ohio, increasing demands for additional trail connections, new trail uses and expanded recreational opportunities. The broad purpose of the TMP [Trail Management Plan] is to identify management objectives and strategies to guide the development, protection, management, operations and use of the trail system within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park over the next 15 years to meet new challenges and opportunities."
Learn more about the trails plan and the upcoming public meetings to be held February 11 & 13th at the Happy Days Lodge in Peninsula, Ohio.
"An Akron man pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide Thursday, explaining in Summit County Court that he had spent the night drinking before he struck and killed a man on a bicycle on Oct. 13.
"Charles Wilson, 36, faces a maximum of eight years in prison for the death of Lawrence Yelding, 58, of Akron. Police said Wilson's drove a pick-up truck through a stop sign on East Miller Avenue, then struck a utility pole and Yelding's bicycle.
"Wilson told the court he got out of the disabled truck, which he took without permission from a friend, and ran away after seeing the badly injured Yelding on the ground." Read more...
"A survey of the 4 mile segment of the Ohio River Trail was completed in 2009 by Hamilton County Park District and The Ohio River Way from downtown to Lunken.
"The purpose of the survey is to identify the pinch points in the 50ft. wide corridor that will require retaining walls and new bridges when it is re-constructed for passenger rail and to explore where a permanent trail can be located compatible with rail.
"This is an important ingredient in obtaining Federal Transportation Authority (FTA) approval for the temporary trail. In addition, The Ohio River Way will be working with the Eastern Corridor Transportation Improvement District to insure that their next round of studies include the evaluation of a permanent trail in the Oasis Corridor as a part of the multi-modal transportation plan." Read more...
"Bicycle advocates in state legislatures are once again promoting bills that require motorists to give bicyclists 3 feet of clearance when passing.
"Currently, 14 states require a 3-foot gap for bicycle riders. They are Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.
"This year, lawmakers in Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota and Virginia are considering 3-foot laws. At least one other state, Washington, has a 3-foot passing law in committee from last year." Read more...
"Grants will be sought for several bike path extensions in Athens County, officials say. The county is putting forth two proposals, and the city of Athens also is applying for funds.
"...Eichenberg said the county’s top priority is extending the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway to Athens High School and The Plains, since it would require less local match money. The .79-mile extension would tie into the bikeway at Eclipse Company Town and connect to North McDonald Street in The Plains, thus tying the bikeway into that community’s street system.
"Eichenberg said the path would be built parallel to Johnson Road along the county’s 60-foot right-of-way, leaving a safe buffer between the bike path and the busy road.
"...The second county project would connect the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway on East State Street to County Road 24A (South Canaan). This path would run parallel to Route 50 near Holzer Clinic. The total length of the extension would be 1.53 miles and would cost $1.13 million to construct. After ODOT and ODNR grants, the local match would be $86,476.
"The city of Athens is applying for a grant from ODNR to extend the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway from the West State Street Park across the Hocking River to connect to the abandoned railroad bed that is being developed into the Moonville Rail Trail. The extension would be approximately 1,000 feet and cross a former railroad bridge over the Hocking River.
"...The Moonville Rail Trail is not yet complete, but it would follow the former railroad base. The goal of the Moonville Rail Trail Association is to extend the trail from Red Diamond, which is near the village of Zaleski, through the hills of Vinton County to Athens County near Grosvenor, just west of the city of Athens. The group has been planning to connect to the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway since 2001." Read more...
Read a previous story on this subject.
"Big changes are expected for the intersection of Freeman Road and state Route 3 [in Genoa Township]. During the Genoa Township trustees meeting on Thursday, Jan. 21, Township Administrator Paul Wise announced the $323,700 project was approved by the Ohio Public Works Commission.
"It will include a new traffic signal and turn lanes at the intersection, and realignment of the Genoa Trail along the east side of Route 3.
"The project is slated to start in September and be completed in early 2011. Due to the status of the project, Wise said it could qualify as "shovel ready" and be eligible for stimulus funding that would pay for 100 percent of the project." Read more...
"Trustees said the final design change details are being reviewed for the south section of the recreational trail before the project’s acquisition phase is closed.
"This is the last segment in Miami County of the south part of the [GMRT] bike trail that extends down into Montgomery County, said Mary Lou Wilson, the township’s special projects administrator."
"A proposed pedestrian bridge linking the T.J. Evans Bike Path and Raccoon Valley Park will get a shot at making a list of projects eligible for state funding.
"The Granville Township trustees agreed Wednesday to sponsor the Granville Rotary Club's application for state Transportation Enhancement Program funds toward construction of the bridge. That will allow the club to submit a letter of interest that will determine its eligibility to apply for a TEP grant. The grant could furnish up to 80 percent of the estimated at $1.2 million cost of building the bridge.
"The bridge would provide a way for children and families to walk or ride bikes to the park. It also would help create a pathway loop for recreational use." Read more...
Read a previous post on this topic.
"Construction of a two-mile stretch of the Miami 2 Miami Bike Trail that would go through Fairfield Township could begin later this year. It is dependent on receipt of a $500,000 Clean Ohio Trails Fund grant the Butler County Department of Development is applying for.
"The Great Miami River Recreation Trail was first planned in 1976 to go between Piqua and Fairfield. Butler County sections already exist in Fairfield, Hamilton and Middletown, said Joe Schmidt, senior planner with the county development department.
"There is a gap between Hamilton and Middletown that includes Fairfield Township. The grant would help pay for construction of the trail along the Miami & Erie Canal towpath between Allison Avenue and the Rentschler Forest Preserve soccer fields. The property for the trail is already owned by either Butler County commissioners or MetroParks of Butler County, so no funds would have to spent on land acquisition, Schmidt said.
“This is a very long trail,” Schmidt said. “We’re hoping to extend the trail into Fairfield Township."
"The $1.5 million project would be paid for with the state grant and a $1 million gift earmarked for the project in 2001 by the Hamilton Community Foundation.
"As one of the project partners, Fairfield Township trustees have agreed to maintain the path for the first three years after construction. Not yet decided is whether township crews will do the work or if it would be contracted out.
"Schmidt said the county should hear sometime in June whether it received the grant. If so, work could begin late summer or early fall.
"Trees would have to be removed from the path and utility poles relocated before the trail could be constructed.
"A 1.5 mile segment of the Olentangy Trail will be closed, between Pacemont Avenue and Patterson Avenue, from January 26 to April 2. A detour will be posted beginning from Pacemont Avenue to High Street, south to North Street, to Neil Avenue, then west on Patterson Avenue to return to the trail. From the south, the detour will route from Tuttle Recreation Center at Patterson Avenue, east to Neil Avenue, north to Dodridge Street, east to High Street, north to Pacemont Avenue, then west to return to the trail.
"The closure is due to a sewer improvement project.
"Additional questions or concerns can be directed to njdomenick@columbus.gov (Sewers and Drains) or 645-2441 (Recreation and Parks)."
"Uranium-235 has a radioactive half-life of roughly 700 million years. Tim Donovan is afraid it might take that long to find a way to get the Towpath Trail built through Cleveland.
"But Donovan, the director of the Ohio Canal Corridor, is also now more desperate than ever to find a way across 55 acres along the Cuyahoga River to build one of the final legs of the long-anticipated hiking and biking trail. There's only one thing standing in his way -- radioactive soil.
"Worse, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a lengthy report Jan. 20 that the site will not host the Towpath Trail anytime soon. That conclusion was made even though remaining uranium and other radioactive materials in the soil at the former Harshaw Chemical site just south of the Harvard-Denison bridge are not deemed too dangerous to prevent the land being used for passive recreation.
"Federal officials said last week they will follow a methodical, predetermined process that will likely mean another four or five years before the planning and cleanup of the property is complete." Read more and view a map of the affected area.
"The Ohio Turnpike has stopped charging cars higher tolls when they're carrying bicycles or luggage on the roof.
"Toll changes that took effect last year put vehicles with rooftop luggage carriers or bike racks into a higher toll classification meant for taller commercial trucks and moving vans.
"Laser scanners that measure the heights of vehicles still cause the toll plazas to spit out the more expensive tickets to cars with items on the roof. But turnpike spokeswoman Lauren Hakos says toll collectors are now making adjustments and taking lower toll amounts from passenger vehicles. It means a $10 difference for a car traveling the entire length of the toll road.
"Hakos says E-ZPass users will have to call customer service to get a refund."
Read an earlier report on this subject.
"More than $240,000 in grants will be sought from a state recreational trails program to extend a Kyle Park bikeway and a sidewalk along North Hyatt Street to the high school.
"The application for the grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was approved Monday, Jan. 18, by the city council. The council reviewed the proposed application at a work session earlier this month.
"Brad Vath, assistant city manager, said the requested $245,000 grant would cover 80 percent of the proposed projects. The Kyle Park project, estimated at $156,500, would extend the 10' wide bikeway 1,500 feet west to South Third Street/Maple Hill Drive." Read more...
"Sixth-grader Libby Kim saw a problem she knew she could help solve. Libby and nine other members of a local FIRST Lego League robotics group, which encourages students to use technology and teamwork to overcome obstacles, realized there was no good way to bicycle from their Hunter’s Ridge subdivision to Beavercreek’s Rotary Park and the rest of the city’s extensive trail network.
"Libby’s group already needed to identify a way to improve their community for this year’s league competition with the theme “Smart Moves.” So they decided supporting an extension of the city’s bike path system from Hunter’s Ridge Park to Rotary Park was the perfect fit.
“We’re just working on trying to make it safer in our community,” Kim said. “We like to go on bike rides and we realized it was hard to get to the park..." Read more...
"If you haven’t notice[d] by now, cycling is a huge passion of mine, as is supporting the City of Dayton becoming a more bike friendly community. I’m sure you’ve noticed the bike lane stripping, signage, events and construction going on around the city and are hopefully ready for more to come. Most of these efforts are products of the BikeWalkDayton Team.
"The BikeWalkDayton team is said to be lead by Commissioner Nan Whaley and is comprised of City of Dayton Commission Staff, Police Dept., Planners, Engineers, and outside organizations such as Five Rivers MetroParks, Miami Conservancy District, and Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission. Their mission is to create a more liveable, walkable and of course, bikeable city.
"One current project of the team is creating a city wide bike map detailing trails, lanes, and on road suggested routes. The map is still a work in progress but the BikeWalkDayton team is interested in soliciting your feedback...
"If you care about the future of our community, want to be able to more safely walk and ride your bike to work and around Dayton then here is your chance to chime in." Read more...
"Though it may geographically be the end of the road, funding for continuing the Valley Parkway All-Purpose Trail [Emerald Necklance Trail] from Ridge Road to Route 21 has only just begun.
"Last year, Broadview Heights as the lead community, North Royalton, Brecksville and the Cleveland Metroparks sponsored a Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative Grant to study the completion of the two-mile gap. The grant, offered through the Northeast Ohio Area Coordinating Agency, may increase the chances of garnering federal funds for the continuation.
"...The first phase would likely continue the trail from Broadview Road to Route 21 but would not include a major overpass upgrade. Phase two would take the trail from Broadview into North Royalton and phase three would address the I-77 overpass issue." Read more...
"Funding from one of two state sources is being sought to cover the engineering cost associated with a 1.5-mile extension of the Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail.
"Dottie Betz, chairman of the Columbiana County Park District, said they are applying for a $68,473 grant from one of two grant programs available through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in the hope one of them will be awarded.
"The 10-mile Greenway bicycle trail currently extends from Lisbon to High Street in Leetonia near the American Legion. The park district has obtained $460,000 in federal funding to cover the cost of extending the trail, minus the engineering fee, to Bertolette's Alley in Washingtonville, a distance of 1.5 miles.
"...If everything works out, the extension could become a reality by 2012. This would bring the trail within 300 feet of the Mahoning County line, where the Mahoning County Metroparks plans to extend its bicycle trail to link with the Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail.
"This is all part of a larger effort by the Greater Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway Coalition to link with bike trails in Trumbull and Ashtabula counties, creating a continuous trail that would extend eventually from Lake Erie to the Ohio River in East Liverpool." Read the complete article.
"A long-awaited $60 million road project designed to transform the fast lanes of the West Shoreway into a tree-lined boulevard got a key assist from state lawmakers last week.
"Rep. Michael Skindell, a Lakewood Democrat, got language slipped into an unrelated bill that would drop the speed limit on a stretch of the West Shoreway, from 50 mph to 35. The bill passed the Ohio House Wednesday and now moves to the Senate.
"However, drivers aren't likely to see the speed limit drop until about 2013, no matter when state lawmakers end up getting the provision enacted.
"...The idea behind the project is to make road, tunnel and intersection improvements between downtown and West Boulevard and to make Edgewater Park and the lakefront more accessible from West Side neighborhoods now cut off.
"...The project has been divided into two phases, with work to begin this summer on rebuilding a crumbling pedestrian tunnel running under the roadway to Edgewater Park. Construction of a bike trail linking with an existing trail in Edgewater Park to form a continuous path is also planned for the first phase of the project as well as the new West 73rd intersection." Read more...
"Members of the Athens Conservancy addressed the county commissioners on Tuesday about their desire to obtain former railroad rights-of-way in order to pursue creation of a countywide biking/hiking trail.
"The members were seeking letters of support from the commissioners for two grants that would allow them to obtain the former rights-of-way in Athens, Rome and Troy townships. The commissioners agreed to write the letters.
"Conservancy vice president Phil Cantino explained that the group has been working on obtaining state trail grants to be able to afford purchasing the rights-of-way. It’s possible, Cantino said, that at some point a biking and hiking trail could link Columbus, Ohio, and Washington, D.C., through Athens County. “If we start doing this stuff and stating our intentions, I think we could find that we are on the connector route between Columbus and Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh too, for that matter,” Cantino said.
"The conservancy is currently assisting the Moonville Rail-Trail, Inc., organization in applying for a Clean Ohio grant to purchase additional railroad grade for their multi-use trail project.
"The Moonville Rail-Trail is hoped to eventually connect to the Hockhocking-Adena bikeway in Athens, and that would be a contribution toward that,” Cantino said." Read more...
"A trail that would have provided a means for the public to view the North Branch Preserve property of the Cleveland Metroparks, which was purchased by the City of Solon through a state grant nearly nine years ago, may not be created.
"Solon City Council's safety and public properties committee approved a motion last week to delete the reference to a trail in the agreement with the Cleveland Metroparks and refer it to the law director for his review prior to being forwarded to council. The action will be subject to the review of Law Director David J. Matty, along with the original agreement.
"Approximately four years ago, the Cleveland Metroparks presented the city with a layout for trails for the North Branch Preserve property. One of the parts of the final agreement that was entered into regarding the land was that an appropriate handicapped-accessible trail would be installed at the expense of the Metroparks from Hawthorne Parkway in the Metroparks system to the North Branch Preserve property. The proposed 800-foot trail carried a price tag of $78,000.
"The public land continues to have no sign to designate its existence or any paths to lead people through it." Read more...
"2010 will be a busy year for greenways in Columbus…and well it should be. We have lots to share.
"Starting with the hard news—the trail will be closed between Pacemont and Patterson for a sewer improvement project. I’ve attached the detour (which of course has to rely on High St.). Utilities has promised us this will be very quick, mostly February and March.
"OSU is building the trail @ Herrick Bridge and the Drake Union!!! (I’ll let Steve Volkmann chime in on this–he’s done all the hard work.) Many of you have already heard about it. This is a fantastic improvement. It will mean a Cannon Drive work around the campus trail section for a season…but I think we all will rejoice when this is all done. Congratulations Steve on patience and perseverance.
"We will be out on the path this spring with some needed safety improvements:
"A new bridge is now under construction: the first ever bikeway project in the west side – the Scioto Hilltop Connector bridge. This bridge will span the Scioto from McKinley Ave. to the existing trail from Grandview Ave. to Riversedge. Actually, there’s a ton of projects in the next two years in the near west side/Grandview areas. In short, we will have seamless connectivity from Harrison West to Hilltop, from Upper Arlington to downtown. This was a long time coming, with lots of planning, coaxing, and discussion.
"Note: Keep crossing your fingers on congress, the state, and the city on continuing their crucial support for projects such as these…it is the lifeblood of our move towards an active transportation Mecca." Read more and view the project map.
"A handful of farmers and property owners not wanting to see an abandoned rail bed converted to a walking and biking trail brought their case to the commissioners Tuesday.
"John Douglass, a dairy farmer in Baughman Township with 1,650 cows, reiterated his opposition to plans to make an abandoned railway from Orrville to Clinton a public trail by Wayne County Rails to Trails. He is concerned a bike trail would negatively affect his farm, along with three others in the area.
"Brian Bilinovich, a Chippewa Township property owner, expressed concern about crimes committed along trails in Ohio and across the state, and he gave commissioners Jim Carmichael, Ann Obrecht and Scott Wiggam a document detailing more than 300 incidences ranging from trespassing to murder." Read more...
Read an earlier story on this topic.
"Butler County officials hope to soon secure another piece in the puzzle of paving a bicycle path all the way from Fairfield to Piqua.
"On Thursday, Jan. 21, commissioners agreed to apply for a $500,000 grant from the state for a slice of path through Fairfield Twp. The Hamilton Community Foundation’s pledge to foot the rest of the project’s $1.5 million bill “puts us really at the top of the list (for state funds),” said county senior planner Joseph Schmidt.
"The planned path would stretch roughly 2 miles from Allison Avenue near Hamilton’s edge to the Rentschler Forest Preserve, mostly along Canal Road. The path would use the right-of-way that still exists from the tow path of the old Miami-Erie Canal, Schmidt said.
"It coincides with another path planned to start at Allison Avenue and stretch another roughly 2.5 miles to the foot of the High-Main Bridge — linking it with an existing path that extends all the way to Waterworks Park in Fairfield." Read more...
"The Granville Village Council chose to pare down the scope of an application it will make for state pathway funds.
"The council voted Wednesday to support "a letter of interest" to the Ohio Department of Transportation as a possible first step in receiving funding for a pathway on Burg Street. But a proposal to submit an initial application for funding for a bridge to Raccoon Valley Park failed on a tie 3-3 vote.
"Councilman Steve Mershon, who voted against the bridge application proposal, said the bridge would be a "huge structure" and lacked support from neighbors or respondents in a community survey performed last fall.
"At the end of the day, the village won't build it," he said. "Why spend time planning it?" He said he supports a proposal for much less expensive suspension bridge at the same location.
"The state's Transportation Enhancement Program could furnish up to 80 percent of the cost of both projects. The cost of the bridge is estimated at $1 million to $1.2 million and the Burg Street pathway at $1 million, according to a memo from the village staff to council members. Both projects were on a list of five pathway clusters in the village and Granville Township recommended by a citizens advisory committee in fall 2009." Read more...
"Time is running out for many local communities across the state to partner with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) on future projects aimed at better access for bicycle users and pedestrians.
"ODOT is currently accepting applications for its federally-funded Transportation Enhancement Program, which has invested nearly $182 million in pedestrian and bicycle projects across the state since the start of the program in 1992.
"Transportation Enhancement funds can also be used to improve downtown streetscapes, preserve historic transportation sites, beautify scenic locations, and establish transportation museums.
"With approximately $20 million in future funding available, ODOT's Transportation Enhancement Program targets the state's rural and suburban communities which are not currently served by a Metropolitan Planning Organizations - which have their own Transportation Enhancement efforts.
"Communities that are interested in the ODOT funds have less than two weeks left to apply. Letters of interest for Transportation Enhancement funding are due to the department by February 1." Read more...
"If you build it, they will come." That's what supporters of a proposed multi-use path are counting on.
"I look at this as another piece in the overall pedestrian puzzle," Pataskala Planning Director Diane Harris said.
"Harris on Jan. 12 invited residents to a workshop regarding the proposal, which entails building a multi-use path from Bright Waters subdivision west along sections of the Muddy Fork of the Licking River.
"The first phase would stretch 0.88 miles, or 3,400 linear feet, ending near Pataskala Ridge subdivision. Future phases could follow the river further west, ending just south of the City Administrative Offices on Broad Street and picking up again on Adams Lane and ending at Taylor Road.
"Harris has asked the city council to support an Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant application for the first phase, which is estimated to cost $239,652. The grant would cover $179,739." Read more...
"Although it will be some 18 months until completion, [Wooster] City Council wholeheartedly approved the first steps toward improving a stretch of road that would allow more students walking access to a local elementary school.
"Council approved a contract for a right of way survey on Melrose Drive, between Portage and Milltown roads, which will locate the centerline of the road, plat the properties and lay property pins before easements can be acquired.
"The city received a $500,000 Ohio Public Works Commission grant, which will fund roughly one-fourth of the work.
"...City Engineer Joel Montgomery estimated the total cost of the work, which will widen the roadway, in addition to adding curbs, gutters, sidewalks and a bicycle trail, to be around $2.1 million." Read more...
From the Tipp City City Council meeting notes:
"Grant monies allocated to assist in the construction of a recreational trail/bikeway to link parks within the City and bikeway to the Miami County bikeway. Council moved for the monies to be allocated for the project."
"The City of Marietta has again agreed to allow the River Valley Mountain Bike Association to continue our trail building projects throughout the city.
"In conjunction often with the Marietta Rowing and Cycling Club, RVMBA has began our newest addition which will be a connector trail from the High School trails up to Cisler Dr. and Jackson Park. This trail should be about 1 1/2 miles or a little more. Will gps it as soon as we get the corridor completed. There are also negotiations in the works to connect from Cisler Dr. down, through another section of forest, to connect to the Kris-Mar trails." Read more...
" The National Park Service is holding three open houses in February to get public input on trails in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The park service is seeking suggestions on trail needs for the next 15 years.
"Among the issues to be studied include possible new trails, connections from surrounding communities to the popular Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, the need to rebuild storm-damaged bridle trails in northern Summit County and the possibility of allowing mountain biking.
"The schedule is:
"At the meetings, park officials will outline the federal process, identify issues and gather ideas on the developing plan. The park will also accept public comment [at this link.] A newsletter on what's happening is also available there.
"Written comments can be submitted to Superintendent, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 15610 Vaughn Road, Brecksville, OH 44141. Comments will be accepted until March 1." Read more...
"A cyclist out for an early morning ride along the Rickenbacker Causeway died Sunday morning after being struck by a car.
"Police told CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald that it was a hit-and-run. Witnesses told police the motorist that struck the cyclist paused briefly and then took off with the mangled bicycle still attached to its grill.
"The accident happened on the Bear Cut Bridge just after 8 a.m. According to Miami police the cyclist was on the side of the road heading toward Key Biscayne when he was hit by the driver of a silver Volkswagen." Read more...
Here's an account by someone who says they witnessed the aftermath. [Caution: some graphic content.]
"Rails to Trails members and advocates consider building and maintaining a proposed Orrville to Clinton trail an ongoing process.
"Don Noble II, president of Rails to Trails in Wayne County, said he looks forward to offering landowners 50 percent easements and meeting with them one on one.
"Rails to Trails has considered using cement where farm equipment crosses the trail, he said. Welcoming no-trespassing signs from adjacent landowners, Noble said trail rules require users to avoid private property.
"Planning to secure public grants to fund trail construction, he said Rails to Trails purchased the abandoned Orrville to Clinton railroad corridor using private donations.
"Ted Short, Wayne County Rails to Trails vice president, said the nonprofit organization maintains trails using private funds since it does not use a county park district. Referring to the summer's Creston to Rittman trail project as an example, he said there were $300,000 in private donations, $1.7 million through the Ohio Department of Transportation and $400,000 from the Ohio Capital Fund." Read more...
"A 13-year-old boy reported that he was assaulted Friday evening as he was walking home on a bike trail in the North Sacramento area.
"The youth reported that three boys, about 16 or 17 years old, came up behind him on the trail near Sonoma and Altos avenues about 6:40 p.m., according to the Police Department's daily activity log. The three were described as African American all wearing black hoodies and wool caps with ear flaps.
"The reason for the attack was not known, according to the police report."
"IT IS not fair for the Ohio Turnpike Commission to charge passenger vehicles the same rate as commercial trucks just because a car or minivan has a bicycle or luggage rack strapped temporarily to its roof. A new height classification has gone into effect with new toll rates, and now passenger vehicles are charged the same fee as large trucks.
"If rooftop items on such vehicles measure 7 feet, 6 inches tall or higher, they automatically fall into a toll category meant for heavier two-axle trucks. When the turnpike installed its E-Z Pass system, it included a laser scanner to gauge the height of vehicles as they pass under an entrance gantry before they enter a toll lane.
"The laser makes no distinction between a two-axle truck and a car with bike racks that exceed the 7-foot, 6-inch height designation for a higher toll classification. That could hike the standard toll rate for a passenger car to cross the state from $15 to $25." Read more...
Read another editorial on this topic.
"Bikers and walkers were in accidents with vehicles 150 times on a 3-mile segment of High Street in a five-year period, making the busy strip the city's most crash-prone corridor for those who don't get around by auto.
"The bit of High Street that runs from Clintonville to the Short North can be a bear, a study from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission says. The agency looked at police reports from 2003 to 2007 to find the area's trouble spots.
"Roads along the Ohio State University campus and the Hilltop community on the West Side are the most troublesome. The five-year study, which is the first of this scale that MORPC has conducted, pinpoints both corridors and specific locations that are danger zones..." Read more...
"It's been 250 years since the French and Indian War, when George Washington, a young colonial officer, made his way from the eastern seaboard past the forks of the Ohio River, where Pittsburgh now stands. It was a dangerous journey and a miserable return trip—shot at by Indians, knocked off his raft into the icy Allegheny River—lasting 78 days.
"Today Washington's route (or close to it) has been tamed, turned into the 334-mile Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath–Great Allegheny Passage. Starting in Georgetown, the C&O–GAP rolls across Maryland and through Pennsylvania's Appalachian Mountains to create the longest unpaved bike path in the East. Yet unlike Washington, you won't be able to complete the tour no matter how warm the weather (or how nice the natives). The British are standing in the way." Read more...
"The process might be slow, but plans for a shared-use path along state Route 91 are still in motion.
"Willoughby and Willoughby Hills joined forces in an effort to build a path extending from Eastlake to Mayfield Village on the east side of SOM Center Road. That path would essentially connect Lake Erie to a popular part of the Cleveland Metroparks system for area cyclists, joggers and pedestrians.
"However, plans are still in the baby stages, Willoughby Mayor David Anderson said.
"Both cities have authorized their city engineers to do a preliminary study ... so we'd have a better idea of the cost," he said. Anderson added that the last he had heard from Willoughby Engineer Jim Sayles, the study was just about done." Read more...
"Medina City Council approved, on Monday night, the application for a grant that would partially fund a one-mile addition to the Roscoe Ewing bike trail, connecting it to downtown Medina.
"Under Phase 1 of the project, the current 1.3-mile-long trail would be extended across Guilford Boulevard through Nichols Park and then hook up to a Springbrook Drive sidewalk. Finally, the trail would link to a paved path that leads into downtown Medina at S. Broadway Street and E. Smith Road, a block from the square. Phase 1 of the project would cost the city of Medina approximately $600,000.
"With Monday’s affirmation, Medina officials will apply for a Clean Ohio Trail Grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which would fund approximately 80 percent of the Phase 1 of the project, up to $500,000. Medina would pay the remaining 20 percent, around $100,000 to $120,000." Read more...
"Though the recent snowfall has either covered or camouflaged them, new traffic signs have popped up around the village this fall and winter, meant to empower the bicyclists of the village. Just as subtle as their new regulatory markers, bicycles are a minority vehicle in the village that do their best to share the roads with everything from skateboarders and golf carts to Mack trucks and extra-wide loads. Still, bicycling advocates and traffic regulators hope that spreading the word about proper traffic procedures will help to improve safety and congeniality on village streets.
"Village Council’s goal to make Yellow Springs a more walkable and bikeable community prompted the Village Bicycle Enhancement Committee to take action on the signs this fall. The signs are a general reminder to drivers of both non-motorized and motorized vehicles that on roadways without a bike lane, bicyclists are encouraged to use the entire lane. As head of the bike committee and an avid bicyclist himself, Dan Carrigan is passionate about educating both bikers and motorized drivers of the laws that give bicyclists greater rights and responsibilities.
“As bicyclists, we’re being assertive,” he said. “The roads are a shared social network -— we all have a right to use them.” Read more...
The open practice of a bike "taking the lane" for safety is new to many in Ohio. Such as the officer that ticketed a Columbus cyclist for doing the same.
"How important is Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman’s vocal support of the city’s bike plan and his participation in cycling events like the annual Bike Week?
"The mayor’s enthusiasm for bikes has engendered a culture of ‘can do’ around him. When Columbus received a pot of federal Stimulus funds from the Department of Energy recently, its Parks and Recreation Department pushed for some of it to be used for downtown biking infrastructure. You see, Capital Crossroads, a special improvement district (SID) for downtown Columbus—similar to the Downtown Cleveland Alliance—had recently completed a right of way study for downtown streets which included a plan for improvements. The city will peel away $490,000 from their energy efficiency Stimulus funds so that Capital Crossroads can purchase bike racks, lockers and shelters for 300 bikes for downtown commuters.
“This comes on the heels of the city finalizing its Bicentennial Bikeway plan, which was a big deal not only for bike advocates but the mayor was personally invested,” says Marc Conte, a staffer at Capital Crossroads.
"The bike project will be first in a downtown beautification plan, which includes pedestrian and auto wayfinding signs, street benches and lighting." Read more...
Read another report on Columbus bikeway-friendly initiatives.
"The Ohio Department of Transportation has approved a $5.7 million grant to help fund the city’s long-planned bicycle trail.
"The original projected cost had been $3.5 million, but replacement of a bridge over the Mahoning River near Walnut Street had complicated the project and increased the figure, according to Mark Hess, engineering grant and development coordinator.
"We had no bidders when we advertised last year because of concerns about the the bridge, so ODOT adjusted the amount,” Hess said, adding that the funding should cover the entire cost. The coordinator said the city will advertise for bids next month, and he expects the path to be completed by summer 2011."
"If [Danbury] township's newest grant application is successful, Meadowbrook Marsh will soon get more than 3,800 feet of paved trails.
"We applied for a grant through the Recreational Trails Program in 2008," Danbury Township trustee Dianne Rozak said. Unfortunately, the township did not receive the grant. But this month Rozak said she will be preparing another grant application to a jointly funded RTP/Clean Ohio program. The RTP is funded by the federal government and the Clean Ohio Grant is funded by the state. Both programs are administered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
"Rozak said the township's application will seek about $123,000 and offer $53,000 in matching funds. Before any other major improvements are made to the park, Rozak said she'd like to see this application approved. "My goal right now is to secure this last grant," she said. "That would give us about 7,000 feet of paved trails eight feet wide and (Americans with Disabilities Act)-accessible."
"Meadowbrook, now at 113 acres after several additions to the original 33 acres purchased in 2001, currently has about 3,000 feet of paved trails, in addition to unpaved mulch trails." Read more...
"Rail trail proponents were greatly disappointed to read a mostly negative article featuring two disgruntled rural residents in the Dec. 30 edition concerning trail planned for northeastern Wayne County.
"In fact, the headline read "Access Denied" [online Version offered different headline] to farmers; and, that was just not true. This former Norfolk-Southern railbed is a unique section of the Ohio to Erie Trail that may eventually be connected to the Holmes County Trail at Fredericksburg. These non-motorized trails not only bring economic development and positive images to "rail trail" communities, but create safe recreational areas for rural and urban families.
"Our local Rails to Trails organization fully understands the desires of local farmers to have continued "short-cut" access to fields, even if they established these routes on former railbeds that they did not own or have legal easement. Your readers should know that since our taking ownership in November, we had already contacted and listened to most of the farmers currently using the former railbed before that article appeared, including Mr. Douglass. In each case, we are prepared to negotiate easements that will allow continued field access with parallel driveway operations on up to half of the right-of-way width. We believe the right of ways are wide enough for doing this while still having a safe trail for non-motorized users on the other half." Read more...
"...Michael O’Shaughnessy as ticketed under Columbus Municipal Code 2173.04 for not riding his bike as far to the right side of roadway as possible. He was apparently riding his bicycle in the middle of the curb lane on High Street…."controling the lane" in a manner that he felt was warrented due to traffic, weather, and road conditions. It was 11:30 at night, rainy, and low-no traffic on southbound High St near Nationwide…where he was cited by police.
"He is being defended by Doug Morgan, who is on the Consider Biking Board of Directors. Assuming there are no other circumstances we’re aware of, the bicyclist’s behavior to protect himself and take a visible position….clearly falls within legal parameters. We feel that this court case will present an opportunity to educate cyclists, motorists, even the police force, regarding the rights and responsibilities of bicyclists." Learn more about the Jan. 14th court case.
"The Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association [in Columbus] wants ODOT to know residents still have concerns about plans to redesign the Interstate 70/Interstate 71 split.
"Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association President Mike Moore said ODOT made promises that it later went back on. Moore met Monday with a representative from ODOT to talk about how a redesign of the downtown split would affect people who live in the area.
"Moore said he has heard from people who want more greenery, walkways, bike lanes and caps over the highways. He said the meeting Monday is a good sign. “I think ODOT is still listening. We still think that ODOT will listen to what it is we are requesting on behalf of the residents of the area and hopefully, we’ll be able to work with ODOT to make these changes possible,“ he said.
"The split has long been a traffic headache for drivers as I-70 and I-71 join the same roadway and the[n] split again on either side of downtown Columbus.
"Moore said the meeting went well and he looks forward to working with ODOT. He said the meeting was positive, ODOT listened to the community’s concerns and there is still room to affect what is going on. “It paid off. They are willing to work with residents, businesses and city planners,“ he said."
See a video report of this article.
"Minneapolis is already one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country, and there are ambitious plans in 2010 to nearly double the miles of on-street bike paths.
"By the end of 2009, the city had 44 miles of on-street bikeways and 84 miles of off-street bike paths. Plans for the 2010 construction season call for adding 35 additional miles of on-street bikeways.
"The U.S. Census Bureau says Minneapolis is a national leader in bike commuting, second only to Portland, Ore.
"In 2008, bike ridership in Minneapolis jumped 13 percent from the previous year, with nearly 8,200 people saying they commute to work by bicycle. That's 4.3 percent of all Minneapolis commuters."
"...The third phase will extend the paved pedestrian and biking trail from its current terminus at Fourth and Ohio streets to the north side of Duck Creek near the Comfort Inn and Wal-Mart complex.
"Funding for the $1.5 million project includes a $951,600 transportation enhancement grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation, an ODNR recreational trails grant for $150,000 and a total of $193,643 in Community Development Block Grant monies. Read more...
In a related story, other work scheduled for this coming year in Marietta includes installing bike racks along the trail as well as strategic community locations. Read more...
"The California physician, convicted of assaulting a pair of cyclists with his car, was sentenced to five years in prison at the close of a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday morning.
"Sixty-year-old Christopher Thomas Thompson, found guilty of six felonies and a misdemeanor, has been in custody since his conviction in November. Following an emotional two-hour hearing Superior Court Judge Scott T. Millington sentenced Thompson to two years on the charge of assaulting cyclists Ron Peterson and Christian Stoehr with a deadly weapon and added a three-year enhancement because Peterson suffered serious bodily harm. The remaining lesser charges also carry prison time, but those sentences will be served concurrently with Thompson’s five-year sentence.
"Prosecutors had asked that Thompson be sentenced to eight years for crimes mostly relating to a July 4, 2008 incident in which he abruptly stopped his car in front of the two riders descending Mandeville Canyon road, near Los Angeles. Thompson was also convicted of misdemeanor charges relating to a similar incident that occurred months earlier, but did not result in injuries. Read more...
"Licking Township residents opposed to construction of a bike path on land they claim to own lost in court for a second time Tuesday.
"A three-judge panel from Ohio's Fifth District Court of Appeals upheld Licking County Common Pleas Judge Thomas Marcelain's April 29 ruling that the Thomas J. Evans Foundation is sole owner of property proposed for a 6-mile bike path from Heath to Hebron.
"It is not known if the residents will appeal Tuesday's ruling any further.
"The foundation claims the residents lost any right to the land adjacent to their homes because they did not file a preservation notice for the 40 years before the foundation's July 6, 1984, purchase of 38 acres formerly known as the Midland Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
"The dispute between South Fork Road residents and the foundation reached a boiling point on July 30, 2008, when residents staged a sit-in on the bike path as Shelly Co. paving equipment moved within a quarter-mile of the protesters, crossing East Irving Wick Drive in Heath.
"Licking County Prosecutor Ken Oswalt filed a lawsuit against both the foundation and residents to get the issue resolved in court and prevent an altercation on the gravel path previously used for a scenic railroad." Read more and view a timeline of this dispute.
"The bikeway that was proposed between Bellbrook and Spring Valley late in 2008 is no longer actively being pursued by county officials, Greene County Parks Director Chrisbell Bednar said last week. The path would have connected Sackett-Wright Park in Bellbrook with the Little Miami Scenic Trail. However, it would have crossed mostly private property, and the landowners were opposed from the start.
“There was no way to make the project viable,” Bednar said. “We went to the property owners, and all of them, to a one, said ‘not on my property.’ And we have to respect that.”
"The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission ranked the $6 million bikeway as one of its projects recommended for federal funding, and Bednar said it will remain on MVRPC’s Thoroughfare Plan, but in an inactive status." Read more...
"...The [Toledo} metroparks has 161 volunteers from northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan in its trail patrol program, and it is holding informational meetings this month to try to attract more. All metroparks have some Volunteer Trail Patrol members, but there especially is a need at Pearson, Farnsworth/Providence, and Side Cut, said Lori Miller, metroparks coordinator of volunteer services.
"Patrol volunteers explain rules to visitors, impart information from naturalists, help spot trail trouble areas after storms, and perform other tasks as metropark usage grows, Ms. Miller said." Read more...
"In a measure Councilman Mike Buytendyk said "is what makes Wooster great," City Council gratefully accepted at $35,000 donation to build a handicap walking path at the new Oak Hill Park from Gene and Joan Buehler on Monday evening.
"Gene Buehler, who founded the chain of grocery stores in North and Central Ohio that shares his last name, said he and his wife were looking for ways to give back to the community.
"...Parks and Recreation manager Chuck Malta said the handicap trail will be constructed in a loop near the Rotary Pavilion, which was donated to the city from the Wooster Rotary Club in September. Malta said he hopes to include features conducive to handicap people, including the potential of Braille signage relating to the outdoors.
"...When completed, the park will have 1.7 miles of paved paths for walking, jogging or biking, as well as natural plantings designed for year-round color. The park's path will be able to be linked in to the other paths along the city's northern corridor to total nearly eight miles of walking and biking trails." Read more...
"The gray industrial landscape and parking lots on the west bank of the Flats, now edged with housing and nightclubs, could soon be crisscrossed with parks, trails and green spaces.
"The new "Flats Connections Plan," completed by the nonprofit organizations ParkWorks, Cleveland Public Art and Building Cleveland by Design, shows how an abandoned railway and the vacant strip under the Main Avenue Bridge could become playgrounds, bikeways and artificial wetlands.
"We think there's a huge opportunity to realize this in the short term," said Ann Zoller, director of ParkWorks. She said major elements of the proposal could be achieved within several years, despite the recent economic downturn and the sudden halt of major projects, including the $522 million Flats East Bank development.
"We think [the plan] is dynamic and wonderful and creates just the right kind of connections," said Jon Ratner, sustainability director for Forest City Enterprises, which has vacant industrial property along the proposed route on Scranton Road Peninsula. "I can't think of enough superlatives to describe the kind of park they're planning," he said." Read more...
Read a previous post on this subject.
"City Council's Community Development Committee approved an additional $23,000 for design of a bike path from the Heath City Waterpark to the Central Ohio Aerospace and Technology Center. The project, which might begin this year, was expected to cost $640,000, with the city's share at $155,000.
"Zoning Chief John Groff told the committee the Ohio Department of Transportation notified the city it would not be able to do the design work for the city, as previously planned. Most of the design work consists of an environmental study.
"The additional cost could be absorbed by Community Development and Parks department budgets, Groff said, but the council's action will ensure the project moves along without delay."
"More support from the Plain Dealer for a bike/ped path on the Innerbelt Bridge [in Cleveland]. Support from all corners of the community has emboldened the City Planning Commission, which will vote on a resolution of support this Friday. This is more than a symbolic gesture. The Planning Commission will appoint three committee members who will draft the RFQ for the bridge." Read more...
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