100% multi-use, non-motorized

Looking beyond a 100% completed Ohio to Erie Trail

What will the Ohio to Erie Trail look like in the future?

The Ohio to Erie Trail Fund seeks to promote, develop, and establish a multi-use, non-motorized, network of regional trails and greenways linking Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. - Ohio to erie Trail Fund Mission

These words come from the mission of the Ohio to Erie Trail. The trail’s Board of Directors is updating the mission, vision, and strategies for the future.  The 100% commitment to the mission lives on in the updated mission.

The trail’s mission of 100% is close to being a reality with 90% on multi-use trails. Efforts are underway for a near 100% multi-use, non-motorized network of trails and greenways. Is there something beyond a 100% multi-use, non-motorized network of connected trails?

Regional planning commissions across the state are making cities more accessible and friendly to pedestrians and cyclists. These efforts create low-traffic and traffic-free corridors that prioritize pedestrians and cyclists. These urban pathways can make for more enjoyable and memorable experiences along the Ohio to Erie Trail.

Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron, and Cleveland are rolling out the welcome mat to cyclists and pedestrians through their active transportation efforts. The Ohio to Erie Trail is the spine passing through cities, towns, and villages where local active transportation initiatives open the door to added experiences beyond the trail.

New bicycle routes in Columbus will connect the Ohio to Erie Trail to downtown and vibrant reimagined neighborhoods. One planned route connects the Scioto Greenway to the Alum Creek Trail on low-traffic streets with bike infrastructure. Quiet streets will pass by parks offering a more enjoyable option to the not-so-enjoyable Downtown Connector Trail along I-670

Akron has reimagined Main Street with a separated landscaped bike lane, art, shops, and dining from Canal Place to Lock 3 Park. The park is being reshaped into an event, concert, and festival space for residents and visitors on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. It’s a path through downtown Akron with many things to experience.

The Ohio to Erie Canal Towpath Trail is nearing completion to Lake Erie in Cleveland. An innovative project will connect the east and west sides of the city via an unused streetcar level of the Detroit Superior Bridge. Bike and pedestrian infrastructure in Downtown Cleveland opens many possibilities to explore the city.

These projects are a sampling of many in various stages of imagination, design, and construction across the state. Urban spaces, towns, and villages are becoming friendlier and safer places prioritizing pedestrians and cyclists. Ohio to Erie Trail visitors will be able to enjoy this connectivity and venture beyond the trail on their visits.

This brings me back to questioning the interpretation of a 100% multi-use trail. The trail could become something more than 326 miles. There is no plan to change the existing route of the trail currently.

Active transportation will impact how the trail looks in the future. Existing infrastructure on the route may be enhanced. New bike routes serve as the primary or alternate routes for the trail. The growing network of connected trails will offer countless opportunities to explore Ohio beyond the trail.

Good things are in the future beyond 100%.