Consultant to study routes for bike trail

The mayor and city council favor the Riverwalk route.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A Cleveland consultant is studying several alternative routes through the city for the planned Warren Bikeway.
DLZ architectural and engineering consultants is conducting the study to determine the best route and will do the bikeway design and engineering at a combined cost of $300,000, all of it paid for by federal highway funds.
An additional $1 million in federal highway funds is set aside for the actual construction of the trail in Warren, said William Totten, the city's director of engineering. Totten said he hopes the trail can be built in 2008.
The federal government would pay 80 percent of any construction costs exceeding $1 million, with the city paying the other 20 percent, he said.
"Nothing is etched in stone, and everything is a working document at this point," Totten said.
"It just increases your quality of life having a bike trail for people to go and exercise. It's just like the Riverwalk right now. Many people use that every day," he added.
The Warren segment of the trail would begin near Draper Street Southeast, along the city-owned abandoned Ohio Central railroad bed, from which the tracks have been removed.
Options
One option has the trail following that abandoned railroad bed to Dana Street Northeast, then following West Avenue to the city-owned Warren Commerce Park to North River Road.
Another option would have it leave the railroad bed at Olive Avenue, and use Olive Avenue, Bank Street, Paige Avenue and Griswold Street Northeast, and an Ohio Edison right-of-way. But this route is unlikely because it doesn't match Trumbull County's proposed route, which would go to the Trumbull County Engineer's Office on North River, Totten said.
The option favored by Mayor Michael O'Brien and endorsed by a recent city council resolution and by the Trumbull 100 business leaders' group would have the trail leave the city-owned abandoned railroad bed near Burton Street Southeast, and follow another railroad line behind Oakwood Cemetery to Main Avenue Southwest.
This option would follow Main Avenue Southwest to Perkins Park, where it would use the existing asphalt-paved Riverwalk along the Mahoning River to Summit Street. It would then follow Mahoning Avenue Northwest, to Packard Park, where it would use park roads, exiting onto Comstock Street before going north into Warren Commerce Park.
"I prefer that route because of the economic development additions that could bring to the city, and also it would bring out-of-towners to our downtown. And it would be enhancing the downtown, and also it's actually a beautiful route along the Riverwalk," the mayor said.
Yet another option would use the same riverfront route, but it would bypass Packard Park by using Atlantic Street and Vernon Avenue Northwest, to get to Warren Commerce Park. The riverfront route would be scenic, Totten said.
Sharing streets
Having bicyclists and motor vehicles share some streets along the route in the city is inevitable, Totten said. For safety reasons, however, there would be a separate bicycling and walking path along heavily traveled streets, such as Main Avenue, Mahoning Avenue and Atlantic Street, he said.
Totten said he would prefer that the entire route be asphalt-paved for easier riding and all-weather use. But the type of surface would depend on its cost and the consultants' recommendation, Totten said.
"We may not be able to afford the asphalt, but hopefully we can," he said.
The bikeway will be part of the Lake-to River Greenway, a bicycle trail that is to run eventually from Lake Erie to the Ohio River.
Asphalt-paved portions of the Greenway have already been built in Columbiana, Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties.
One of the gaps is between Mahoning-Trumbull County Line Road and Champion East Road, and trail segments must be built in Weathersfield, Niles, Warren and Champion to make this connection.
milliken@vindy.com