COLUMBUS, Ohio – From creating new routes to connecting existing paths, trails will be constructed around Ohio with the help of grants from the Clean Ohio Trail Fund—distributed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Fourteen communities will receive $6.2 million for new projects.
“These new trails will encourage more people to get outside and discover all the natural wonders Ohio has to offer,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. “These local projects will highlight the state’s diverse landscape, demonstrating another reason why Ohio is the heart of it all.”
The Clean Ohio Trail Fund was created to assist in trail projects with the goal of improving outdoor recreational opportunities. The money from the fund can go towards a variety of trail project elements including land acquisition, construction, engineering, and design.
“Outdoor recreation has been at the core of ODNR’s mission for the last 75 years,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said. “New, accessible trails around Ohio will allow people of all ages and abilities to get out and have some fun while enjoying nature.”
Trails in downtown metropolitan areas, a trail to a newly-constructed library, and pedestrian bridges are among the projects that will be funded by the grants.
The Clean Ohio Trail Fund Award recipients include:
City of East Liverpool
East Liverpool Riverfront Trail (Phase 1.2) – $375,000
To construct 0.85 miles of multiuse trail in the City of East Liverpool. This is
phase 1.2 and will connect downtown East Liverpool to the Ohio Greenway Trail.
Cleveland Metroparks
Euclid Creek Greenway (Phase III) – $385,000
To add 3,150 feet of new 10-foot-wide all-purpose trail to extend the trail from Chardon Road to St. Clair Avenue.
City of Gahanna
Link to Library Trail – $500,000
To construct a 10-foot-wide multi-use trail, providing access and educational opportunities while creating a physical link to a newly constructed Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML). This project replaces a deficient timber structure that crosses Sycamore Run creek.
City of Bexley
Alum Creek Greenways and Schneider Pave Trail – $500,000
To develop a new bridge over Alum Creek, at Schneider Park, mid-distance between Main Street and Livingston Avenue. The bridge would provide greater connectivity to the Alum Creek Greenways Trail and connect the Greenways Trail to the Schneider Park natural trail.
Columbus Recreation and Parks Department
Olentangy Trail – $435,000
To construct the final remaining section of the Olentangy Trail, from Northmoor Park to Clinton Como Park. This project includes 0.6 miles of trail, 2 pedestrian bridges, linkage for the disconnected residents, major employers, and trail users on the west bank of the Olentangy River, replace an existing 1.1 mile on-street greenway, the heaviest used trail in Central Ohio.
City of Cincinnati
Red Bank Road Trail – $500,000
To construct a new 10- to 12-foot-wide path along the west side of Red Bank Road Expressway. Beginning at the intersection of Old Red Bank and Duck Creek Road and ending at the intersection of Hetzell Street and Red Bank Road Expressway.
Great Parks of Hamilton County
Glenwood Gardens to Winton Woods Shared Use Trail – $500,000
To construct a 3.6-mile shared use trail between Glenwood Gardens and Winton Woods. The Glenwood to Winton Woods Shared Use Trail (GG2WW Trail) will link neighborhoods, parks, shopping centers, schools, other trails, and community resources in Springfield Township, Greenhills, Woodlawn, and Wyoming.
Medina County Park District
Wolf Creek Greenway (Phase 1) – $219,206
To construct a 0.9-mile-long paved all-purpose trail that will link the township’s Sharon Community Park to a newly developed greenway trail along the Wolf Creek. The project will also provide a linkage to the newly opened nature trails at Sharon Nature Preserve.
Portage Park District
Headwaters Trail (Phase VIII) – $500,000
For the engineering and construction of approximately 1.37 miles of limestone-paved multipurpose trail on the former Erie-Lackawanna Railroad corridor in Mantua Township, Ohio.
City of Aurora
Aurora Trail (Phase I) – $500,000
To provide a 2.84-mile-long, 10-foot-wide, asphalt-paved, ADA accessible multi-use path constructed on an abandoned railroad alignment from State Route 82 in Aurora to Chamberlain Road in Mantua Township.
Summit Metro Parks
Freedom Trail (Phase IV) – $500,000
To finalize the project traveling from Mill Street at the University of Akron to the Towpath Trail. This project will link two major, multi-purpose trails in downtown Akron.
City of Fairlawn
Cleveland-Massillon Trail Missing Link – $350,000
To construct the missing link of offroad trail from the existing Glacier’s Edge Trail, the existing Cleveland-Massillon Road Trail, which stops just south of I-77, and the fully funded Ridgewood Road Trail at the Copley-Fairlawn High School. This new 3,300 linear feet of trail will connect over 3.5 miles of regional
trails.
City of Lebanon
Bowman Trail – $500,000
To construct 1.66 miles of separated 10-foot-wide, multiuse trail. The project will extend the existing Lebanon-Countryside YMCA Trail, which connects with the Little Miami Scenic Trail, north and east from Mound Street just south of Main Street up to Monroe Road following the old Cincinnati, Lebanon, and Northern Railway railbed.
Wood County Port Authority
Chessie Circle Trail – $500,000
To construct a 16-foot-wide multi-use path, 0.5 miles in length including a 150-foot segment of boardwalk, from River Road to the Wood County Park District’s W.W. Knight Nature Preserve.
Additional information about these projects can be found on the list of 2023 Clean Ohio Trail Fund Awards.
Grants through the Clean Ohio Trails Fund will be used to construct new long-distance trails and purchase land to build new trails. The work will link people to statewide trails, connect urban areas to recreational areas, and upgrade regional trail systems across Ohio. Grant recipients provide a 25% match for their projects.
The Clean Ohio Trails Fund, administered by ODNR, is one of three components of the Clean Ohio Fund, which restores, protects, and connects Ohio’s natural and urban places. Ohioans approved the establishment of the $400 million bond program in 2000. This is the 18th round of funding to be awarded through the Clean Ohio Trails Fund.
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.
