Overview:
• Great Parks has launched a virtual open house to gather public input on a proposed 25-mile shared-use trail in western Hamilton County, Ohio.
• The trail is part of the West Region Blueway & Trail System, aiming to expand opportunities for water and land-based adventure while connecting communities and points of interest along the Great Miami River corridor.
By Peter Osborne
Great Parks has launched a virtual open house to gather input on the proposed alignment of a new 25-mile shared-use trail being planned to span western Hamilton County from north to south along the Great Miami River.
At their convenience, the public can learn more about the trail, view the proposed alignment and share thoughts with the Great Parks planning team. The virtual open house is available 24/7 through Sept. 1, 2024, at GreatParks.org/WestRegionTrails.
“The community prioritized building more trails through the development of our Comprehensive Master Plan, and Great Parks is working to honor that priority,” said Todd Palmeter, Great Parks CEO.
“We appreciate the highly productive dialogue we’ve enjoyed over the past year with local residents, municipal leaders, businesses, interest groups and other stakeholders to hear their vision for the trail, including its route and features. Now that we can share a proposed alignment, we’re eager to continue these discussions to move closer to a final plan for the trail.”
The shared-use trail is a core element of the West Region Blueway & Trail System, a new initiative to bring people closer to nature by expanding opportunities for water and land-based adventure in western Hamilton County.
Great Parks is leading the development of a master plan for the West Region Blueway & Trail System, which, in addition to the shared-use trail, will include new watercraft launch sites for paddling adventures along the Great Miami River and Whitewater River. Great Parks will use input from the community through the virtual open house to help confirm the design concept for the shared-use trail.
“We have intentionally worked with local residents, stakeholders, businesses and interest groups for more than a year to determine what’s most important to them for the trail including the preferred alignment and added features. We’re very excited to now have an identified concept on which the public can comment,” said Palmeter.
Beginning near the Hamilton and Butler County border near Fairfield, the 25-mile long shared-use trail will follow the Great Miami River corridor south to the Ohio River, connect to three Great Parks – Miami Whitewater Forest, Mitchell Memorial Forest and Shawnee Lookout – and establish a new link between communities and points of interest along the way. The trail will extend the existing 99-mile Great Miami River Trail, traveling south through Dayton, to connect with the proposed Ohio River Trail and other regional trail networks.
Multiple new trailheads will allow users of all ages and abilities to go on adventures that vary broadly in length and destination. The trail will be paved and will generally be set apart from roads. In cases where traveling alongside a road is necessary, Great Parks’ goal is to safely separate the trail from the road using a type of structural or vegetative barrier.
Because the shared-use trail extends beyond Great Parks’ borders, construction of the trail in its entirety will be a joint effort between Great Parks, local jurisdictions and the regional community.
The virtual open house website presents more detailed information about the trail and each of its eight segments. Participants can share their thoughts with the planning team by answering interactive survey questions within the material. Visitors can return as often as they need to provide input using a computer, tablet or smartphone.