There's still a long way to go to get to the finish line on the conversion of a rail corridor into a bike trail that could connect important parts of the city, but Cincinnati is currently pulling lots of purse strings to make it happen.
Chris Wetterich reports on the goings on with the proposed Wasson Way bike trail in Cincinnati, where local officials recently sent a request for funding from the state to help make the plan a reality.
Mayor John Cranley and City Manager Harry Black sent the letter, which sums up the ambition of the project:
"The trail utilizes an existing, unused rail corridor and, when completed, will connect eight Cincinnati neighborhoods and the communities of Norwood, Mariemont and Fairfax and 83,000 people living within 1 mile of the trail….It will provide alternative access to five major development sites, including sites at Xavier University and near Uptown, and will help make our community more attractive to families and to the talented skilled workforce that will propel the economy of the region."
So far the project has brought in a $500,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and a $12 million purchase agreement with Norfolk Southern Railroad Co. "to buy 4.1 miles of track needed for the project," according to Wetterich. The article includes more details about the funding requirements for the project, along with some maps and conceptual renderings of the potential addition to the city.
FULL STORY: Cincinnati identifies a new source to fund Wasson Way
Revealed: A Plan to Build a Continuous Bike Trail Across the United States
Motorists have been able to drive across the country for more than a century. People on bikes will get their day soon, too.
25 Years of Rails-To-Trails Success on St. Petersburg's Pinellas Trail
A bike trail can be much more than a bike trail.
Cincinnati Gets Serious About Pedestrian Safety
A new in-house team dedicated to pedestrian safety at Cincinnati City Hall and a new complete streets ordinance are some of the changes underway in Cincinnati.
New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.
Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City
In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.
Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes
AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.
Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay
The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.
Chicagoland Transit Agencies Call for State Funding as Budget Shortfall Looms
Illinois transit agencies want to see changes to a law requiring them to collect half of their revenue from transit fares, arguing that low ridership and staffing shortages will lead to a massive budget gap without intervention.
Panel: Minneapolis Zoning Updates Should Reflect Mixed-Use Future
A discussion of post-pandemic changes in work and commuting concluded that the city’s overhaul of its zoning code should be less restrictive with land uses.
Princeton Planning
City of College Park
Houston-Galveston Area Council
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
