Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Recreation and Parks Department to modify an existing contract with American Structurepoint for professional design services for the Olentangy Trail - Northmoor to Clinton Como Project. The modification amount being authorized by this ordinance is $892,774.00.
The central 0.6 mile segment of the Olentangy Trail, between Northmoor Park and Clinton Como Park, was never completed, forcing users to leave the trail and use a 1 mile signed on-street route travelling on 5 different streets. The route is widely recognized as difficult to navigate, congested, narrow, and unsafe. The route includes constricted sections where combined two-way car and trail traffic is on 11 feet to 13 feet wide pavement. This project will complete this final trail gap by designing and constructing a crossing of the Olentangy River at Northmoor Park, travelling along the west bank of the river. At North Broadway, the trail will use an enhanced bike/pedestrian crosswalk and signal to the new Ohio Health Campus. The trail will then continue south and cross the river to Clinton Como Park where it rejoins the existing trail. Ordinance 1319-2020 authorized the contract for Stage 1 Preliminary Design. This modification will complete the Stage 2 Detailed Design phase of the project. The project is scheduled for construction in 2023.
The Olentangy Trail is Central Ohio’s most heavily used greenway trail. Recent trail count data shows over 4 million trail miles per year are traveled on this path. In 2018, Recreation and Parks applied for and received grant funding from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) to construct the final gap of the 14 mile Olentangy Trail, from Northmoor Park to Clinton Como Park. The grant funds and local match will be appropriated at a later date, when construction is ready to move forward, as the grant funding can only be used for construction.
Principal Parties:
American Structurepoint...
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