Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Recreation and Parks Department to apply for grant funding from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Clean Ohio Trails Fund (COTF) which will be used to build a section of the Olentangy Trail from Northmoor Park to Clinton Como Park.
The Olentangy Trail is Central Ohio’s most used greenway trail. Recent trail count data shows over 4 million trail miles per year are traveled on this path. The central 0.6 mile segment of the trail between Northmoor Park and Clinton Como Park was never completed, forcing users to leave the trail and use a one mile signed on-street route which travels on five 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. It also includes a narrow crossing of North Broadway at Milton Avenue, documented as one of the region’s most dangerous intersections for bicycle and vehicular crashes.
This project will complete this final trail gap by constructing a crossing of the Olentangy River at Northmoor Park and travel along the west bank of the river. At North Broadway, the trail will use a new, fully functional bike and pedestrian crosswalk with signal. This is being constructed as part of the North Broadway and 315 interchange improvements for the new Ohio Health campus. The trail then continues south and crosses the river to Clinton Como Park, where it rejoins the existing trail. To accommodate the increase of overall Olentangy Trail use, the new pavement will be 12 feet to 14 feet wide.
ODNR administers statewide grant funding for the construction of trails and this ordinance authorizes an application for 2023 COTF grant funds only. ODNR requires that a resolution, ordinance, or other written documentation obligate funds for the project as part of the application. This ordinance i...
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