At Tri-State Trails, milestones give us a chance to pause, reflect, and recommit to the work ahead. Over the last decade, we’ve helped communities move projects from vision to reality, supporting the planning, funding, and coordination that turn ideas into places people can walk, bike, gather, and explore. Together with our public and private partners, that work has contributed to 145.3 miles of multi-use trail and 30.9 miles of bike lanes across the region.

None of this progress happens quickly, and none of it happens alone. It’s built through collaboration with local governments, agencies, advocates, and residents who see trails and bikeways as essential infrastructure.

One of the most visible expressions of that momentum is the Cincinnati Riding or Walking Network, the CROWN.

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The CROWN is one of our many initiatives, and it has become a powerful example of what’s possible when a long-term vision is paired with sustained collaboration. Designed as a 34-mile loop encircling Cincinnati, the CROWN is already taking shape in meaningful ways.

Today, nearly 24 miles of the loop are complete, connecting major corridors like the Little Miami Scenic Trail, Wasson Way, the Ohio River Trail, and downtown riverfront paths. Each completed segment strengthens the network, expands access, and connects new communities.

This progress reflects years of behind-the-scenes work: coordinating across jurisdictions, supporting local leadership, aligning funding opportunities, and keeping equity, safety, and access at the center of planning. It also reflects a growing regional commitment to infrastructure that serves people of all ages and abilities.

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Progress along the CROWN

In 2025, our public-private partnership secured $12 million to further position the Oasis / Ohio River Trail for implementation:

• Great Parks was awarded $6 million from OKI to fund Phase 2 of the trail’s construction from Collins Avenue to Carrel Street, building on an $8 million award received in 2024 for Phase 1 (Friendship Park to Collins Avenue).
• The City of Cincinnati was awarded $5 million from ODOT to purchase the railroad corridor from Metro.
• Cincinnati Parks was awarded $1 million from OKI to remove the railroad tracks through the riverfront parks and repave the corridor with fresh asphalt.

Collectively, these projects will be a game-changer for the CROWN. Together, they will close the last remaining trail gap in the 326-mile Ohio to Erie Trail in Southwest Ohio. By 2030, trail users will be able to enjoy a seamless, welcoming ride into Downtown from the Little Miami Scenic Trail.

Congratulations to Great Parks, the City of Cincinnati, and Metro on your many years of collaboration that have made this progress possible.

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Wasson Way Phase 6A is a critical link in the CROWN, connecting Evanston and Avondale to the broader trail network and the east side of Cincinnati. Stretching from Woodburn Avenue to Blair Court, this segment helps close long-standing gaps between neighborhoods and provides a safe, direct route for everyday walking and biking.

What makes this section especially meaningful is how it reflects community priorities. When residents were first invited into the planning process, they emphasized safety, visibility, and comfort, particularly after dark. In response, Phase 6A became the only section of Wasson Way to include trail lighting. That commitment was celebrated in 2024 with a lighting ceremony marking the official turn-on, signaling that the trail is a place meant to be used and welcomed at all hours.

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The opening of Wasson Way Phase 6B marked a pivotal moment for the CROWN, delivering a safe, signalized crossing of Montgomery Road and extending the trail directly into Xavier University’s campus. While just 0.15 miles long, this connection dramatically improves safety, accessibility, and daily usability for trail users. Built entirely with CROWN Capital Campaign funds and strengthened through public investment, it reflects our commitment to designing infrastructure that responds to community priorities, lighting, safe crossings, and all-hours access, especially in Evanston, Avondale, and Walnut Hill

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In the Village of Mariemont, a new 0.2-mile trail segment linking the library to Miami Road is now open, an early but essential step toward completing the last remaining gap before the Columbia Connector. With just a half-mile left to fund, the finish line is closer than ever, made possible by years of collaboration.

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As the CROWN matures, our work has expanded beyond connection to stewardship. Trail lighting, landscaping, reforestation, and year-round maintenance are becoming core elements of what it means to build a world-class network. Along the Little Miami corridor, Great Parks has led invasive species removal and native tree plantings, organizing multiple volunteer workdays over the past several years. These efforts are transforming the trail into a true gateway to nature and reinforcing its role as a shared civic space, one that is actively cared for long after the ribbon is cut.

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The final western miles of the CROWN represent one of its most transformative opportunities. Running through the Mill Creek Valley, an area long shaped by infrastructure that disconnected neighborhoods, this work is about more than completing a trail. Guided by lessons from the national Reimagining the Civic Commons learning network, Tri-State Trails and our partners are advancing a vision focused on repair, trust, and equitable reinvestment.

This effort is powered by collaboration with Mill Creek Alliance, community councils and CDCs, the City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, SORTA, and The Cincinnati Port, with private partners like Yard & Company helping to align trail development with community-centered redevelopment.

Together, we are working to transform a long-neglected corridor into a greenway that reconnects neighborhoods to jobs in Uptown and Downtown, restores ecological health, and serves as a catalyst for reinvestment without displacement, making the Mill Creek Greenway more than a missing link in the CROWN, but a shared civic commitment.

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Looking Ahead

With the eastern portion of the CROWN nearing completion and major investments underway along the Oasis Corridor and in the Mill Creek Valley, the vision of a fully connected 34-mile loop is closer than ever. Each milestone reached builds confidence, deepens partnerships, and strengthens the case for continued investment.

The CROWN’s progress reflects what’s possible when infrastructure is shaped by collaboration, community voice, and a long-term commitment to equity and access. We’re proud of how far this work has come, and even more excited about where it’s headed.

Sustaining Momentum Together

Progress like this depends on long-term commitment. Support from individuals, partners, and institutions allows Tri-State Trails to continue the steady, behind-the-scenes work that makes trail connections possible. If you’re inspired by the progress of the CROWN and the growing trail and bikeway network across our region, we invite you to support Tri-State Trails. Thank you for being part of this movement and for helping build places where people can move, connect, and belong.