Tri-State Trails is thrilled to unveil its newly updated Low-Stress Bike Map, now with even more wayfinding through urban core and first-ring communities. The 4th edition of the map is presented by Cincinnati Metro and Cincinnati Cycle Club.

The Low-Stress Bike Map – accessible both as a digital interactive map as well as a compact, travel-sized print map, is one of Tri-State Trails’ most widely used biking and walking resources. Seeking to lower the barriers to biking that many people in our region face, the Low-Stress Bike Map provides essential information that helps everyday people get out their front door and comfortably ride or walk in their own neighborhood, not just on the trails.

Like all previous versions, the all-new Low-Stress Bike Map organizes bike routes into five general categories:

• Trails and shared use paths: The ultimate low-stress experience. Multi-use and physically separated from car traffic. Always yield to pedestrians when biking on these routes.
• Low-stress routes: These streets just feel good. With less traffic and slower speed limits, these routes bypass busy roadways to get you where you need to go.
• Use with caution routes: To make key connections, we’ve included some streets that are a little busier. Try these once you have some experience. Weekend mornings are a great time for a test ride.
• On-road bike infrastructure (bike lanes and sharrows): Our region still has some work to do in this department. Bike lanes have historically been installed where they fit on wider thoroughfares, not necessarily where they feel comfortable to ride. Consider these routes as use with caution routes.
• Walk on sidewalk: If you’re a beginner, we recommend walking your bike on the sidewalk in some cases to navigate through a particularly treacherous area. In most of our local communities, it is prohibited to ride your bike on the sidewalk.

The updates for this new version include:

• New trails and bike lanes that have recently been constructed, like Wasson Way Phase 6A, Central Parkway protected bike lane Phase 2, Edwards Road bike lanes, and more.
• A larger printed map that now covers nearly all of Cincinnati’s neighborhoods. The map window was expanded north to include Northside, College Hill, Mt. Airy, Carthage, Roselawn, Bond Hill, Pleasant Ridge, Kennedy Heights, and more.
• New routes connecting additional first-ring communities in Northern Kentucky.
• Regional trail features like the Little Miami Scenic Trail, Great Miami River Trail, Dearborn Trail, and KY 237 Trail.

Born out of what has been dubbed the “bike boom” of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in 2020, the Low-Stress Bike Map aims to answer a question Tri-State Trails began hearing a lot that year: “Where can I ride my bike?” Over a six-month period, TST held 15 public meetings and consulted more than 50 avid bicyclists throughout the region to provide the thorough breakdown of routes by skill-level and road or trail features.

Thank you to everyone who made the Low-Stress Bike Map possible!

The 2024 Low-Stress Bike Map is presented by Cincinnati Metro and Cincinnati Cycle Club, with additional support from Reser Bicycle Outfitters, Ohio’s Bike Lawyer Steve Magas, and Kentucky’s Bike Lawyer Chris Carville.

The Low-Stress Bike Map was made possible thanks to grants from the Bell Charitable Foundation, Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission, and the William P. Anderson Foundation.