Imagine riding your bicycle from the Purple People Bridge into the heart of Newport without ever mixing with traffic.

In partnership with the City of Newport, Tri-State Trails is working to make that vision a reality through the proposed Saratoga Street Bikeway.

Spanning 0.7 miles from Third Street to Eleventh Street, the Saratoga Street Bikeway would serve as an arterial bikeway in Newport, connecting residents, businesses, and visitors to key destinations like the Ohio Riverfront, the Riverfront Commons trail, the CROWN trail network in Cincinnati, and beyond. A primary goal of the project is to create a safe, connected bikeway for people of all ages and abilities. By separating bicyclists from vehicular traffic and improving walkability, the project will support a more vibrant Saratoga Street for all roadway users.

Three design alternatives are currently being explored:

• A shared-use path
• A two-way protected bike lane
• One-way protected bike lanes on both sides of the street

As part of the proposed improvements, a bicycle-specific traffic signal is also being considered at the intersection of Third Street and Saratoga Street, which could be the first of its kind in Kentucky.

Public open houses were held in June and August to share these alternatives and gather community feedback. If you weren’t able to attend, you can still explore the design options and share your input through the project website.

Learn more and take the survey

“With an average of nearly 1,900 uses a day in 2023, the Purple People Bridge is the most frequently used trail facility in the Tri-State,” said Wade Johnston, Executive Director of Tri-State Trails. “This project aims to capitalize on that momentum by extending a safe bicycling connection into Newport that complements the bridge as an iconic regional connection.”