Saratoga Street Bikeway

The Saratoga Street Bikeway will reimagine Saratoga Street as a safe, comfortable corridor for walking and biking—connecting the iconic Purple People Bridge, our region’s most-used trail, to the heart of Newport.

Aerial view of Saratoga Street near Sixth Street (looking north)

About the Saratoga Street Bikeway Project

The City of Newport, working in partnership with Tri-State Trails and Compass Infrastructure Group, is proposing a 0.7-mile protected bikeway from Third Street to Eleventh Street, the Saratoga Street Bikeway. This project would establish a central spine for bicycling in Newport, connecting residential neighborhoods and businesses to the Purple People Bridge. By creating a separated and protected facility for bicyclists, this route would accommodate people of all ages and abilities, while also improving roadway safety for pedestrians and vehicles.

This project is advancing as a top recommendation from the 2024 Covington + Newport Bicycle Transportation Plan. The project team is preparing preliminary engineering exhibits to compare several design options and their associated construction costs. Feedback gathered through this public engagement process will help inform the selection of a preferred design, which will be used to prepare for future construction grant opportunities.

Project Goals & Benefits

Project goals

Create a safe, protected bikeway on Saratoga Street from the Purple People Bridge to Eleventh Street.
Enhance the pedestrian experience along Saratoga Street.
Improve intersection design for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Preserve and expand tree canopy by increasing buffer zones where possible.
Minimize or eliminate parking loss along Saratoga Street.

Project Benefits

Enhance bicycle connectivity within the City of Newport
Expand safe walking and biking opportunities for all ages and abilities
Improve public health and promote active lifestyles
Promote sustainable transportation choices and car-free travel options
Encourage economic development and increase property values

Public Engagement

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!

The City of Newport and Tri-State Trails are hosting a public open house for the Saratoga Street Bikeway Project on August 6, 2026 from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM. Community members are invited to share their experiences walking and biking along Saratoga Street and provide input on the initial design alternatives for the new bikeway.

Saratoga Street Neighborhood meeting - June 26, 2025

Tri-State Trails presented the initial design alternatives to residents and businesses along Saratoga Street at a neighborhood meeting held on June 26, 2025. If you live or work along Saratoga Street and weren’t able to attend, a brief survey is available below to share your feedback.

Saratoga Street public open house - August 6, 2025

Where: Campbell County Public Library: Newport Branch (901 E 6th St, Newport, KY 41071)

When: August 6, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

The Public Open House will be held in the President’s Room at the Newport Branch of the Campbell County Public Library. Project boards and maps will be available for review, and the project team will be on hand to answer questions and gather input. A short presentation by Tri-State Trails will begin at 6:30 PM. Newport residents and members of the public are encouraged to attend and share their feedback.

Initial Alternatives

We’ve developed initial design alternatives for the Saratoga Street Bikeway, and we want to hear from the people who live and work along Saratoga Street.

Check out the alternatives below to see the different options being considered. Then, complete the survey to share your feedback and help shape the future design.

Your input is important and will help guide the City of Newport, Tri-State Trails, and Compass Infrastructure Group as we move forward with the project.

Alternative 1 - 10.5' - 11.5' wide bike path on west side of Saratoga Street

Alternative 2A - Two-way protected bike lane on west side of Saratoga St - 10' - 11' wide from Third St to 9th St, 8-ft wide from 9th St to 11th St

Alternative 2B - 11' wide two-way protected bike lane, with shifted bike lane where stairs encroach into sidewalk to keep consistent width

Alternative 3 - 5.75-ft one-way protected bike lanes on both sides of Saratoga St

Street Tree Map - Inventories existing street tree species and their condition on Saratoga Street

Take the Survey!

Help guide the design of the proposed Saratoga Street Bikeway! The survey takes only a few minutes, and your input will inform the next steps of the project. The survey will remain open through September 2, 2025.

Saratoga Street Bikeway - Public Input Survey

How We Got Here

In 2019, Tri-State Trails organized the Connect NKY project to pilot temporary bike lanes on Saratoga Street and nearby corridors through a weeklong demonstration. Public events, surveys, and bike counts informed design recommendations. The project revealed strong community support and helped shape future mobility investments—laying the groundwork for today’s Saratoga Street Bikeway effort.

Fast forward to August 2024, when the City of Newport adopted the Covington + Newport Bicycle Transportation Plan after a year-long planning process. The plan outlines a series of infrastructure and programmatic recommendations for both cities, developed with input from local officials in Covington and Newport, as well as representatives from KYTC.

One key recommendation from the plan was the NKY Bikeway Loop concept, which envisions a safe, connected bikeway circulator network in Northern Kentucky's urban core. Saratoga Street plays a central role in this loop, serving as a arterial corridor connecting to the Purple People Bridge—the most heavily used trail in the region. Other important bikeway corridors in Newport include 5th Street, 10th Street, and 12th Street, with the 4th Street Bridge and Licking River Girl Scout Bridge providing vital connections to Covington.

Saratoga St - NKY Loop Trail 11x17 (web)

In early 2025, Tri-State Trails secured funding to advance high-priority segments of the Covington + Newport Bike Plan—starting with improved bike facilities on Saratoga Street.

In April 2025, Tri-State Trails partnered with the City of Newport and Compass Infrastructure Group to begin a focused planning process for the Saratoga Street Bikeway Project. This effort will evaluate and develop design alternatives for a shared-use path or protected bike lane along Saratoga Street, from the Purple People Bridge to 11th Street.

The Saratoga Street Bikeway planning process includes:

Data Collection – Reviewing roadway conditions, traffic patterns, and existing infrastructure
Development of Alternatives – Exploring multiple bikeway design options for Saratoga Street
Community Engagement – Gathering input from residents through meetings and an online survey
Preliminary Engineering – Refining a preferred design and preparing a cost estimate
Final Deliverables – Creating a summary report and design exhibits to support future grant funding

The project launched in spring 2025 and will be completed by fall 2025.