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The Beechmont connector is about to be real

Thursday, March 11, 2021 by Wade Johnston

After years of planning and coordinating, one of the longest paved multi-use paths in America will be connected to Downtown Cincinnati.

In the fall of 2022, the completed Beechmont Connector will allow you to get on your bicycle and ride directly from the Little Miami Scenic Trail to the trails at Lunken Airport and Armleder Park. You won’t have to brave the Beechmont Levee anymore to reach the Ohio River Trail. You’ll get to ride on a separate bridge–just for pedestrians and bikes.

“This last, critical piece of the Little Miami Scenic Trail will link hundreds of thousands of people to more recreation, entertainment, and business opportunities, plus many parks and preserves throughout Southwest Ohio,” Todd Palmeter, CEO of Great Parks, said in a press release.

This connection is a gamechanger. Through our trail monitoring program, we estimate that 2.68 million people traveled on the 50 miles of Little Miami Scenic Trail in Greater Cincinnati in 2020. That’s up 54% from 1.74 million uses in 2019. Now all those trail users will be able to ride into downtown Cincinnati.

Not only will this change the way people use the trail to include more transportation uses, we think we’ll see an increase in bicycle tourism along the Ohio to Erie Trail. This soon-to-be US Bike Route spans 326-miles from Cleveland to Cincinnati.

Construction will include not just the addition to the bridge to separate bicyclists and pedestrians from automobile traffic, but an underpass tunnel to facilitate bicycle and pedestrians connecting to the trail system.

“This long-awaited connection will provide a safe route for cyclists and will bridge the gap for all trail users to help achieve our vision for the CROWN 34-mile urban loop,” said Wade Johnston, director of Tri-State Trails. “We’re thankful that Great Parks is playing a leading role in expanding this high use trail that serves as a recreation and transportation system for residents in the area.”

Check out additional coverage of this story from the Cincinnati Enquirer, City Beat, and Fox 19.

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