FOREST PARK, Ohio — The City of Forest Park is considering safety improvements on its busiest stretch of roadway and wants your input.

Forest Park is partnering with Tri-State Trails, Great Parks, Winton Woods City School District (WWCSD), and Hamilton County Engineer’s Office (HCEO) on the project. The goal is to explore ideas for developing a mile-long trail, known as a shared-use path, along Winton Road between Sharon and Kemper roads.

The community will be presented with a series of project maps and information boards showing different route options at the public event on Tuesday, October 29, from 5-6:30pm at the Forest Park Library.

“(Shared-use trails) are generally paved 10 to 12 feet wide, providing adequate space for cyclists and pedestrians,” said Brad Bowers, Tri-State Trails project manager. “Something separated from traffic, safe for people of all ages and abilities.”

It’s part of an ongoing trail feasibility study that represents a “significant step” toward connecting the community and creating a safe walk to school for Winton Woods City Schools students.

Bowers said 22,000 to 27,000 vehicles use Winton Road daily.

“There are currently no sidewalks on Winton Road coming from the south,” said city manager Scott Falkowski. department of public works and stormwater services. “We will see students walking along medians and along roadsides and shoulders just to get to school.”

Tri-State Trails has identified a preferred alignment for the trail south of Waycross Road and Lincolnshire Drive, identified in parts one and two of the map below.

Tri-State Roads

“There’s a project the Hamilton County Engineer’s Office is working on to replace an existing bridge. They’ve committed to implementing a shared-use path on one side of the bridge,” Bowers said. “This is indeed the preferred alternative that we are looking at.”

They then chose three road alternatives from Lincolnshire Drive to Kemper Road:

• Alternative #1: neighborhood streets (Lincolnshire Drive and Jason Drive) and Central Avenue
• Alternative #2: Winton Road, Waycross Road and Central Boulevard
• Alternative #3: Winton Road from Lincolnshire Drive to Kemper Road

Tri-State Roads

Falkowski said that after community input, multiple ideas can be implemented into a single shared-use path.

“There may be more than one, so we’ll see what the public has to say and what ideas come up,” he said. “Because we’re sitting in a room, we might have a focus, but someone else will come up with a better idea.”

As part of the study, Tri-State Trails conducted a crash analysis and found that 12 serious crashes, including two pedestrian fatalities, occurred on Winton Road between 2014 and 2024.

“(There’s) a wide range of kids who will use it, namely the older generation,” Falkowsi said. he said. “Bike paths are becoming more and more popular and it’s something that’s needed. It’s an important thing.”

Falkowski said once the community feedback portion of the study is completed, they will develop a plan and present it to the Forest Park City Council to explore funding options.

“We’re getting into the phase of getting public input so we’ll have a little bit in our back pocket to seek out more grant funding so it’s not just out of city funds,” he said. in question.

If you would like to get an idea about this, you can find an online survey on the Tri-State Trails website. Here.