The Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway

1. The Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway PICTURE THIS…. An 100 mile-long green band of protected open space running through fertile farmlands, lush woodlands, over gently rolling hills, and alongside scenic waterways. • Traverses 4 counties with a • combined population of 665,000 • people which equals approximately • 6% of Ohio’s population.

2. The Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway Coalition was formalized as a 501C3 over a decade ago in order to support one another in planning and developing The Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway The Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway Coalition is comprised of representatives from four northeastern Ohio counties; Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana Regional Connection

3. Regionalization What are the benefits of regionalization? In the case of The Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway Coalition there is revenue and resource sharing in the planning and development of a 100-mile long regional trail system. A four-county coalition is influential and supportive of changes that help our cause

4. Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway Collaboration • Work collaboratively in order to develop and submit funding proposals for planning brochures, design and development of trails • In 2006, the Coalition was awarded the Kodak American Greenways Grant to cover reproduction costs of the Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway planning brochure • Layout and design services are being contributed by Mill Creek MetroParks staff

5. Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway Progress • Because of the regional collaboration and sharing of information and resources, almost 60 miles of The Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenwayhas been completed to date • Next year, another 11 miles is scheduled for construction • The remaining 30 miles are currently being planned

6. Ashtabula County MetroParks has completed approximately 20 miles of paved, ten-foot wide trail. Starting at the Trumbull County line the trail stretches 3.5 miles north to Hague Road. A 6 mile stretch is unpaved to Callender Road where the trail begins again. There are another 16 miles of paved trail from this point north to W. 52nd Street in Ashtabula City. • Construction on the 6 miles between Hague and Callender Road is scheduled for Summer 2007. • The 3.5 mile North Shore Trail segment of the Great Ohio Lake -To-River Greenway is in the planning stages from W. 52nd Street in Ashtabula City north to Lake Erie.

7. Trumbull County Metro Parks has completed approximately 15 miles of paved, ten-foot wide trail. Starting at the northern Trumbull County line the trail stretches south 14.65 miles to Champion East Road in Champion Township. The Ashtabula and Trumbull County sections of the Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway are constructed on the former Penn Central 714 line and are jointly referred to as the Western Reserve Greenway. The next 2.2 mile phase of the Western Reserve Greenway in Trumbull County will be constructed through a grant received from the Clean Ohio Trail fund, the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments and the Trumbull County Commissioners. The Trumbull County Metro Parks will also work on completing the final connection in the county between Niles and Warren

8. The City of Warren is currently working on the design phase of the Old Warren Bikeway section of the Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway. • The proposed route is a little over 2 miles long and traverses the former B&O rail line right-of-way (north from the city limits) purchased with Clean Ohio funds several years ago, various city streets and an Ohio Edison Easement right-of-way terminating at North River Road. • The City of Warren received over a $1,000,000 through Congressman Tim Ryan’s office to construct the Bikeway. The remainder of the funds needed for construction will be programmed through the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments.

9. The City of Niles is scheduled to construct approximately 4.5 miles of paved, ten-foot wide trail along the former Niles and New Lisbon Railroad right-of-way and the former Norfolk & Southern Railroad right-of-way terminating at a proposed staging area near the intersection of State Route 169 and State Route 46.

10. Mill Creek MetroParks in Mahoning County completed 11 miles of paved trail along the Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway in 2000. • The trail is constructed on the former Niles and New Lisbon Railroad right-of-way • The northern termini of the trail in Mahoning County is located at the Mahoning/Trumbull County line. The southern termini is located at Western Reserve Road in Canfield Township. • The award-winning Kirk Road Depot opened in 2003. The staging area provides a fifty-car parking lot, restrooms, a water fountain, a picnic pavilion, and a location for educational and trailside activities. • Plans for completing the remaining 6 miles of trail south from Western Reserve Road to the Columbiana County border are underway.

11. Columbiana County Park District completed 11 miles of paved trail along the Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway in 2000. • The trail is constructed between the Village of Leetonia in the northern section of Columbiana County and the Village of Lisbon in central Columbiania County. The trail runs parallel to Little Beaver Creek, one of Ohio’s Nationally Designated Scenic Rivers and is constructed on the former Erie-Lackawanna railroad right-of-way. • The Columbiana County Park District and the Friends of the Little Beaver Creek Greenway are planning the northern connection of the trail to the Mill Creek MetroParks Bikeway at the Mahoning/Columbiana county border. • The proposed southern connection to the Ohio River at East Liverpool is in the planning stages as well.

12. Plans for the Future • The Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway Coalitionwill continue to work together in order to share information on funding, promote the completion of the Great Ohio Lake-To-River Greenway and work towards developing regional projects that span all four counties including planning fundraising events on the trail and developing historical and interpretive signage for the entire 100-mile long trail.