Sue Kiesewetter, Special to The Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK Published 2:11 p.m. ET July 27, 2020

Shared-use paths such as this one give walkers, runners and bikers a lane free from motor vehicles. A p10-foot wide asphalt path along the west side of CIncinnati-Dayton Road is part of Liberty Township's connectivity plan and the township is getting money from ODOT to make it happen.(Photo: Photo courtesy of Ethan Brook)

LIBERTY TWP A nearly $1 million safety grant will pay to construct a multi-use path in Liberty Townships central business district.

It is the largest such grant the township has received to fund a part of its connectivity plan, approved by trustees three years ago.

The $933,000 Ohio Department of Transportation grant will pay for a 10-foot wide, asphalt path that would be constructed along the west side of Cincinnati-Dayton Road. It would provide access between Liberty Way and Yankee, road, under Ohio 129.

[Subscribe now for unlimited access to Cincinnati.com]

The new path would also connect the existing trail at Hamilton-Mason Road with the Yankee Road path.

The path is part of the townships connectivity plan, approved three years ago. The plans goal is to construct multi-use paths so people can walk or bike to school, work, shopping, and other activities.

The staff found this grant, put the application together, and presented it. It was their hard work that got this funded, said Trustee Tom Farrell.

Our whole plan for walkability is to be a leader not a follower.

The project also includes curb ramps and crosswalks across Ohio 129 ramp intersections and the installation of pedestrian signals at traffic signals.

Liberty Township received a state grant to build a shared-use path along Cincinnati-Dayton Road that will keep pedestrians and bike riders off the busy roadway. The path is marked with a blue line.(Photo: Provided)

Preliminary engineering work and a detailed design will take place over the next year at costs of $65,333 and $32,667 respectively, according to a July 10 letter from ODOT, awarding the grant.

Right of way acquisition follows at a cost of $100,000 with construction beginning in 2022 or 2023 at a cost of $735,000.

There is no cost to the township other than the $20,500 the township spent on preliminary feasibility studies for the project, said Caroline McKinney, the townships director of economic development and one of the grant authors.

In its presentation to ODOT for the safety grant, the township cited a lack of dedicated pedestrian or bicycle pathways along the busy road. Between 2015 and 2019 there were 252 crashes along the road, including one that involved a bicycle.

Other factors cited as a need for the path were to improve safety at the Ohio 129 interchange, its location within the townships growth corridor, commercial development in the last decade and close proximity to neighborhoods, schools, services and entertainment.

Read or Share this story: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2020/07/27/liberty-twp-gets-grant-extend-walking-and-biking-path/5518231002/

View original post here:

Liberty Twp. gets grant to extend walking and biking path - The Cincinnati Enquirer