CINCINNATI — City council has taken a step forward in the continued effort to make Cincinnati more pedestrian and bike friendly as they gave the green light to move ahead with phase two of the Central Parkway Protected Bike Lane Project.
"All in all, it's a really positive step in the right direction," said Cincinnati’s Councilmember Mark Jeffreys.
The plan is to break ground this summer and to have the phase two lanes completed by fall. Phase one of the project opened in 2015.
"It will be an all-ages and -ability protected bike lane extension for 1.7 miles from Marshall Ave to Ludlow Ave,” said Brian Goubeaux, Cincinnati's senior engineer.
When completed, the new lanes will connect downtown and OTR with Northside and Clifton.
"This is a great step forward for our community in many ways,” Jeffreys said. “This is about attracting talent to our city. Younger people want to be in cities where there's infrastructure not just for riding a car, but for taking public transit and active transportation, such as riding in a protective lane."
Safety is another major factor.
"It reduces pedestrian vehicle crashes,” Jeffreys said. “It’s safer for everyone, including those who are in cars.”
Car lanes will be reduced from two lanes in each direction to one. The idea is that with a narrower road, people will slow down. The department of transportation does not anticipate the bike lanes will slow travel times for cars.
When it comes to pedestrian safety in Cincinnati, Jeffreys says there's still work to be done, but phase two is a step in the right direction.
"This is a piece of the puzzle," Jeffreys said. "We do need engineering solutions, enforcement, and education to further advance pedestrian safety,”
