Regionalization

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 Ohios population.

2
Regional Connection

• 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

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 Greenway has 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 BO 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 Ryans 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 Ohios 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 Coalition
  will 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.