Color-coded markers will be installed

By Dale Dempsey
e-mail address: dale_dempsey@coxohio.com
Dayton Daily News

The many bike paths that weave their way around the Miami Valley are a tremendous asset to the region, but have some faults as well.

The system lacks a consistent map, clear signs along the bikeway and mileage markers.

That will change this year.

Bicycling clubs and members of the Miami Conservancy, Five Rivers MetroParks and the Miami Valley Regional Transit Authority have been meeting for six months and are close to finishing a map, which will correspond to color-coded signs to be installed along the bike paths this year.

"We get calls from all over the country from people who want to come and vacation here because of the trails, and sometimes they find it hard to get around," said Gary Boulanger, executive director of Bike Miami Valley Inc., an advocacy group.

Boulanger said local riders also complain about the absence of signs on the bikeway.

"Now everything is just implied," he said. "There needs to be a sign that says, ‘Xenia Station is that way and it's 18 miles.’ "

Kelly Fackel of the conservancy district said the group hopes to use the Montgomery County map as a model for future maps of Miami, Butler and Warren County trails. The conservancy district is working with the Ohio Department of Transportation to extend the bikeway along the Great Miami River all the way to Cincinnati.

"Eventually we'll have a map for all of southwest Ohio," Fackel said.

The conservancy district, which maintains the trails along with Five Rivers MetroParks, also plans to erect kiosks at some of the more popular places to get on the trails, such as Crains Run and RiverScape. Sign plans for the bikeways also will include markers every half-mile.

Fackel said the maps should be out by March.

The nearly finished map gives an overview of the region's bike trails that are color-coded to pop-out maps that show individual trails in greater detail. Legends on the map show the location of parking, restrooms, parks, drinking water and picnic areas. It also will have useful information such as emergency phone numbers, who to call for maintenance and bikeway rules (bicycle riders should stay to the right; runners and in-line skaters to the left.)

A number code on the map will tell people the exact mileage of trails, broken down into sections. For example, on the Great Miami Recreational Trail, the distance from Webster Street to Island MetroPark is 1.58 miles.

The milage is an important factor for Boulanger.

"Bike Miami Valley is the area's biking information center," he said. "Youth groups like Indians and Princesses are big users of the bikeway and they want to know mileage. Camp Kern is a great destination spot."

The map will be updated every three years or so and will be available on the Web.

Group members also hope a unified map and sign system will promote biking in the area.

"We want Montgomery County to be seen as a destination, not just a starting point," said Anita Patton of the Dayton Cycling Club.

• Contact Dale Dempsey at 225-2270 or e-mail him at dale_dempsey@coxohio.com

[From the Dayton Daily News: 01.13.2002]