ANDERSON TRAILS AND RELATED WALKWAY DEVELOPMENT

 

The 1993 Anderson Township Transportation Plan and the 1986 Sidewalk Plan identified the needs for walkways, bikeways, and trails to facilitate non-vehicular movement and provide ready access to locations such as schools, the post office, parks, retail centers, the library, recreational facilities, health centers, and public transportation. As a legacy of the Anderson Township Bicentennial celebration, the Anderson Trails concept was developed. This recognized the need and began the process to provide the links to connect desired destinations with areas which have existing walkways or are otherwise regarded as safe for pedestrians or bicyclists. Another goal of Anderson Trails is improvement of the quality of life and community spirit by allowing leisurely movement among neighborhoods.

 

Consequently, in 1999 the Anderson Township Transportation Advisory Committee and Board of Township Trustees prepared the Anderson Trails Plan to identify areas where the Township would construct future trails and other links. This plan would then try to tie in many residential areas, long existing as well as newly constructed, where sidewalks were constructed by the developer. In addition, zoning incentives are in place to require sidewalks on commercial property for new or substantial redevelopment (and encourage them in connection with other changes). Therefore, for best utilization of these existing sidewalks, links between them (i.e., Anderson Trails) are necessary.

 

The links that are most needed and advocated by the Anderson Trails Plan are along the older roads controlled by Hamilton County and which are principal parts of the roadway network for Township residents and businesses. To date, walkways along those important connections have been achieved only by Township-initiated action and funding. It is not the intent of the

 

Anderson Trails program to build walks within subdivisions. Also, while links along Beechmont Avenue are ultimately vital to this connectivity, it is anticipated that privately funded walks and hard surface connections between properties could be achieved by the Township cooperating with property owners, consistent with the Beechmont Corridor Plan.

The following statements shall serve as a guide for the incorporation or management of Anderson Trails walkways. As segments of Anderson Trails are developed, presumably to be followed by other public walkways and/or bikeway segments, it is necessary to have developed definitions and parameters to guide staff and reflect intent and institutional experience. It is expected that policy statements such as those listed below will form a cumulative reference and, when they become too voluminous for easy referral, will continue to be subsequently categorized and reorganized.

 

1. Anderson Trails is a network of walkways both within and outside of pre-existing rights of way. These walkways link public facilities and/or dominant features of the community and are intended to provide both a recreational opportunity and an alternative to motor vehicle transportation.

 

2. Once the Board of Township Trustees has designated the need for a walkway link between two or more features and a route has been identified, public funds together with donated resources, if available, will be used to acquire property or easements, construct a walkway of appropriate width and quality, and maintain the walkway in a safe condition. If a trail is designated along an existing sidewalk, the Township will assume financial responsibility normally only if this link is incorporated into a Trails project, such as the extension of the walk on either or both ends of the existing sidewalk segment. At this time, the Township will assume the costs of any upgrades to the sidewalk, as well as any future maintenance responsibilities, as the Township would have built the segment of walk if it did not previously exist.

 

3. Anderson Trails walkways will be constructed of cost-efficient material appropriate to the sites they traverse, including wood chips, gravel, asphalt and concrete. To the degree practicable and as required by law, the trails will be handicap-accessible. Routes for the Anderson Trails network will be recommended to the Township Trustees by the Anderson Township Development Services Department; construction and maintenance will be coordinated by and be the responsibility of the Road Maintenance Department. 4. In situations where a developer contributes private funds to construct sidewalks off site from the proposed development, pursuant to the Anderson Township Sidewalk Plan (Revised March 20, 2003), these walks shall be constructed and later maintained by the Township as Anderson Trails sidewalks, so long as the sidewalk links to an existing or proposed Anderson Trails sidewalk. 5. The Board of Township Trustees reserves the right to make exceptions to this policy on a case by case basis.

Revision and Approval: February 4, 2004.

 

 

 

 

Beechmont Sidewalks - As outlined in the Beechmont Corridor Plan, the Township is actively involved in the construction of sidewalks and other paths along the Beechmont corridor to help improve pedestrian safety and accessibility in Anderson's primary business district. Construction of the first major sections of sidewalk, those between Tallberry and Five Mile Road on both the north and south sides occurred in 2005 and 2007. Other sections of sidewalk along Beechmont will be constructed through a combination of private and public funds (those allocated through Tax Increment Financing funds for Beechmont improvements). Looking forward, one segment that will be a priority on Beechmont will include improvements along the south side of Beechmont Avenue, between Shangrila Drive and Forest Roads. These walks will facilitate pedestrian connections at the Five Mile and Beechmont intersection with the forthcoming Continuous Flow Intersection (CFI). Finally, future sidewalk construction will occur with private developments and the Township should attempt to work with such construction to facilitate the connections made possible through these new walks.

Ohio River Trail – The Ohio River Trail is a 14+/- mile multi-modal trail linking the City of Cincinnati from Lunken Airport through Anderson Township and terminating in the Village of New Richmond. With the guidance of the Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments, and participation of each jurisdiction along the corridor, a year long study of this route concluded in 2000. This study identified the costs of various routes and identified a preferred alignment. While additional detail study of this corridor is progressing, each jurisdiction, including Anderson Township, is now moving forward with its own implementation strategy. Similarly, other jurisdictions are also studying and moving forward with segments within their community, but each working closely with the others as part of the Ohio River Trail Planning Committee. The first phase of the Ohio River Trail is a 1.4 mile segment in Anderson Township between Sutton and Five Mile Road, with the alignment on the north side paralleling Kellogg Avenue. This segmentwas completed in 2010/2011 construction season. Anderson Township will start studying the next  segment of the trail, from Five Mile Road east to the Clermont County border.

Little Miami Scenic Trail – In the summer of 2008, Anderson Township and the Hamilton County Park District received a Federal Transportation Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant to extend the Little Miami Scenic Trail south from the Little Miami Golf Center along a route paralleling State Road 32, to a new trailhead or future trail segment (coming north from Beechmont) at Clough Pike. With this funding in place, and construction scheduled for 2012 and 2013, this project is not included in this Plan, nor are future extensions of this Trail through Anderson south of Clough and possibly in the Elstun Road corridor. Regional efforts will continue to complete this trail through Anderson Township and ultimately connect to Lunken Airport.

Clough Pike – In the summer of 2008, Anderson Township received a Federal Transportation Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant to make improvements within the Clough Pike Business District, between Newtown Road and Berkshire Road. This project will entail roadway improvements, driveway changes, and the installation of a sidewalk along the north/east side of this roadway. This project is scheduled for 2012 and is therefore excluded from the Plan. Connecting walks, such as those on Bartels, however, which are not part of the grant, remain in this Plan and are to be built with Clough improvements.

Asbury Road - In the summer of 2007, Anderson Township received a Federal Transportation Enhancement (TE) grant to construct a sidewalk along Asbury Road from Beechmont Avenue south to Coldstream Woods Drive. This project was identified as requiring grant funding in the 2005 Trails Plan Update, and with construction scheduled to start in the fall 2011, it is excluded from this Plan. However, connecting walks or shoulder improvements on Forest Road are not part of this grant, thus this segment remains in the Trail Plan.

 

 

Anderson Trails Completed Projects -Over the past decade, over 23 miles of Anderson Trails have been constructed, with the bulk of which occurring since 2009.