PERRYSBURG — There were mixed reactions to the multi-use path master plan that was discussed during the city council service committee meeting on Wednesday.
A new map includes current, finished and discussed city projects, but also federal, state and Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments projects.
“What they showed us is a master plan of what are current places where we have multi-use paths, what are in design phase, ones that are in design phase by the city engineer and where we would also like to see them,” said Councilman Mark Weber, who is a committee member.
Weber is an avid cyclist and has received communications from residents about descriptions of what might happen in proposed areas.
Included in the map are both multi-use paths and bike paths.
“Not approved by city council are the (proposed paths). I would call it a wish list. Now all those don’t have to be multi-use paths. Some of those might be bike lanes. But none of that has been determined yet. It’s kind of just looking ahead, to where we might like to see connections, for non-motorized vehicles,” Weber said.
He said that the funding had also not been considered for the proposed paths, which might impact the type of path it could be.
City Administrator Bridgette Kabat gave a greater description of the multi-use paths. While it’s defined on the city website as having a minimum width of 10 feet, she added that the city paths have a 10-inch base depth with 4 inches of asphalt on top.
A multi-use path could be used by cyclists, and also for pedestrian travel, such as walking, running and roller skating. Automobiles are not allowed on a multi-use path. Designated bike routes are on roads that utilize the standard rules of the road and deal with motorized vehicles, such as cars and trucks.
The map also includes state and federally recognized bike routes.
“Even though some of those areas are just roads,” Weber said. “The U.S. bike route, I think is known to the cyclists around the country. I think it’s West River Road and down Hull Prairie Road. If someone’s (a cyclist) from out of town, they know that designated bike route.
“There won’t be any sort of bike lane. I guess it’s just for anyone that’s looking for designated bike routes, as they are coming through the area,” he said.
Five Point Road is similarly designated, by the state, as a bike route.
Councilwoman Jan Materni, the service committee chair who is also a cyclist and runner, would like to have these bike routes and multi-use paths connected more completely with the rest of the county and to other counties.
“I was not surprised by the master plan, because we have talked about connectivity and how we might connect to other areas,” Materni said. “On a personal note, what I would love to see built would be a bike path from Hull Prairie at Fort Meigs Road. We have paths, piecemeal, to the middle school, but to also continue the path from there all the way down to the Slippery Elm. That is one of my biggest things, but a lot of that is outside my jurisdiction.”
She talked about how runners and cyclists could then travel all the way from Perrysburg to North Baltimore on paths.
“I would love to see this happen and I’ve been in conversations with various people about it, but it hasn’t gone too far,” Materni said.
She sees it as a potential lost revenue for local businesses, and the city, from tourists. She also believes there would be federal money to support the idea.
The 13-mile Slippery Elm trail begins in Bowling Green and extends through to North Baltimore.
Councilman Kevin Fuller has a different perspective.
“I’m looking at the proposed (paths) and that seems a significant way out (in time),” Fuller said. “It’s definitely not something that I’m pushing.”
He is looking at public utility issues as being a higher priority.
Currently, the administration has Fort Meigs Road and the riverfront path, which parallel Front Street, in the approved design phase. Weber confirmed the city engineer is planning for this construction in 2024. Fort Meigs has ditch issues that are impacting design and construction.
