Archive for Wasson Way Project

The Wasson Way Project

There is no better time to proceed with the Wasson Way Project than now.  It will produce a 6.5 mile Bike and Pedestrian Path from Xavier University to the Little Miami Bike Trail in Newtown!

Jay Andress has spearheaded the effort to make the win-win Wasson Way project a reality and has outline the benefits for Mariemont below:

  • It connects all the families and children safely to the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail, which is currently so close but yet separated by a very dangerous and busy road.
  • The Wasson Way and a connector will provide complete off-road access for Terrace Park students to Mariemont High School
  • Through two access points (near the community swimming pool and by Kroger’s), Mariemont residents will be able to ride into Hyde Park…only two miles away on the bike trail…crossing trestles above Wooster Pike, Red Bank Road and in Ault Park.
  • The trail will be a bike commuter route for not only Mariemont residents but for all those folks in Newtown, Anderson, Fairfax, Terrace Park and all other areas along the Little Miami Scenic Trail. Thousands of students at Xavier will be able to easily ride to school.
Flyer Facebook Postcard  Jay Andress and his group have had good meetings with the Hamilton County Park’s Director Jack Sutton and his planner Tim Zelek about building an off-road connector from Kroger’s up the Wooster Pike Hill to the Mariemont Library. That work in continuing with discussions with Kroger’s and others.
   They want to get input from the residents of Mariemont about access points, trail design, and especially amenities in the areas of Mariemont Gardens (South 80) and near Kroger’s. For that purpose they are hosting, along with students and professors from UC Niehoff Urban Design Center and ten professional architects a Community Design Workshop at Clark Montessori School at 8:30am on October 12th. Jay Andress will also be having a community party on Friday, October 18th at Hyde Park Floral and Garden (corner of Michigan and Wasson Roads) to reveal the results of the workshop and celebrate the next big step…moving forward with planning and construction.
Below is a map of the Wasson road trail
WassonWayMapGeneralPurpose

Wasson Way: A project that is shovel ready!

It is time to proceed with the Wasson Way Project that will produce a 6.5 mile Bike and Pedestrian Path from Xavier University to the Little Miami Bike Trail in Newtown!

An interconnecting network of bike and hiking paths has health and recreational benefits and the Wasson Way Project that runs through Mariemont is an affordable natural pathway to connect hundreds of miles of trails. Recently, I walked the length of the abandoned railroad tracks that skirts the North side of the ‘South 80’ and would extend behind Mariemont Krogers.  Aside from settling the issues of railroad ownership of the right-of-way and modest financing, I see no downside to proceeding and it is hard for me to believe that this small ‘piece’ of the Eastern Corridor can influence the ultimate development of the Red Bank Road extender to Route 32 or the light rail for public transportation proposed by Todd Portune.

Wasson Way ProjectThe Wasson Way Project Website

We need an open discussion and further feedback from those involved in the decision making process.