By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Plans are progressing for a multi-use path connecting Crim Elementary School and Carter Park predicted to cost about $2 million.
Bowling Green plans to seek funding for the project from the Ohio Department of Transportation, which could pay up to 90% of the expense, BG Director of Public Services Joe Fawcett told City Council Monday evening.
The purpose of the shared use path is to provide safe travel for bicyclists and pedestrians from the neighborhoods south of East Wooster Street and east of Manville Avenue to Carter Park, located on Campbell Hill Road. The pathway will also provide a safe route for school students walking and riding bikes to Crim Elementary.
The city contracted with Mannick & Smith to find a feasible layout for the 10-feet wide shared use path from Crim eastward to Carter Park.
Research was done to determine the most feasible alignment for the proposed corridor for the shared use path – with the goals of minimizing impacts to private property and minimizing costs for the project.
The layout was focused on using as much public right-of-way, school property and park property as possible for the path’s route.
There are remnants of public right-of-way for the Scott Hamilton Avenue “paper street” from Crim Street to Mercer Road, where the roadway was to be constructed, but its construction never materialized over the years.
The proposed alignment also focused on improving safety of the pathway where it will cross Mercer Road, Scott Hamilton Avenue, and Campbell Hill Road.
The shared use path will begin in the northern part of the Crim Elementary parking lot and head east toward Mercer Road. The route will then turn southward on the west side of Mercer Road to the intersection with Scott Hamilton Avenue. The path will use the existing sidewalk on the small bridge over the ditch.
At Scott Hamilton Avenue, the pathway will continue eastward along the north side of the street to the intersection with Campbell Hill Road, where it will turn southward.
A crosswalk will be installed on Campbell Hill Road, linking the path with the north driveway of Carter Park. The pathway will also continue southward on the west side of Campbell Hill Road, where another crosswalk will be installed, taking the path to the east side of Campbell Hill Road, ultimately ending at the southern entrance to Carter Park.
While the estimated cost for the multi-use path is $1.6 million, Fawcett suggested that the city plan for costs to escalate to $2 million based on the current environment of inflation and building supply cost increases.
