My Interview with Joe Stefan

I recently spoke with Joe Stefan, the Assistant Planning Director for the City of Barberton. Our topic-the connecting trail from the Tow Path trail to the Robinson Avenue Bridge. The question I ask whenever I travel on the Robinson Avenue Bridge is when will the connecting trail be completed? Joe shared that the City of Barberton would also like the trail completed. The city agrees this trail offers a critical connection to the downtown. There were a couple of reasons for the delay in the construction. The design and planning has been completed for the bridge and the trail head. The bridge needs to be a bit longer than originally anticipated due to the review of the flood plain maps. The revised bridge will be a steel structure bridge like the one over the Tuscarawas River by the treatment plant.

Available construction money is another reason for the delay in the project. Joe advised the city had applied for Clean Ohio Trail Funds this year only to be advised that Governor Kasich had decided not to fund any grants. Joe recently contacted Columbus again regarding the grants and was advised there will be one and maybe two grant cycles in 2012. He was also informed that our project is the most shovel ready but will need to be updated cost wise. The current anticipated cost of the project is $520,000 which includes the bridge design, the engineering and the trail head. We are asking for $352,000 from the Clean Ohio Trail Fund with the balance from additional grants and donations.

The first grant cycle is to be in February 2012. The job then goes out for bid with an anticipated completion date of late summer 2012. The location of the Trailhead is the city parking lot that is by the Barberton Belt Line. The plan for the Trail Head includes bicycle racks, places to sit, and information kiosks.

Joe also indicated Barberton and Norton are sponsoring an AMTS (Akron Metropolitan Transportation Study) grant. The grant will be for a study of connecting bike trails between the cities of Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth and Copley. The study is the first stage in the planning for construction of trails.

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