The Observer, November 17, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 11
Cleveland on Fire: Completion of Towpath Trail needed for city economy and development
Ohio is fortunate enough to have one of the most impressive multi-purpose trails in the country. The Ohio-Erie Towpath Trail starts 110 miles south of Cleveland and allows walking, jogging, and cycling along the canal throughout the state until you get to our city.
Although not at a fault of the city, the Towpath Trail ends six miles south of Lake Erie at Harvard Road in Cleveland's Slavic Village neighborhood. The last stretch of unfinished land travels through the core of the industrial valley and the toxic steel sites that once made Cleveland excel stand in its way.
Plans currently call for the final expansion of the trail to a proposed park in the Flats that would provide a glistening gem to the trail and the city. However, the last leg is still in need of about $20 million in funding, and the current plan does not call for completion for at least another decade. This completion is of huge importance to the region, and it should be forced to the forefront of development issues in Northeast Ohio.
Following alongside the Ohio-Erie Canal, this trail is a beautiful and historic path that provides both fantastic green space and a view into the history of this state and its industrial heritage. Countless pedestrians from throughout the state enjoy the leisurely path as it passes through towns, parks, and valleys – all the while along the canal waterway. The more adventurous types may take a trek from city to city or across the state on their bikes. Tourists to Ohio can enjoy a hike from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Akron all the way up to Cleveland – or at least they should be able to.
Many physical development projects are valued in the profit that an investor, developer, or city will gain. This measurement is difficult for public projects, especially green space developments. Although certain economic methods can be used, these are often–time consuming and difficult. However, the results of these studies done throughout the world have proven that completion of public projects such as the Towpath Trail is economically beneficial to a region.
Furthermore, the trail makes logical sense in a plan to create an attractive and sustainable region. Cleveland is built on an asset that many locations do not have – two waterways. To the north is one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world, and running through downtown is the Cuyahoga River. What both of these have in common is that it is nearly impossible to enjoy a walk along them when you are in the city of Cleveland. Two sources of natural pleasure are blocked by roads, steel mills, and fences.
When the Towpath Trail is completed into the Flats and up to Lake Erie, there is no reason why it should not be extended in an enjoyable and safe greenway along the lake. Paths like this are catalysts for development and tourism – one needs to look only to the great parks across the country, or even the lakefront in Chicago. While Cleveland should not seek to emulate another region's success, it can learn from elsewhere to help create our own niche.
The leaders of this region understand the importance of the Towpath Trail but do not have any urgency in their plans for completion. That is where a regional approach to the last leg would help with the development. It is not a problem held just by the city of Cleveland, but of the entire region because it affects tourism, image, and anyone from Northeast Ohio who wants to use the path. If money was pooled together, this could be a path completed within three to four years instead of potentially in 12 or 15. That is what world-class regions do, and that's what Cleveland should strive for.
