CLEVELAND — Editor's Note: The above video is from a previously published story
On Wednesday, Cleveland Metroparks officially unveiled Red Line Greenway, an all-purpose trail that stretches nearly two miles and links the area around W. 65th Street to Irishtown Bend and the West Bank of the Flats.
Wednesday's opening was celebrated by a ribbon cutting at the trail access point on Columbus Road where Cleveland Metroparks was joined by project partners and supporters including LAND studio, The Trust for Public Land, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), and Cleveland Rotary Club.
The Red Line Greenway directly connects eight Cleveland neighborhoods along its route from the Michael Zone Recreation Center Park at West 53rd Street to the Cleveland Foundation Centennial Lake Link Trail at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Columbus Road. Additional access points include West 44th Street, West 41st Street, West 25th Street and Columbus Road near Abbey Avenue and Franklin Avenue.
The trail runs parallel along the RTA Red Line, utilizing the former RTA right-of-way, with additional pull-off areas for recreation, picnicking and more.
The Red Line Greenway is part of the Re-Connecting Cleveland project, which also includes the upcoming Whiskey Island Connector Trail and Wendy Park Bridge, as well as the completed Canal Basin Park Connector and Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway Connector. Combined, the five projects link more than 66,000 Cleveland residents with over 4 miles of trails to centers of employment, schools, shopping districts and parks and provides a new link between Cleveland and its lakefront.
“The Re-Connecting Cleveland project including the newly opened Red Line Greenway is doing just that — it is reconnecting our communities through a bold vision only possible through successful partnerships and community support,” said Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian M. Zimmerman in a statement. “This new accessible trail is breaking transportation barriers that have existed for decades and will improve access to and from downtown.”
Both the Whiskey Island Connector Trail and Wendy Park Bridge are expected to open late next month.
You can see more about the Red Line Greenway in the below video, courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks.
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