Worthington bike program gets underway

WORTHINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) -- A plan that’s been years in the making turns into action on Monday.

Worthington’s Bicycle Boulevard Pilot Project aims to accommodate bike and pedestrian travel in the community. The pilot will be on portions of Highland Avenue and Greenglade Avenue, with the first phase including new signs, road markings and changes to on-street parking.

“The goal is just to create a low-stress environment for walkers and cyclists and you achieve that by calming traffic,” said John Moorhead, Worthington Service & Engineering director.

It’s part of Worthington’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, with the next phase – the use of speed cushions -- being installed on Aug. 5.

“We’re phasing that, in part, because we want to understand the impact of those two things separately,” Moorhead said. “They may not both become a final recommendation.”

That final recommendation will be for nine miles of bicycle boulevards across the city to connect residents with community centers, parks and the Olentangy Trail.

“We want to build connections off of it, out into our other community amenities,” Moorehead said.

Jeff Stephens has lived in Worthington for 20 years and has become a cycling advocate across central Ohio. He moved to the area because it is already bike-friendly but is excited to see it taken to the next level.

“Just to reduce the speed by five or 10 miles an hour helps exceptionally well and it also sends a message that, ‘Hey keep your eye open for cyclists. They are probably here,’” Stephens said.

Once the changes are installed, the city will track how well it slows down traffic and see if it gets more cyclists on the streets. The results will be reported to the city council, which will also introduce final recommendations for these bicycle boulevards.

For more on the project, click here.