ANDOVER – With the first couple of phases of the construction of the Pymatuning Greenway Trail completed, Brett Bellas has been hard at work to move the next phases forward as quickly as possible.
Bellas, the executive director of Ashtabula County Metroparks, delivered good news to the Andover Village Council during a regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
“We are under design right now for phase 1.3 and have the construction dollars to do that,” Bellas said. “About a week and a half ago, two weeks ago, we were awarded design funding for all of phase 1.4. That’s going to take us to the Pennsylvania state line on the bike trail.”
Bellas requested village council draft a letter of support to help Ashtabula County Metroparks secure grant funding for construction of the fourth phase of the trail.
“What this will do is move our original plan, depending, we were planning on it in the way the grant cycles come through, this moves the Pennsylvania state line being finished, if we’re awarded, by two years,” Bellas said. “We would be able to, hopefully, put phases 1.3 and 1.4 design out to construction at the same time, and they would kind of do what they did here with phases 1.1 and 1.2. We’re very excited about it and pulling in more funding that would go elsewhere.”
Significant progress has been made on the project.
“I have a meeting with the Pennsylvania side of Pymatuning, with their park manager, to get that linkage on their side,” Bellas said. “I stopped over at the Williamsfield trustees a few months back to get a connection through Gay Avenue, right to the Ohio side and to the state park. We are moving and moving fast.”
The progress being made by Ashtabula County Metroparks is spurring movement on the Pennsylvania side, as well.
“Because of all the movement that we’re getting, all this traction and funding, it’s really gearing up the Pennsylvania side to get it down to Jamestown,” Bellas said.
Bellas told village council that the portion of the trail that has been completed is being utilized.
“We have the counter out here that we put in shortly after the ribbon cutting, and it counts the tire marks of the bicycles,” Bellas said. “Since we put it in and the guys checked it about two weeks ago, we had over 3,000 users hit that thing, and I’m not getting the walkers, I’m just getting the people that are riding over that or jumping on it like an old gas hose at the gas station.”
“It’s working,” Bellas continued. “People are using it, people are enjoying it, and when we get longer stretches, you’re going to pull even more people in. At the Greenway Trail in Austinburg, we put the same counter up at the same time and we were had more than 10,000 users over there.”
Village Councilman Richard Orahood noted that between 30 and 50 people weekly and, during the summertime, 400 people monthly, look for the Pymatuning Greenway Trail on the village website.
“We have a map showing how to go through town, and they can download or actually look at it on their phone screen,” Orahood said.
Bellas said that updates were being made to maps for businesses to hand next spring.
Orahood also passed along some feedback from village businesses.
“I was going to mention to you, Brett, that I have talked to a couple businesses, and they have told me they have received customers because of the bike trail,” Orahood said. “That one picture I sent, I was just driving by one day, and there were two bicycles in front of the bakery. I talked to her, and she says she gets regular bikers coming in. I know I get bikes going down Orchard Street where I live and sometimes they’ll come back by and they’ll have an ice cream, riding with one hand. It is working, I believe. I don’t know about West Side Deli. I don’t know if they’ve gone down that far, McDonald’s, but I’m pretty sure that if they see it, and want to, it’s right there.”
Soon, signs will be posted guiding bicyclists through the village.
“I was in contact with Rich (Mead, Andover Village administrator),” Bellas said. “We did purchase signs and dropped them off earlier today, so however you folks want to make the route of those suggested areas, we’ve got the signs. There’s a big bicycle thing and arrow, so we should have plenty to get all the way and make the connection.”
The village’s business community is already making requests to accommodate those bicyclists who stop to enjoy a meal or shop.
“The bakery owner also asked me to ask you if there’s any chance of getting some bicycle racks, whether we raise money or whatever, because the people are asking for secure bike racks,” Orahood said. “She had a couple come in and both their bikes were well over $10,000 and they asked to bring them inside.”
A bike rack could easily be installed.
“I do have a bike rack at one of the shops,” Bellas said. “We could bring that up here and put it somewhere, but if you want it on the Square, I think we need to contact Andover Township. I’m willing to do that also to see if they would.”
Village Councilwoman Alicen Limestoll asked if there was a mile marker system in place in case EMS is needed along the trail.
“Because it’s a work in progress, those mile markers are always going to change,” Bellas said. “Right now, the best way to do that is your road crossings. At every road crossing, there is a sign of what road that they’re on. That would be the easiest for now. Once we get to the line, then we can start putting benches every half mile.”
Orahood envisions that even more bicyclists will find their way into town once the trail goes all the way to the state line.
“I think it’s really going to help when it goes down to the state park and you’re going to end up getting the state park people from the Pennsylvania side,” Orahood said. “It’ll be a good connection.”
