Expanding the People Trails
We celebrate the 20+ miles of People Trails enjoyed by runners, bikers, walkers, those with special needs, commuters and more. The People Trails allow our community to participate in healthy activities as well as offer an alternative means of transportation for many. Help us to continue expanding Columbus People Trails by donating to the People Trail Fund!
2023 Projects
1821 Trail – COMPLETED
The 1821 Trail, a legacy project for Columbus’ Bicentennial celebration, is a shared use path planned for construction along 1st Street. The path will connect the Riverfront Project at Brown Street to the existing shared use path at Lafayette Avenue. This project is an important piece of the south of downtown People Trail connection.
When complete, this path will be part of the People Trail Network.
25th Street East Side Shared Use Path
The City is planning to construct a shared use path on the north side of 25th Street between Fairlawn Drive and Talley Road. This project will connect the Talley Road Shared Use Path, which is currently planned for construction in 2026, to Fairlawn Drive, which can provide access to the recently completed Taylor Road Shared Use Path by way of local streets.
This project will enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety in an area that currently lacks a safe connection.
The 25th Street East Side Shared Use Path is listed as a Tier 2 – Secondary Priority Project in the City of Columbus Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
This project is expected to be completed in 2023.
3rd Street / Lindsey Street Improvement – COMPLETED
In bicycle and pedestrian collision data collected since 2012, the 3rd Street / Lindsey Street intersection is the location with the highest number of collisions. This intersection is also identified by local bicyclists and pedestrians as a conflict point in need of improvement.
In order to encourage bicyclists and pedestrians to avoid this intersection when traveling east, an enhanced trail, including widening, is planned through Mill Race Park. Bicyclists and pedestrians traveling east will be encouraged to travel though Mill Race Park to access downtown, rather than traveling east toward 3rd Street.
When complete, this path will be part of the People Trail Network.
Goeller Boulevard Shared Use Path – COMPLETED
The City of Columbus intends to widen the existing shared use path along Goeller Boulevard to better accommodate bi-directional pedestrian and bicyclist traffic.
A portion of this project, between Tipton Lakes Boulevard and Terrace Lake Road, has been completed. This improvement was completed at the same time as a sewer project led by the City of Columbus.
The section north of Terrace Lake Road is expected to completed at a later date.
Lowell Road Improvement Project
The City of Columbus and Bartholomew County have partnered to implement the Lowell Road Improvement Project, which will improve a road in an area of our community that is experiencing residential growth.
The City portion, which includes the area between County Road 150 W and County Road 200 W, will consist of a travel lane in each direction, a center turn lane, a shared use path on the south side of the street, and a sidewalk on the north side of the street. The shared use path from the City section will extend west on the south side of the street across the Barnaby Acres subdivision. The County portion, which includes the area between County Road 200 W and County Road 325 W, will consist of a travel lane in each direction and an 8 foot wide paved shoulder on both sides of the road.
This project does not include an update to the I-65 overpass; however, INDOT is contemplating such an improvement in the future.
NexusPark Shared Use Path
NexusPark will be a community destination for healthcare, recreation, and wellness so it is fitting that a shared use path is planned around the perimeter of the property. The site layout for NexusPark is still in the early phases of development and the design of the shared use path on the property is conceptual at this time. To learn more about the NexusPark project, visit www.nexuspark.org.
When complete, this path will be part of the People Trail Network.
Riverfront Trail
The Riverfront Trail is an important step in closing the bicycle and pedestrian gap on the south side of Columbus’ downtown. This project is located along the east bank of the East Fork of the White River, between the 2nd and 3rd Street bridges, and will consist of a 12 foot wide shared use path. This path will extend under the 2nd Street bridge and will terminate at Water Street.
When complete, this path will be part of the People Trail Network.
The City of Columbus has initiated steps to construct a shared use path on Rocky Ford Road between Central Avenue and Washington Street, which will facilitate access to schools, parks, and commercial destinations for surrounding residents. The project will be paired with improvements to the Rocky Ford Road / Nugent Drive intersection to improve pedestrian and bicyclist access across Rocky Ford Road. This project will provide a direct connection to the existing shared use path on Westenedge Drive and the existing shared use path and buffered bicycle lane on Rocky Ford Road beginning at Central Avenue.
The Rocky Ford Road Shared Use Path Extension is listed as a Tier 1 – Immediate Priority Project in the City of Columbus Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
When complete, the portion of the path between Washington Street and Westenedge Drive will be part of the People Trail Network.
Rocky Ford Road Underpass at Marr Road – COMPLETED
This project involves the construction of an underpass at Rocky Ford Road along the Haw Creek People Trail. This underpass will significantly improve safety by allowing trail users to avoid the conflict with motor vehicles at the Rocky Ford Road/Marr Road intersection by instead allowing users to pass underneath Rocky Ford Road at the intersection.
The Rocky Ford Road Shared Use Path Extension is listed as a Tier 1 – Immediate Priority Project in the City of Columbus Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
When complete, this path will be part of the People Trail Network.
Talley Road Shared Use Path
The Talley Road Improvement is a City-led project that includes the area between 25th Street and Rocky Ford Road. This project will include a shared use path on the east side of the street, intended for shared use for bicyclists and pedestrians, and a sidewalk on the west side of the street. The anticipated construction year for this project is 2026.
When complete, this path will be part of the People Trail Network.
This project involves the construction of a shared use path on the east side of Westenedge Drive between Rocky Ford Road and Parkside Drive. This new shared use path will be an extension of the existing shared use path on Westenedge Drive south of Rocky Ford Road and will connect to the Blackwell Park People Trail to the north. This project will include improved intersections at both ends of the shared use path to facilitate safe pedestrian crossings to and from Parkside Elementary School and Blackwell Park.
This project is expected to be completed in 2023. When complete, this path will be part of the People Trail Network.
