Toledo committee hears plans to expand bike network, pilot slower Washington Street and boost safety programs

The Toledo City Council Mobility, Sustainability and Beautification Committee on May 7 heard updates from city traffic staff, regional planners and Metroparks on projects meant to expand and better maintain the city’s bicycle network, along with a series of community events and safety programs timed to Bike Month.

The presentations and dozens of public comments stressed two linked goals: build a more connected, year‑round network and prioritize safety through infrastructure, operations and community outreach. “Providing infrastructure for safe cycling is an essential first step, but it's only the beginning,” Stephanie Bartlett, the city of Toledo’s commissioner of traffic management and Vision Zero coordinator, told the committee.

City staff described existing bicycle mileage, near‑term construction and a months‑long ODOT pilot aimed at reducing speeds on a busy corridor. Bartlett said Toledo has about 88 miles of dedicated bike facilities in the city limits (including paths inside parks and at the University of Toledo) and that “almost 70 miles of this is maintained by the city,” a total that includes on‑street bike lanes, multiuse paths and signed routes. Projects planned or under way include completing a Riverside Trail connection into Point Place, a multi‑phase Summit Street cycle track expected in 2026–27, a side path on Secor Road between Kenwood and Central, conversions to separated side paths on older lanes such as sections of Telegraph Road, and the Emerald Bike Path…