CINCINNATI — City council members are pressing pause on the Central Parkway bike lane extension effort that was waged during the Cranley administration. Options officials are now exploring are projected to be safer and save a substantial amount of money allocated for bike paths.

The design options are for the stretch of Central Parkway between Marshall Avenue and Ludlow Avenue. The area was originally slated to be a shared use path. One of the current options officials are considering is for the road to have a protected bike lane. They are also considering adding trees and a grass median to the entire lane or to only parts of it.

Council member Mark Jeffreys put forward the motion requesting the city halt the Central Parkway bike lane extension project to consider these options on Jan. 12. That motion was passed Wednesday.

“It’s an intersection of everything that we care about,” Jeffreys said. “It’s not just about cyclists. It is about better health, it’s about cleaner air. It’s also about equity. You don’t need to own a car in order to get around if we have the right infrastructure.”

“[T]he good thing is that because this money has already been allocated for bike infrastructure, if there’s any cost savings, we’ll make sure it goes right back into bike infrastructure,” said City Council Member Meeka D. Owens. “So there’s no competing priorities. Again, it’s just about the efficiency.”

Last year, the city allotted $2.8 million dollars for the shared use path concept. Jeffreys said he believes the other options now being explored could save at least $1 million. Those savings would go towards protective bike paths Downtown and in Over-the-Rhine.

“A bike lane to nowhere, which is essentially the parkway today doesn't do any good. So this will connect people from Northside, Clifton, the CUF area into Downtown, and vice versa. And then also potentially connect into the riverfront,” Jeffreys said.

The administration will come back in a month with a report outlining the cost, designs and viability of the three other options for the bike path.

Monique John covers gentrification for WCPO 9. She is part of our Report For America donor-supported journalism program. Read more about RFA here.

If there are stories about gentrification in the Greater Cincinnati area that you think we should cover, let us know. Send us your tips at moveupcincinnati@wcpo.com.

CINCINNATI — As it stands, the section of Central Parkway between Findlay Market and the bend just south of 12th Street is pretty drab. Commuters use it mainly as a major artery for cars passing through the city. But a group of concerned residents and business owners think it can be so much more than that. That’s why they have formed a task force to renovate the area, transforming the parkway into a grand boulevard that connects the city’s landmarks.

Organizers from the task force see it in part as a way to follow through on the city’s original vision for the parkway: a sprawling street with features like gardens and fountains that rivaled the most beautiful European cities.

“It was meant to be a grand street, connecting from the river through Downtown and Over-the-Rhine and up to the universities and to the neighborhoods along the Mill Creek,” according to Chris Manning of Human Nature. Human Nature is on the task force’s design arm for the project.

Ever since the canal that was once here was filled up, the area’s scenic beauty faded over time.

The task force feels revamping this section of the parkway can enrich the architectural character of the city.

Michael Williams, the owner of Wooden Nickel Antiques, has run his store on the parkway for over 40 years, and is one of the originators of the renovation project.

“It's going to be beautiful. It needs to be beautiful, or people won't be here,” Williams said. “It needs to be a tourist attraction. People will want to come here, but also it is about development. It will tie in Downtown to Findlay Market.”

Organizers say they want to create a more cohesive, attractive space that connects the West End with Over-the-Rhine while also making the street safer for pedestrians. They also want to make the parkway more practical for everyday use. Both the West End and Over-the-Rhine Community Councils have endorsed the project. The city also pledged $1 million to advance the project.

However, some prominent community figures object to this, arguing there are other issues to tend to that are more deserving of this money.

“I feel like that million dollars that they're putting into beautifying the street could have gone to affordable housing development,” said Mary B. Rivers, the executive director of Over-the-Rhine Community Housing.

“I thought it was unnecessary and sort of tone deaf in terms of the greater needs in the community of Over-the-Rhine in the city of Cincinnati that we would spend $18 million of our public dollars for a streetscape project of a couple of blocks.”

Manning acknowledges those other needs but stresses this is a big opportunity.

“We don't see other needs as being opponents or competition for what we're trying to do. We have a lot of respect for everybody who's working to make the community better.”

Next steps for the task force include refining designs, cost estimates and holding more community engagement. It's projected the renovations could cost around $20 million dollars.

Monique John covers gentrification for WCPO 9. She is part of our Report For America donor-supported journalism program. Read more about RFA here.

If there are stories about gentrification in the Greater Cincinnati area that you think we should cover, let us know. Send us your tips at moveupcincinnati@wcpo.com.