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 — When a driver struck a man who was crossing the street Thursday night near the intersection of Clifton and Glenmary avenues, police said speed wasn't a factor in the crash. Instead, they said the road was dimly lit and the man was not in a marked crossing.

But regardless of who was at fault in that crash, leaders in Clifton continue to push the city administration for more upgrades to the neighborhood's pedestrian safety infrastructure in order to prevent crashes like Thursday's from happening in the first place.

Sue Afunah lives in Clifton and walks through the neighborhood "almost every day, for errands or just for pleasure," she said. "I see cars just flying through the red lights regularly… I would not depend on the pedestrian light to cross safely."

As of Friday afternoon, police had not identified the man injured but said he was in serious condition.

"It's not surprising; it's very sad," Afunah said upon hearing the news Friday.

Clifton Town Meeting trustee and City Council hopeful Mark Jeffreys said, whoever was at fault in the crash, the issue remains: Too many drivers are hitting people with their cars.

"Unfortunately we've been seeing things very consistent across the city which is increasingly pedestrians and bikers are being hit by cars speeding," said Jeffreys, who also chairs the neighborhood council's transportation and public safety committee.

"People are distracted," he said. "It affects children; it affects anybody walking or biking on our streets."

According to city data, 123 pedestrians were seriously injured in crashes since 2019. Six of those people were walking in Clifton.

Jeffreys will be the first to acknowledge the improvements the city has already made in his neighborhood to address speeding and enhance safety measures: Last year, crews installed a temporary protected bike lane along Clifton Avenue near the University of Cincinnati. Soon, they'll install a crosswalk, signage and speed cushions at Clifton and Warren avenues, and starting next month, a speed radar sign will rotate through various neighborhood streets.

"That does force people to slow down, and it also provides us data, which we can share with the police for further enforcement," Jeffreys said.

Resident Sydney Sebastian hopes more improvements will continue to help.

"There's a lot of traffic on foot that comes through," Sebastian said. "I think there's definitely a big difference between the people who walk here and the people who drive here… I've had situations where I have a walk sign and still people drive through the red light. And I feel like I'm a little invisible."