River trail part to connect city bike paths

As part of Tiffin's trail connectivity project this year, a bike trail is planned to circle both sides of the Sandusky River from Ella Street to Huss Street. The trail could connect at the north end via Water Street to the existing Schekelhoff Trail along the river, and to the east it could connect to the existing Rock Creek Trail from Little Hedges Park to Hedges-Boyer Park. Last week, the city began to advertise for proposals for the entire Tiffin Trail Connectivity Project, and the river trail is a portion of that project. The final version of the river trail and other trails to be connected would be determined after proposals are complete. Originally on the city's five-year plan, the project was moved to this year after local philanthropist Andrew Kalnow provided nearly $126,000 for the project. The funds cover 80% of costs associated with the river portion of the trail, and nearly 50% of the anticipated total cost of connecting all of the trails within the city limits. City Engineer Matt Watson said Kalnow's vision was close to the ideas he and Tiffin Parks and Recreation Director Bryce Kuhn had envisioned. In a January proposal to representatives from the city and Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership, Kalnow said he focused on the river trail. "This is going to be a reality, which is the motivation and the rationale that caused me to put some serious funds down to try to make sure it happens," he said. "To get their attention I made this proposal to fund 80%. It was specifically for the river route trail." Kalnow said he got the idea for a river trail on his own bike rides around town. "As an active biker I like to hit our county's rural roads for longer rides on quieter and safer times in the early morning on weekends," he said. "For shorter rides during weekday evenings I prefer staying inside the city limits, enjoying rides out St. Francis or out Schekelhoff Park, through Hedges Boyer Park and its connecting Rock Creek Trail to Heidelberg, and also on what I call the River Route Trail." He said he enjoys the Schekelhoff Trail. "Schekelhoff is a no brainer," he said. "Whether you're walking or riding, it's terrific." Extending further north, Schekelhoff joins Seneca Parks' Clinton Nature Preserve, which then connects to SR 53. A short way north on 53, he said bikers can turn onto CR 38 and continue north on River Road to get to Steyer Nature Preserve. "And then you can connect back to Tiffin or go toward Old Fort," he said. "It's a biker's dream." The other logical connection from the river route is joining the existing Rock Creek Trail to go to Hedges-Boyer Park. Kalnow said the rest of the "river route trail" is "a hodgepodge of mostly lightly traveled streets with just a half mile of actual paved paths." The 5.5-mile route includes the Ella Street Bridge on the south to the Huss Street Bridge on the north. "Believe it or not, this route is already substantially connected," Kalnow said. "However, there certainly are no bike route markings for way-finding and safety. As such, while I feel the River Route Trail is a hidden gem, it is not yet set up to be friendly to the community whether it be for regular bikers or families on a Sunday ride." Kalnow said he suggested an investment in improved road surfaces, added signage and clearing vegetation in a few areas on the edge of the river to allow people to better see the river. "It should be noted that the River Route Trail could also become a magnet for attracting visiting bikers to Tiffin when it is connected to other trails," Kalnow said. "I note that visitors can start and finish in any one of a number of downtown parking lots; hence, promoting Tiffin's historical downtown with its growing multiplicity of attractions to visitors." He said Tiffin residents can access the trail from city streets, and he hopes casual bikers and families will enjoy the trail. "It's just about (a) stone's throw away from any residence," he said. "It's like a big inner oval. You could jump on it from anywhere." "Too often rivers are considered dividers or boundaries," Kalnow said. "But rivers can also be a catalyst for connecting. The River Route Trail brings this to Tiffin while being a fascinating by-way that brings a kaleidoscope of seeing and experiencing Tiffin as the trail roams through quiet river neighborhoods along Water Street, crosses the Huss Street Bridge to connect to higher terrain on a winding Riverside Drive, which gives a glorious lookout view at John Street, then turns into an exhilarating ride through a shade tree tunnel only to emerge on the edge of downtown by the Washington Street Bridge." After a short ride up Monroe Street, he said the trail would turn onto the old brick segment of Madison Street and continue onto Front Street, "which declines to almost river level and practically disappears into a little-known lane leading to a paved bicycle path in a completely wooded area at a major bend in the river, emerging after a quarter of a mile onto the plain where the Calvert baseball fields lie." Continuing on, the trail moves toward Tiffin Middle School with its blacktop path by the river and crosses the Ella Street Bridge. Another right turn takes riders past the old Water Works and onto the restricted access South River Road "that feels like a nature preserve on the banks of the Sandusky," he said. The final leg of Kalnow's version of the circle route would take riders to Benner Street after a short stretch on South Sandusky Street, leading to Frost Village by the old railway station. Kalnow said he's pleased that the project is moving ahead, but he also noted that there is much road repair work to be completed in the future. "It will be done, but it's far from being polished," he said. "I want to keep the momentum going."