Whether you choose to walk, run, jog, hike, or ride your bike, this community has the right path for you, and plans for more to come.

The City of Centerville, Washington Township, and the Centerville Washington Park District are so committed to building additional trails and paths that they included it twice in the Create the Vision Comprehensive Plan.

Create the Vision is the guiding policy document for all land use and development decisions being made in our community. It is a long-range, 20-year plan that is just two years into its implementation.

Create the Vision calls for additional multi-use trails in its parks and recreation goal, and its transportation goal. Recreational opportunities provided with multi-use paths not only promote good health and exercise, but they provide the community with alternatives to automobile use on already congested roadways.

Pedestrian and bicycle activity is important to maintaining livable communities. Increased opportunities for walkers and bikers are a priority as this community continues to grow. By increasing the opportunities for pedestrian activity, reliance on the automobile is reduced. This reduction results in less congestion on the roadways, a more orderly balance between pedestrian and vehicular users, and a lowered demand for new and altered roadways.

The Multi-Use Trail Task Force was appointed as a result of feedback gained during the Create the Vision master plan process. Completing one of the strategies in Create the Vision, this community has adopted the Multi-Use Trail Plan that is being utilized for trail and pathway creation and installation.

The Multi-Use Trail Plan provides specific long-term direction for the placement of multi-use trails throughout the community, not just along roadways where there is new development. The plan also establishes desired routes and identifies locations where right-of-way needs to be protected for a fully connected system.

The adopted plan calls for three types of trails; marked bike routes, shared sidewalks, and separate paved trails. This tiered system provides a three-fold benefit. First, it is the most cost effective. Second, it provides for all experience levels of user, from the occasional or recreational user to the experienced rider. And, thirdly, it accommodates citizens’ requests for separate paved trails where possible and also for transportation corridors.

The Greater Miami Valley contains over 250 miles of bikeway/pedestrian paths and routes. In comparison, the community of Centerville and Washington Township covers over 31 square miles and contains more than 16 miles of paved trails or shared sidewalks. In addition, the Centerville Washington Park District includes 44 community parks, of which more than half contain hiking and walking trails. Also, the Park District provides numerous hikes and walks, such as Tuesday Treks for Adults, Hike For Your Health, Stroller Strength, Discovery Walks, Hound Hikes, Fall Night Hike, and Leaf I.D. Hike.

New trails, paths and sidewalks in the community include new paths at Schoolhouse Park and Activity Center Park in addition to new paths being installed at Oak Grove Park. There are new bike paths along Sheehan Road and paved walking paths in Washington Trace.

There are new sidewalks along Far Hills Avenue south from Rahn Road that nearly completes a sidewalk plan that extends all the way from downtown Dayton south to Sheehan Road. The last link left in this connection is the I-675 overpass on Far Hills Avenue that is slated for sidewalks as part of the overall interchange enhancement program planned by the City of Centerville. New sidewalks will be installed along Freyn Drive from Virginia Avenue to Gershwin Drive, in addition to sidewalk repairs scheduled for the western section of the Black Oak neighborhood.

Fall is the most active season of the year for walkers, bikers, and joggers as the weather is not too hot or too cold, and the scenery is spectacular with the abundance of gold, red, and orange leaf colors. I hope you get a chance to get out there and enjoy one of this community’s new paths.

Thank you for joining me this month in the Create the Vision column. I am the Project Manager for Create the Vision and if you missed last month’s column, you may read it on our website at www.createthevision.org.