Trails are for EVERYONE
Laura McShane, MLIS, MLA
Advocate for Government Accountability and Digital Access
One of the upsides of this downturn - leisure time. And, by leisure time, I mean time spent outdoors to keep myself from going crazy.
I have been off-work now for over a month and on every good day, I get out. Sometimes, it is just a walk in my neighborhood in the Old Brooklyn Township. I have a 100-acre plus historic cemetery to explore and an historic Cleveland park - Brookside Park, in the Big Creek Valley. I also live less than five minutes from the Ohio and Erie Canalway trail.
But since the pandemic, my go-to bike trail has become over-crowded, so I've decided to explore other culturally significant areas of my town. I spent one day on West Blvd - which is a moderate ride from my house and it encouraged me to visit the east side version of that boulevard -- Martin Luther King Drive aka Liberty Blvd aka East Blvd.
Here is an excerpt from Metroparks' website on a county-wide boulevard system:
One year later in 1895, William Stinchcomb began to work for the city of Cleveland as a surveyor in the engineering department. That same year the city enlarged its greenspace with donations from the Shaker Heights Land Co. (Shaker Lakes) and a sizable gift from John D. Rockefeller to establish Rockefeller Park* along Doan Brook Valley. Washington Park* (now a Cleveland Metroparks Reservation) and Luke Easter Park* were folded into the City of Cleveland parks by 1900. There is no doubt that young William Stinchcomb at this time was influenced by the vibrant growth of the city parks. Possibly his vision began to take shape in forming a county-wide boulevard system encircling Cleveland proper.
(* stops are located along this route- Gordon Park is also included)
I posted my 25+ mile ride at All Trails https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/ohio/great-mlk-loop
It still needs to be approved for submission. I will add photos here, too. The trail route basically explores historic Newburgh Twp and travels through the Mill Creek, Kingsbury Run and Doan Brook watersheds to Lake Erie. One interesting coincidence - both boulevards run from cemeteries to Lake Erie - Calvary on the east side and West Park Cemetery on the west side. William Stinchcomb is buried at West Park Cemetery.
Advocate for Government Accountability and Digital Access
9 个月https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/about/cleveland-metroparks-organization/history/william-stinchcomb Recognition needed for Harry Farnsworth, too. He was first board director of the park district and his family history was significant. Dan T. Moore has led the Park District Board with distinction.
Author, ("Beyond Greenways" ) Planner, Project Developer, Bar Band Musician
1 年Wow! Reminds me of my current scouting walk around Buffalo (90 miles completed 30 to go) with rural landscapes, shorelines and urban segments. Encouraging to see other existing, similar grand loop visions.
Advocate for Government Accountability and Digital Access
4 年Need to move much faster https://www.cleveland.com/news/2020/12/coronavirus-pandemic-gives-fresh-impetus-to-global-bike-boom-including-trail-projects-in-cleveland-northeast-ohio.html
Advocate for Government Accountability and Digital Access
4 年Eric Oberg so AllTrails won't add my MLK trail route - but it is worth noting that soon to be completed - #RedlineGreenway project that Metroparks used to win TIGER grant - but that Leonard Stover laid out and worked out preliminary drawings and costs - will be connect in a loop with Lake Link and Lakefront bikeway - via W53rd. St. sharrows
Advocate for Government Accountability and Digital Access
4 年The Cleveland Restoration Society seeks your input on potential sites for an African American Civil Rights Trail in Cleveland. This survey, along with the opinion of scholars, will be use to select 10 sites that will form the trail. Please complete the questionnaire below to indicate which sites you think hold the most significance. The selected sites are categorized by the Modern Civil Rights Movement (1954-1964) and The Second Revolution (1964-1976). Keep in mind some of these sites do not have a building associated with them. Have a site in mind that is not listed? There will be room at the end of the survey to share your ideas with us. https://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07eh4l5cuskaybya7v/a014ekd7la9rt/greeting