Northern Kentucky cities Covington and Newport recently adopted a plan to connect and expand their bicycle infrastructure.
Local transportation advocacy nonprofit Tri-State Trails spearheaded the Covington + Newport Bicycle Transportation Plan. After over a year of collaboration between the cities and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the City of Newport Commission adopted the plan on Aug. 19, with the City of Covington Commission following on Aug. 27.
Efforts to implement the plan began in January 2023 and included a community engagement initiative over the following summer in which more than 450 people participated. Tri-State Trails presented the plan’s draft to both city commissions this past March. The Devou Good Foundation funded the plan’s development.
The plan includes recommendations for both short- and long-term infrastructure improvements, as well as policies, programs, evaluation, design guidelines and maintenance recommendations. Routes with proposed infrastructure improvement were evaluated at a planning level and a context-sensitive design approach was used to consider what facilities would best fit along those routes. The plan also includes a list of potential funding sources.
“The Cities of Newport and Covington commend Tri-State Trails for their leadership and efforts in the development of this plan,” Covington Mayor Joe Meyer and Newport Mayor Tommy Guidugli stated in the plan’s foreword. “It is indeed aspirational and provides a well-considered roadmap for addressing serious problems and creating a safer, more inviting environment for the biking public.”
You can read the full plan here.
