New section of bike trail in Lisbon part of larger plan

LISBON, Ohio (WKBN) – Bicyclists have more room to ride on the major Lake to River Trail, which runs through the tri-county area. It’s an important section on the southern end of the trail.

A new section of Little Beaver Greenway Trail is shining as bright as the sun in Lisbon, and bikers are loving it.

“They say our trail was one of the most beautiful areas around, one of the most beautiful trails around,” said Tom Butch, with the Columbiana County Park District.

Mile Marker 0 of the Greenway Trail can be found in Lisbon. The path goes roughly 12 miles north to the Mahoning County line. It attracts riders from everywhere, including a biker from the Pittsburgh area who rides it twice a week.

“He spends about $100 every time he comes, just in the Lisbon area. So it’s nice that we’re a draw to people coming outside of our county,” Butch said.

About 30 years ago, four county park districts created a vision to build a bike trail from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. It’s mostly done from Western Reserve Road north to Lake Erie, except for a couple of small sections.

This new leg is the first since 2013 to connect onto the trail at the southern end. The new section is east of Lisbon. The Ohio River is 28 miles ahead. A feasibility study is exploring what’s next.

“To determine the actual best route to continue from this point where we’re standing right now down to East Liverpool on the Ohio River,” Butch said.

The trail follows Little Beaver Creek for most of its route in Columbiana County. It goes to the Ohio River, but some things are in place to protect areas from development.

“The long-term plan was to follow Little Beaver Creek and be one of the most beautiful bike trails anywhere around. But because of those restrictions. We’re not sure if it’s gonna be possible or not,” Butch said.

The study should be finished by the end of September to determine the best path to complete the ride to the Ohio River.

Meanwhile, the legal battle continues in Mahoning County over a key section of the trail to complete the ride north to the lake.

In addition, the state of Ohio announced Monday that it will spend money to help preserve Little Beaver Creek. The H2Ohio program will grant $100,000 to buy land within the Little Beaver Creek corridor. It will help preserve the water quality of the creek that runs through St. Clair Township.

State Representative Monica Robb Blasdel called it another example of investing in the future of Columbiana County.

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