Task force report highlights Athens’ walkability

ATHENS, Ohio — The City of Athens accomplished several pedestrian-friendly projects in 2025, including replacing almost 1 mile of sidewalk and constructing 150 new or replaced curb ramps, according to the Athens Pedestrian Accessibility and Bicycle Task Force’s 2025 annual report. 

Task Force Chair Rob Delach presented the report at Athens City Council’s committees meeting Monday. The task force is a nine-member advisory body that works closest with city administration and the council’s Transportation Committee, Delach said. The task force began in 2023.

The city’s Stimson Avenue bridge project, which cost about $6.3 million — nearly 80% of which came from the Ohio Department of Transportation — was substantially completed late last year, including a 770-foot shared-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists. 

Community feedback on the bridge path shows project appreciation, Delach said. “It’s really made a difference with those who commute into the city as pedestrians and bicyclists,” he told the council.

U.S. Census data indicates that 30% of Athens’ workforce walks to work, including Ohio University students, Delach said. That makes Athens’ walk-commute rate the third-highest in the nation, behind only Ithaca, New York, and State College, Pennsylvania — college towns, too. 

When all walking for Athens is included — such as OU students walking to class, public school students walking to school, adults walking to and from places like the store or the park — walking represents about 50% of all daily trips in the city, Delach said. 

That makes Athens “a majority walking city,” Delach said.

The task force is working with city administration to create a bicycle parking ordinance, Delach said. Bike parking is inadequate and new bike parking options are underway at the ongoing renovation of the city parking garage.

2025 highlights

Phase one of the city curb ramp project involved installing 195 new tactile grids, colored, rectangular-shaped, textured surfaces near pedestrian crossings that inform pedestrians of a transition immediately ahead, such as a crosswalk.

Tactile grids improve safety, Delach said, particularly for people with disabilities by providing tactile and visible transition cues. Tactile grids have become increasingly common at roundabout locations, where a sidewalk transitions into a curb ramp and then a crosswalk. 

The task force was involved in a street mural project last year on East State at Watt Street, near a bump-out extension designed for traffic calming. More murals are in the works, he said.

The task force split into subcommittees to better take on more projects, with one project planned that involves an assessment of street lights, including where more may be needed, Delach said. A new subcommittee formed last year assesses safety at intersections and crossings.

Libby Bulanda, an OU student studying environmental sciences, joined Delach in the presentation and noted several city intersections that will be examined for safety. 

One is the convergence of three streets near West End Ciderhouse: Byard, Shafer and West Washington streets. Safety improvements will be proposed. Another intersection for future audit, where three busy streets converge involves East Carpenter, East State and Stimson Avenue.

Delach, who offered the council both a 14-page annual report and a more abbreviated slide show, briefly discussed 10 metrics used to gauge progress or regression in pedestrian and bicycle accessibility. 

Most metrics showed steady improvements. However, the metric involving new bike lanes/shared use paths had both progression — such as the 770-foot new shared use path on the Stimson Avenue Bridge — and also regression. 

Regression involved loss of a 1,430-foot bike lane on Mill Street that was removed due to street paving, Delach said. The sidewalk has no buffer now between it and the street, so that has a potential negative impact.

Among other concerns Delach shared were traffic speeds on West State Street; persistent problems with sidewalk snow and ice removal; poor reporting of bicycle-pedestrian crashes to ODOT; and the city’s failure to provide a Complete Streets report in the last four years, despite a 2020 city policy.

In other matters Monday:

• The Planning and Development Committee discussed, and then forwarded to the full council, a potential impact on Title 49 that governs city rights-of-way. The Mount Zion Black Cultural Center at 32 W. Carpenter St. wants to install a vestibule to provide protection from wind and weather for a proposed elevator vestibule. The vestibule would extend 6.2 feet into the city right-of-way, which would narrow the space for pedestrians to about 4 feet. Mayor Steve Patterson said although he is a strong supporter of the center, he was concerned about creating a precedent allowing buildings that far out into the right-of-way. 
• The Planning and Development Committee delayed a liquor permit request from Bocatz, a new game-centered bar and business, at 14 Station St. The request is for a D-3A permit, which would allow full liquor sales to customers to be extended from 1–2:30 a.m. The committee did not ask for a public hearing; however, the issue will be addressed again in March after committee members have time to address other businesses and nearby residents about the proposal.
• The City and Safety Services Committee forwarded to the full council a letter of request from Woodland Conservation Ltd., represented by David Funk, for installation of a city tap and water at 8666 Rock Riffle Road if needed. The home on five acres was built in 1979, Funk wrote in his letter, but has been vacant. Funk said the city will be able to search for a water meter on the property. Committee members, as well as Funk, noted that two other nearby properties on Rock Riffle Road, also not within city limits, have been able to connect to city water service.

Athens City Council’s next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, March 2 at Athens City Hall, Council Chambers, third floor, 8 E. Washington St. Meetings are also streamed online. Regular sessions are on the first and third Mondays of the month; committee meetings are on the second and fourth Mondays.