Newport, KY, becoming bike-friendly

Newport becoming bike-friendly
BY TOM DEMEROPOLIS | POST STAFF REPORTER



A 1920s vintage full-service gas station in Newport will soon be back offering
plenty of service but this time to bicyclists.

The Raymond Motors building, at Fifth and York streets, will be moved to a new
location at 10th and Saratoga and turned into a hub for bicyclists. There
cyclists will be able to get information on bike routes and local transit
information, gather before a ride or just relax.

"We're making Newport a bicycle-friendly city," said Newport Main Street
Coordinator Robert Yoder.




The reincarnation of the old filling station, made possible through a $272,000
state grant to the city to save the historic building, fits neatly with one goal
of Vision 2015, the strategic plan for Northern Kentucky developed by wide array
of community leaders. The plan calls for developing a system of biking and
hiking trails.

The Raymond Motors Building Preservation and Trailhead Project will lift the
structure off its foundation and move it to 10th and Saratoga streets, where it
will be remodeled and turned into a transportation center focusing on cyclists.

The old gas station had been slated for demolition, but city officials wanted to
keep it for its architectural and historical value.

"This is very forward-looking of Newport," said Mike Phillips, who is leading
the Vision 2015 effort to develop bike and hiking trails and greenspace.

"Not too far from 10th and Saratoga, Vision 2015 is working on a master plan for
a greenway along the Licking River to include a park with bike trails and hiking
trails," Phillips said.

He said the community visioning process that underpins the Vision 2015 goals
revealed a strong interest in biking and walking trails.

Yoder said the city is focusing on bicycles because there are a great many
cyclists in and around Newport.

"The area is relatively flat, but I was surprised how many bikes there were
downtown," Yoder said.

The project is a great way to tie together other initiatives that cater to
cyclists, like "Share the Road" signs and bike routes, Yoder said.

Newport City Commissioner Beth Fennell said the new location for the building,
eight blocks south of the pedestrian Purple People Bridge, is a good spot for
bikers.

"Riverfront Commons, the flood wall and the Purple People Bridge are all bike
accessible," Fennell said.

She said a loop of bicycle-friendly streets is being developed in Newport,
Covington and Cincinnati.

The building's new location, it turns out, has other things going for it as
well. It's on a Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky route, and TANK buses are
equipped with bike racks.

The plans call for a parking lot for the building, so people can park their cars
there and ride their bikes.

Jason Reser, owner of Reser's Bicycle Outfitters in Newport, said he is excited
about what the building will offer.

"There is going to be a wealth of information there," Reser said. "It's going to
be a wake-up call to surrounding communities to what they can be doing" for
cyclists.

The process of moving a building, even a smaller one such as Raymond Motors,
isn't easy. The building has to undergo historical and environmental reviews
before the process can begin.

A new foundation has been built at 10th and Saratoga, and officials have to
determine the route the house will take from its old location to its new one.
Yoder said he thinks it will be at least 60 days before work starts.

"I've talked to building movers about what would be done," Yoder said, "and they
said there would be no problem moving it."

Yoder said his early estimate for the move is that it will cost $50,000. The
city is in the process of putting out bids for the project. There will also be
an annual cost to operate the building.

http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...WS01/707060345




Sunrise ride
Upcoming for bicyclists is the 26th Annual Morning Glory Ride on Aug. 5.

Time: 4:30 a.m. for the 25-mile more challenging course; 5:30 a.m. for the
10-mile course.

Place: Start at Sawyer Point Park in downtown Cincinnati.

Cost: $35 for adults, $25 for youths (14 and under) and $95 per family.

For more or to register: Visit http://www.morninggloryride.com

http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...WS01/707060345

Garrison Hilliard wrote:
Newport becoming bike-friendly
BY TOM DEMEROPOLIS | POST STAFF REPORTER
A 1920s vintage full-service gas station in Newport will soon be back offering
plenty of service but this time to bicyclists.
-snip-
The reincarnation of the old filling station, made possible through a $272,000
state grant to the city to save the historic building, fits neatly with one goal
of Vision 2015, the strategic plan for Northern Kentucky developed by wide array
of community leaders.
-snip-
The old gas station had been slated for demolition, but city officials wanted to
keep it for its architectural and historical value.
-snip-
The process of moving a building, even a smaller one such as Raymond Motors,
isn't easy. The building has to undergo historical and environmental reviews
before the process can begin.
-snip-
Yoder said his early estimate for the move is that it will cost $50,000. The
city is in the process of putting out bids for the project. There will also be
an annual cost to operate the building.
http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...WS01/707060345
-snip ride-
A quarter million of the public's dollars?!!?? Plus an ongoing
maintenance commitment? YGBSM! Some friend/relative of a public
official is laughing all the way to the bank.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

http://home.nycap.rr.com/tomtomtom/hillbilly.jpg

Newport needs to be more bike friendly. My family did a bike ride
along the Ohio River water side. Then we proceeded across the Purple
Bridge and explored the Newport side along the river. What about lunch
at the Newport Levee after a nice morning ride?

Sure... until a police officer tells us me must park our bikes at the
bike rack and points in that direction. No problem, right?

Well do you know that it costs $3.00 a bike to park at the Levee?
Thats $12.00 just to park our bikes for lunch. GET REAL! Off we went
to Subway down the road.

James