New Philadelphia, Ohio (WJER) - The East High Avenue Corridor Committee is getting closer to figuring out how they can tie several attractions and businesses together in New Philadelphia using bike trails. 

Tuscarawas County Commissioner Joe Sciarretti says they are currently raising funds to pay for an engineering study that will decide the best way to create alternative access to places like Schoenbrunn Village, Trumpet in the Land, Kent State Tuscarawas and the Center for the Arts. He says as that area grows with the installation of the Kent State Gateway and new businesses moving into Tech Park Drive, accessibility will be in big demand.

“If we want to keep people in Tuscarawas County, then we need to continue to make efforts and investments that are going to be reaching out to not only the millennials but also the grandparents that are here,” he says.

Sciarretti says the trail will be a combination of dedicated paths as well as on-road portions. He says the engineering study will figure out what the best balance will be.

“While we don’t know exactly what the end game is going to look like, the consensus is that, yeah, we would d like these sites to be located, albeit a sidewalk or albeit a dedicated trail or sharrows on the road,” he says.

The study is expected to cost $16,000. New Philadelphia has pledged $9,000 toward the cause, with another $500 coming from the Dennison Depot and Schoenbrunn Village.  

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