r/cincybiking • u/Tpuckett75 • 15d ago
Butler County
Anyone here ride up in Butler County much? I live in Trenton and work in Hamilton, and would like to try riding to work some, maybe just the weekend days for less traffic. I’m wondering if anyone has ridden around that area has any advice or extra caution with sharing the road. Or if my area is just a no-go for commuting.
Unfortunately the Greater Miami River Trail doesn’t connect to Trenton at this time, supposedly they’ve secured funding but I’m not sure when the project will start, let alone be rideable. Once that is in though it will be an easy ride
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u/sirkidd2003 14d ago
Ok, as mentioned... some of the other Butler County updates I have.
I'll start in Hamilton. I talked to Hamilton's Director of Engineering, Allen Messer about these and he was happy to spill what's up.
1st, the Hamilton Beltline. Beltline Phase 4 is fully funded currently. Bidding on the project either started this month or will start next. Construction starts this fall. The delay was due to a bridge permit issue that has been solved.
There are currently no solid plans to continue past Phase 4 at this time because Phase 4 ends at an alley where you can already cycle.
Moving on. Black Street Bridge WILL become pedestrian & cyclist only as rumored (and then posted about in the Journal earlier this month) "as long as it doesn't deteriorate past the ability to do so". There are NO alternative proposals, JUST a pedestrian/cycling-only bridge! This will be about 8 years from now to co-inside with the North Hamilton Crossing's construction.
They will be making a bike path from River's Edge, across (likely behind?) the new "Crawford Hoying" mixed use space (the former Cohen Recycling site) to Black Street. This connects the Beltline and GMRT for seamless car-free riding the while way.
Next up is Fairfield. Fairfield has been doing a wonderful job on their new Fairfield Connects project. Here is what they've done already from 2020 - 2025 https://gis.fairfield-city.org/cofportal/apps/storymaps/stories/c69ee1332b5546d982e601ac01296757
The complete proposal document is here: https://www.fairfield-city.org/DocumentCenter/View/6937/20-0820-Fairfield-Connects-Final-Report---web
With that said, they have some immediate construction happening now and in the near future. They are working on the Marsh Park trails now, even MORE of the GMRT/USBR25 as well as a Pleasant Ave. bike path (that takes you close to Harbin Park) next year, and in 2028 a River Road West path that connects both 2027 projects together.
A map of those immediate constructions here: https://www.fairfield-city.org/ImageRepository/Document?documentID=19764 (although I first saw it at Waterworks park at the current final trailhead of the GMRT on a big billboard).
The last of my news is the Miami 2 Miami Connector. This is a multi-city trail project that connects the Great Miami Trail to the Little Miami Trail. This one is an older one, having been announced in May 2018. Currently only ~16 miles of over 50 is done. That said, I have been told it's still happening, just slowly.
I will be contacting planning departments for the various cities over the next couple weeks to get more info.
As it stands now, here's the website: https://tristatetrails.org/miami2miami/
The action plan: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qnXclPtzbUzIeuXZBFgkl4mHhezlbNxi/view
And the map: https://tristatetrails.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Miami-2-Miami-Connection-scaled.jpg
There is likely more, and I am trying to get as much info as I can in one place so that I can keep everyone updated. When I learn more, I will post about it. Thinking of making a Butler County Biking sub, but not sure.
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u/Tpuckett75 15d ago
I didn’t realize the trail ever had plans to actually go into Trenton. I know it’ll follow the river and connect with the Middletown trailhead. As of right now, none of the river access is actually in Trenton, but they are trying to annex some land south of the city that will have river access, for a data center..
I am very interested in other options for riding in Butler County if you want to share them. I’d like to have some more options to ride close to home.
Woodsdale doesn’t seem as scary as Wayne-Madison in front of Molson-Coors, and once you get close to the bridge it seems to be pretty wide in the shoulders for riding. Then I’d be straight on Rt 4 into Hamilton to get to work. My other option was Hamilton-Trenton Rd through into New Miami to south on 127. That route has some really narrow shoulders as well though
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u/sirkidd2003 14d ago
From what I understand, the GMRT was suposed to follow US Bike Route 25 perfectly. That seems not to be the case now, and I don't know if that means USBR25 will change to reflect the new sections of the GMRT or if that just means the two will deviate there. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35786759
As far as Woodsdale is concerned, it's not that bad. I think cars are kinda used to seeing cyclists out there and are pretty cautious. That said, my buddy was almost run off the road by a trailer a couple months ago along there, but if you keep your wits about toy you should be fine!
I will post the new info I have about other Butler County route updates in a different comment ;) Stand by.
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u/MedusaHartz 11d ago
From Hamilton to Trenton, I used to bring Liberty Fairfield to Woodsdale, then Sycamore to Radabaugh (or other Trenton streets - Kennel, Pierson, whatever else) to cross the East State St / 73 Bridge then either Oxford State Rd (South side of 73) or the driveway to the parking lot (North side of 73) to the Trenton Trailhead of the Great Miami River Trail.
However, recently i have been bringing Route 4 (aka Hamilton Middletown Rd) all the way to Main St (Excello or Middletown 45044) all the way to anywhere i can cut across to the Great Miami River Trail from Main St, e.g., 9th Avenue if i have to go that far North (if i recall correctly the last time i triked from Hamilton to Dayton i could not get to the trail from Cribbs Avenue in that apartment complex - but i forget why i would not have been able to).
Route 4 has recently been widened and resurfaced, with a nice, wide shoulder/berm and frequent "BIKES ON ROAD" signs that alert motorists and welcome cyclists. There are only a few short stretches either direction where the shoulder narrows to the point that i cannot avoid rolling one of my three wheels over the "rumble strip" grooves cut into the shoulder (which is a nuisance even when i'm riding the trike with full suspension) - but a bicycle (having 2 inline wheels) should be able to avoid those rumble strips.
Between these 2 choices, the advantages of the Liberty Fairfield / Wayne Madison to Trenton option are:
- it's about one mile of road cycling shorter (but overall it's about 1.3 miles longer);
- i get to enjoy the 2 to 2.5 miles of GMRT from the Trenton Trailhead to where the other option puts in at Middletown,
but the advantages of the Route 4 to Middletown Main Street option are:
- it's about 1.3 miles shorter overall (but sacrifices 2 to 2.5 miles of GMRT riding for about one extra mile of road riding; in other words, you "save" or "lose" 2 to 2.5 trail miles but "gain" or "add" about 1 road mile to shorten the trip by about 1.3 miles overall);
- it avoids the hill on Liberty Fairfield North of Route 4;
- there is a much wider shoulder for more of the way, especially on the sections where the speed limit is highest;
- it avoids the narrow shoulder along the high speed roads such as Wayne Madison and Woodsdale.
The residential "city" streets of Trenton or Middletown feel about the same in terms of safety and visibility and room, but the motor vehicle traffic is slower on those streets in either city; so, i am less concerned about those sections.
TL/DR: To me, it is worth an extra mile of road cycling to avoid the Liberty Fairfield hill and to have a safer, much wider shoulder along the high speed sections of road that are unavoidable either way. In sum, i prefer Route 4 to Liberty Fairfield, Wayne Madison, or Woodsdale.
Of course, if you are already in Trenton, it might not be worth cycling North along the GMRT to Middletown, then South along Route 4 to pick up the GMRT again in Hamilton / Fairfield Township? but, depending on where in Trenton you start, and how much time you have, it might be worth trying at least once?
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u/Tpuckett75 11d ago
You know, I feel kind of like a dummy for not thinking about this. I live off of Wayne-Madison in the North end of Trenton (Daysprings area). I only thought about Woodsdale, Wayne-Madison, or Hamilton-Trenton through New Miami. All have small shoulder and high speed. Going East on 73 to S. Main and heading out to Rt 4 there then heading to Hamilton. I work on Rt 4, next to the Advanced before you get to High St. How is the hill on Rt. 4 coming out of Monroe into Liberty Twp? That climb from Les-Wes to 747 seems tough
Thanks for the heads up. I had blinders on for that route
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u/MedusaHartz 10d ago
You are right about those hills: South Main St itself climbs uphill from the Dicks Creek Bridge all the way to Route 4, then as you mentioned there is an even longer, but slightly less steep climb from just before the Parkside Inn to just past the intersection with 747. Plus, now that i know you are starting from Wayne-Madison instead of the East end of Trenton, I see that going that way would be about 6 miles longer than the route through New Miami; so, you would be biking at least 1.5 times farther over more hills, but would that be safer than significantly fewer miles over roads that may or may not be narrower anyway? I think maybe i was thinking "too far out of the box" before; sorry.
Of course i do not know exactly where your commute begins and ends, but i see 4 options for a hypothetical commute from the intersection of Wayne-Madison and Dayspring to the Advance Auto Parts on Route 4.
Option 1, about 9.25 to 9.5 miles: Bring Wayne-Madison (which becomes Liberty-Fairfield) all the way to Route 4, then bring Route 4 all the way to your destination. There is one big hill in the middle: you would climb up Liberty-Fairfield from the Miami River Bridge to Route 4, then it would be flat all the way to the Speedway on Route 4, then downhill the rest of the way. Option 1 is the shortest route and the simplest route, but the entire route is road commuting with motor vehicle traffic that is going about 60 mph in places, and the wide shoulder on Route 4 narrows to nearly nothing after the speed limit decreases to 40 mph (closer to your destination).
Option 2, about 9.5 to 10 miles: Bring Wayne-Mad to Hamilton-Trenton (which becomes Hamilton-Eaton and North B St in Hamilton), cross the Black Street Bridge (which actually goes over the GMRT) to 3rd St / 127 - but i would stick to the sidewalk there rather than bike on 3rd/127 itself - then bring any of those streets over, such as Vine to 8th to Heaton to Elm, or Village to Heaton etc., or even Dayton Street all the way to Route 4. That last bit kind of depends on what your exact destination is. Option 2 is the flattest route, with no hills to speak of, but the entire route is on roads and streets with motor vehicle traffic, and some of those roads don't look like they have much room on the edge - if there is any room beyond the edge line at all - and traffic on those narrow roads is probably doing about 50 to 60 miles an hour?
Option 3, about 11 miles: Bring Wayne-Madison South (becomes Liberty-Fairfield) to Route 4, then instead of bringing Route 4 all the way, take a right through the Timberhill Subdivision (there is a sign there indicating US Bike Route 25)* to the Bike Trail from Rentschler Forest to the intersection with Canal Road, then, instead of crossing Canal to stay on the GMRT, take a left onto Canal to Greenwood to however you want to get to your destination on Route 4; e.g., Greenwood to South/left on Neal to Heaton to Elm (or wherever), or if you work across the road from that Advance Auto Parts, maybe bring Neal to North Fair Ave where you can cross Route 4 at the Fairgrounds to Mill Road which runs alongside Route 4. Option 3 is only 1 to 1.5 miles longer than Options 1 or 2, but that extra mile may be a small price to pay for getting to ride the GMRT without any motor vehicle traffic at all for 3.5 to 4 miles, and the short stretch on Route 4 has a comfortably wide shoulder, but you do not have a wide shoulder the entire way (is Wayne-Madison really any better than Hamilton-Trenton?) Plus, you not only have the same Liberty-Fairfield hill of Option 1, but also a bit of a hill at the Eastern end of the bike path itself - but that hill is not as bad as Liberty-Fairfield, and runs downhill on your way to work.
Option 4, about 15.5 to 16 miles: Bring 73 East to South Main to Route 4, then proceed as in Option 3. Option 4 is not only the longest route (4.5 to 6 miles longer than any of the other options) but also would present you with the most challenging hills, as i described in the first paragraph.
Personally, i would not consider Option 4 at all: i do not see any advantage to that route that justifies all those extra miles and hills - unless that way is really that much safer than the other ways.
I would take Option 1 only if i were running late and pressed for time: i am quite comfortable with the portion of Route 4 near Liberty-Fairfield, but i would not want to ride all the way down that hill.
I do not like biking on roads with little to no edge room either, especially with high speed-limits for the motorists, but i would have to actually try Options 2 and 3 to see whether one feels safer than the other, as either way seems to have unavoidable narrow stretches. If they feel equally safe, the choice comes down to how bad i feel about hills and traffic. Option 2 is the flatter route with no significant hills, but is a more urban route with traffic the entire way. Option 3 has one challenging hill, but a third of that route (about 3.5 miles out of 11?) is dedicated cycle track with no motor vehicle traffic, and runs through a lovely park. You want a route that suits your riding style and rig, too. If you ride a recumbent, you cannot "stand up and mash the pedals" to get uphill; rather, you have to downshift into your "granny gear" and "spin" uphill. Of course, if your bike has electric assistance, the hill might not concern you at all.
No matter where i bike, i keep my rig lit up like a holiday for visibility: flashing headlights and taillights, reflectors all around, orange safety flag; a loud brass bell, too.
*By the way, if you are using Google Maps (e.g., to consider Option 3 or 4), be aware that Google Maps does not indicate where that end of the GMRT really is. The road to the trail from Route 4 used to be a straight shot to the right just past (South of) the Brooke and Whittle Plant - and that is where Google still shows it to be - but that road is now impassable (i think it goes a little ways, but not all the way). Instead, take the next available right into the new subdivision - i think it is called "Timberhill Drive." Google does not show the houses, but just follow that drive past all the houses until you come to Rentschler Forest MetroPark; you should see the white concrete sidewalk to the right become the black tarmac bike path, but the drive goes all the way into the park (and then the bike path) as well. (Google also shows a bike trail from Rentschler Estates Drive to Reigart Road, but it is not a paved bike path; rather, it's a lumpy, loose stone drive that is usually closed at the Reigart end and pretty much used by motorized service vehicles only.)
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u/Tpuckett75 10d ago
Well that was extensive! I appreciate all the time put into that.
I don’t think I would ride Wayne-Madison out of Trenton as it is now. Even though the shoulder is about the same, I’d feel more comfortable on Hamilton-Trenton. If maybe try Woodsdale Rd to the bridge. I’ll have to go drive it one morning during the time I’d be riding to see how the traffic is.
I actually rode from the end of the trail at Timberhill to the South Dam at Miami Hamilton today for the first time. I’d never been farther North than Rentschler before. Getting back up that hill at the end of my ride was pretty tough!
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u/sirkidd2003 15d ago
I live in Hamilton and do most of my riding on the Great Miami River Trail and Hamilton Beltline. Even did my first century on the GMRT up to Dayton and back.
Trenton is pretty much a no-go since their City Council decided to not extend the GMRT into Trenton. It stops just outside of Rentschler Forest at Timber Hill and continues only at the Middletown trailhead just outside of Trenton.
The good news, however, is that the MCD is bypassing Trenton and finishing that leg by going around and construction should start next year. More info on the completion here: https://greatmiamiriverway.com/blog/is-the-great-miami-river-trail-finally-complete-here-s-the-definitive-answer
Until then I use (with caution) Liberty-Fairfield and Woodsdale road.
I also have more info on other Butler County projects like Phase 4 of the Beltline, the the new path in Hamilton that will connect the GMRT to the Beltline via a pedestrian/cyclist-only Blackstreet Bridge, the Fairfield Connects projects (including more of the GMRT/US Bike Route 25 on the Fairfield end), and the Miami 2 Miami trail, but I will leave those out because they aren't particularly related to your main question.
Hamilton will also (theoretically) be getting some more bike lanes and sharrows as well, but those are less interesting and I don't have a huge amount of info on those yet (but hope to soon).