Tell Covington Commissioners and FHWA to Say No to Highway Expansion and Save Riverfront Commons Trail

KYTC proposes drastic changes to Covington's vital pedestrian and cycling infrastructure that will impact our community for years to come. The agency plans to close and reroute almost all of the Riverfront Commons Trail in Covington, a critical east-west safe route for people walking and biking, during the Brent Spence highway expansion. This closure directly contradicts Covington's recently passed bicycle transportation plan. Moreover, KYTC has removed both the sidewalk and the proposed multi-use trail on 5th Street, labeling this removal an "innovation" while providing only vague references to studying alternative routes.

• Close Riverfront Commons from Highway Avenue to Covington Plaza
• Reroute pedestrians and cyclists onto busy city streets and through parking lots
• Remove access to Scribble Park by closing the Waterfront Lot
• Place aggregate over the existing path for heavy machinery movement
• Remove safe bike/pedestrian infrastructure until 2030, with additional closures possible until project completion

• Forces trail users onto dangerous, high-speed roads
• Creates hazardous conditions at construction entrances
• Requires multiple street crossings and navigation through parking lots
• Increases travel distance for current route users
• Limits recreational and commuter access to parkland and Scribble Park
• Reduces community access to natural spaces
• Disproportionately affects the 20% of Covington residents who don't own automobiles

Local Leaders Speak Out:

"This is one of two pieces of bike infrastructure in the whole city. And they're going to close it to help build this bridge project, so there's real concern over if this is just the first step... Over the life of this project, what other concessions are going to be made?" warns Nate Weyand-Geise, president of Ride the Cov.

Dr. Amy Townsend-Small, Professor of Environmental Science at the University of Cincinnati, emphasizes that this project fails to address core transportation issues: "Planners and environmental scientists agree, it won't be a long-term solution to traffic... [There will be] more traffic, more pollution, more exposure to noise and more disturbance to the communities, and this trail closure is one example… It's the beginning."

Take Action: We must prevent KYTC from implementing plans that prioritize vehicle traffic over community safety and accessibility. Submit your comments by February 23, 2025, to the City of Covington Commission and FHWA.