The blueprint displays a map with the existing trails along with new ones that are being planned.
Courtesy of Go Ottawa
OTTAWA — AARP announced that Go Ottawa has received a 2024 Community Challenge grant.
Go Ottawa will conduct at least three bike audits that will result in recommendations for making both walking and biking safer. The audits will take place from July to September, and the results will be shared with the community to help inform the design and construction of Ottawa’s first bike trail.
“This grant helps us kick off our larger initiative of making our tight-knit river town of four square miles more walkable, bikeable, and floatable,” said Jacqueline Langhals, Executive Director of Go Ottawa. Discussing the specific grant from AARP, Langhals said, “As part of the Village of Ottawa’s Strategic Plan, a few potential bike paths have been laid out. These audits will not only help us to provide data towards the justification of these paths, but will also help us make existing routes taken by cyclists safer.”
For this grant, Go Ottawa teamed up with the Putnam County Health Department, as creating safer and more accessible ways for the county residents to exercise is part of their current Community Health Improvement Plan. “They are an active participant in the local senior coalition, along with the Council on Aging and other agencies, that is actively trying to improve the lives of our Putnam County seniors,” Langhals said.
Go Ottawa is a community-driven organization trying to bring vibrancy to downtown Ottawa and beyond. The team helped develop a city-wide Master Plan, a new Main Street operating system, public space, and a village brand. This resulted in a $1 million allocation from the State of Ohio for downtown redevelopment in early 2024. Dedicated to meeting their goals, the organization hopes to curate more entertainment and retail downtown in the next 3-5 years, and a thriving biking and kayaking scene with a bustling downtown full of people enjoying their time in the next 10 years.
“AARP Ohio is committed to working with local leaders, advocates, and policymakers to make our communities better places to live for Ohioans of all ages, especially those 50 and older,” said Zach McCune, manager of Outreach and Advocacy for AARP Ohio. Since 2017, AARP has invested $568,878 through 43 grants to nonprofit organizations and government entities across Ohio.
Reach Cade Higgins at 567-242-0351
