Richard Ramseyer, third from left, unveils a trail marker for the Lion’s Way County Line Road Pathway on Tuesday. The pathway is the latest addition to the Lion’s Way trail network in Bluffton, part of a 15-year master plan to construct trails encircling the village.
Mackenzi Klemann | The Lima News
BLUFFTON — Bluffton’s pedestrian-bike trail system is longer than ever, with two new additions connecting cyclists to the village’s east side.
The newly finished portions of the trail connect pedestrians and cyclists to County Line Road and state Route 103, the village’s business district located near Interstate 75.
Members of Bluffton’s bike trail committee joined contributors outside the Bluffton Child Development Center Tuesday afternoon to commemorate the completion of County Line Path, one of the new additions to Lion’s Way Path.
The trail system is part of a 15-year master plan to construct nine miles of Class I bike pathways encircling the village, inspired by the Triplett Path built in 1990.
The Bluffton Lion’s Foundation and the village’s Bike and Pedestrian Committee revived the project 20 years ago.
Completed portions of the trail are found along greenways and major roads like Bentley and Augsburger Roads, connecting to recreational areas such as Buckeye Lake and Cobb Lake.
Future additions are likely: Lion’s Club President Jackie Bourassa said the club wants to partner with the Ohio Department of Transportation to widen the County Line Road Bridge, which would enable the village to connect the trail system there to College Avenue.
“My husband and I love to ride our bikes, and we can just walk right out there now,” Bourassa said. “What a neat opportunity for the community. It brings us together. We can all share and enjoy this together.”
