Welcome to the WAD!

The Westerville to Arena District (WAD) Bikeway is an initiative to build a commuter bikeway on an abandoned rail grade running through northeast Columbus. The rail grade in question is commonly referred to as the old Mt Vernon Right-of-Way (ROW). It begins at Cooper Park on the southern edge of Westerville and continues south to 17th Ave in Columbus. From there the trail will continue along rail lines and end below the Convention Center in downtown Columbus.

There are currently no safe, convenient, or fast means of commuting by bike from northeast Columbus into downtown Columbus. The main thoroughfares, Sunbury Rd., Westerville Rd., and Cleveland Ave., have no bicycle accommodations. To put it plainly, they are suicidal for all but the most experienced cyclists. Bikers who use Summit must avoid the I-670 overpass and find themselves forced onto High St., the street with the highest bicycle-automobile crash rate in the city. The WAD Bikeway Association seeks to address these problems by providing cyclists with a bike-only, car-free, and kid-friendly route into downtown Columbus. The same trail will double as a recreational trail for joggers, walkers and anything non-motorized on wheels.

Abandoned railways have been converted to recreational trails all across the country and they bring a wide range of benefits to their communities. They help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. They address obesity by providing children and adults opportunities for outdoor activity. They tie communities together by providing car-free access to schools, recreation centers, parks, swimming pools, sports venues, residential areas, shopping districts, government offices, and places of worship. Trails bring with them urban renewal. The WAD promises urban renewal to some of the most severely blighted areas of the city. Trails are proven to increase property values. Trails are proven to reduce crime. Trails also offer people an alternative to $3+ gasoline cost. By diversifying transportation options, trails reduce dependence on foreign oil. They also reduce the auto-emissions which cause global warming.

The bicycle network that the WAD Bikeway will create is almost beyond calculation. To mention just a few highlights, it will connect to the Alum Creek Trail at Cooper Park on its north end. It will connect to over 60 public and private schools that lie within 2 miles of the trail. In its mid-section, OSU will be accessible via 17th Ave. Fort Hayes HS, AIMS, CSCC, CCAD, Capital Law, the Columbus Museum of Art, and the I-670 Bike Path will all be accessible via the St Clair Ave bridge. And at the southern end of the trail, Nationwide Arena, the Convention Center, the nightlife offerings of Short North and Arena District, and the Olentangy Trail will all be within easy reach.

The WAD Bikeway is a recommended project in the City of Columbus Bicentennial Bikeways Masterplan. It is endorsed by the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. It has gained the endorsements of the South Linden Area Commission, North Linden Area Commission, Northeast Area Commission, and North Central Area Commission. The Area Commissions of Northland, Italian Village East and Downtown are soon to follow.