Safe Routes to School/Michael E. Pittman Community Trail

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The Program

Sugarcreek Township, the City of Bellbrook, and the Bellbrook Sugarcreek Park District in cooperation with the Bellbrook Sugarcreek School District and the residents of Sugarcreek Township and the City of Bellbrook chose to undertake the development of a School Travel Plan in 2009 with funding support from the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The Safe Routes to School program enables us to identify ideas for both educational programs (student education, parent education, community education, etc.), encouragement programs (walk to school days, walking school bus programs, etc.), engineering solutions (constructing walkways, improving crossings, etc.), and enforcement solutions (increased police presence, etc.) in order to provide safer walking and bicycling conditions for our students. Evaluation is also a part of Safe Routes to Schools, so baseline data was compiled in 2009 prior to undertaking any recommended element of the plan.

The connection of our residential neighborhoods to our activity centers (including our schools) is important to the township and will offer residents an alternative to driving.

Funding

We received funding in 2010 from ODOT to complete infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects related to our local SRTS program. Included in the $7500 award for non-infrastructure projects was the production of a SRTS video, the production of Walk Route Maps, and the production of a safety pamphlet for students, parents, and community members. These projects have been completed. Look for the video on Bellbrook TV.

Our first infrastructure project (chosen by the SRTS Committee as our first priority project) included the construction of a 10' multi-use path from the intersection of Upper Bellbrook / Pine Court / Feedwire Road to the BMS driveway on the south side of Feedwire Road. It also included a crossing at the Middle School driveway across Feedwire and improvements to the pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Upper Bellbrook / Pine Court / Feedwire Road. We received $333,500 in funding from ODOT to complete this project. Construction has been completed and this project has been put into use.

In 2012, ODOT informed us that we received an additional $460,000 in SRTS funding to complete our second and third priority infrastructure projects. The second priority project is the construction of a 10' multi-use path from the terminus of the existing Richard Frederick Bikeway at the south BCI access to the existing path near the water tower (on the east side of Upper Bellbrook Road). This will also connect the path to BCI's internal sidewalk network. The construction on the extension of the Richard Frederick Bikeway has been completed and this project has been put into use.

The third priority project is the extension of the 10' multi-use path from the BMS driveway to Adam's Place (on the south side of Feedwire Road). A feasibility study to assess right-of-way needs has been completed relative to the extension of the path from the BMS driveway to Adam's Place. Construction has been completed and this project has been put into use.

In 2013, we received word from ODOT that we were awarded an additional $427,000 in SRTS funding to construct the Kable's Mill connection-the construction of a 10' multi-use path from the intersection of Upper Bellbrook / Pine Court / Feedwire Road to Kable's Mill Drive. Construction on this project is anticipated in 2017 in conjunction with the extension of the Richard Frederick Bikeway. Construction has been completed and this project has been put into use.

On June 13, 2014, we were awarded another $191,000 to complete the Eden Meadows connection (taking the 10' multi-use path from Adam's Place to Eden Meadows Way). Also included in this project is a crossing from Deerfield Estates across Feedwire to connect to the path. Construction has been completed and this project has been put into use.

NEXT STEPS/COMPANION PROJECTS:

The success we have had with our SRTS program compelled us to look further into connectivity throughout our community and beyond. We now have a plan in place to create a 8.3 mile loop around Sugarcreek Township and the City of Bellbrook, which incorporates our SRTS projects. This loop will provide another link in development of the Bellbrook-Fairborn Connector Trail and will set the stage for future connection to the Iron Horse Trail in Montgomery County. In January of 2020, the Board of Trustees moved to name all pieces of the pathway network the "Micheal E. Pittman Community Trail" in honor of Trustee Pittman's dedication to the SRTS program and connectivity throughout the community.

In 2019, the Township, City of Bellbrook and the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local School District jointly funded the construction of a crosswalk from the Landings at Sugarcreek subdivision and the developer constructed 10' multi-use path on the west side of Upper Bellbrook Road to connect to the SRTS path on the east side of Upper Bellbrook Road.

Other developer constructed pieces to the Township's larger pathway network include the construction of a 10' multi-use path along the south side of Feedwire Road in front of the Waterford development and the removal and replacement of an existing 6' path with a 10' multi-use path along the south side of Feedwire Road in front of the Sugar Ridge development (included was an extension to the corner of Feedwire and Little Sugarcreek Roads). The School District has cut busing for all students within a two-mile radius of their school building and has plans to cut busing for all high school students. These actions make the SRTS network even more significant and important to families within our community.

VIEW THE PLAN FOR THE 8.3 MILE LOOPED PATHWAY NETWORK

Walk to School Day

The annual Walk & Bike to School Day is always great fun! All BCI students are encouraged to walk or bike to school. Walkers and bikers are awarded with a short assembly after announcements, with all students receiving goodies and raffle tickets. Past prizes have included a plethora of bikes, a unicycle, skateboards, scooters, and bike accessories.

Our generous sponsors for this event have included:
Tom's Mulch
Clemens Development Company
Ernst Concrete
K&G Bike Center
Cabela's
Target
Dayton Children's
E.E. Wood Homes
Meijer

Documents

HISTORICAL INFORMATION ON PLAN PROGRESS:

SRTS Path Alternatives Considered– Sugarcreek Township held a public meeting on February 10, 2016 to discuss the construction of a 10' Safe Routes to School walking and biking path proposed along Feedwire Road from the Bellbrook Middle School to Eden Meadows Way. Two path alternatives were presented, as was an overview of the township's proposed multi-use path network. Contact Barry Tiffany, Township Administrator, at 937-848-8426 with questions.

Access the comments (PDF) received during the Open House Public Meeting. The Sugarcreek Township Board of Trustees reviewed and carefully considered the comments received and asked that ODOT move forward with plans for a pathway on the south side of Feedwire Road (alternative 1). Construction on this path was completed in 2019. Please call 848-8426 with questions or comments.