For approximately the past ten years, the West Creek Preservation Committee (WCPC) has been coordinating efforts to develop an approximately fifteen-mile recreational trail system, the West Creek Greenway Trail System (Greenway Trail), extending through the communities of Brooklyn Heights, Independence, Parma and Seven Hills. This trail will connect to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail (Towpath Trail) at two points, one from the north and the other from the south. It is also envisioned to connect neighborhoods, business districts, historical landmarks and other public parks and recreational amenities such as the West Creek Reservation, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Canalway Reservation, Brooklyn Heights Park and Henninger House.

In 2006, Cleveland Metroparks was awarded a Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative (TLCI) grant from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agecny (NOACA) to study and propose the most feasible and effective trail route for those areas of the Greenway Trail that remain in a conceptual state. The areas remaining in a conceptual state comprise over three-fourths of the proposed trail system. Knowing the most feasible and effective trail routes will allow resources to be focused on those areas for right-of-way (ROW) acquisition and trail development.

Cleveland Metroparks has subcontracted portions of the grant responsibility to the consulting firm Floyd Browne Group and to the WCPC As such, in partnership with Cleveland Metroparks and Floyd Browne Group, WCPC held three public input meetings in late April and early May, one stakeholder meeting in July, and two additional public meetings in August regarding the proposed alignment of the West Creek Greenway Trail System.

The stakeholder and public meetings provided WCPC and and Floyd Browne Group with significant input. The plan received an overwhelming positive response from residents, stakeholders, and other project partners. WCPC originally formulated a very similar plan 10 years ago, and we are extremely excited about the results of this study. Creating a recreational trail network of this scope will be an extremely great access not only for the watershed communities, but for all Northeast Ohio. This comprehenisve urban trail will connect our residents back to community and our areas rich culture and history. Click the image below to view an overall view of the Greenway.

The Greenway Trail was separated into four major sections:

West Creek Greenway Trail

Stearns Farm Connector

West Creek Reservation Trail

Neighborhood Connector Trail