Mandel Community Trail Opens, Creating New Connection to Cleveland’s Lakefront

Mandel Community Trail Opens, Creating New Connection to Cleveland’s Lakefront

Mandel Community Trail Opens, Creating New Connection to Cleveland’s Lakefront 2.7-mile trail creates new off-road connection between E. 9th and E. 55th streets CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH – Today, officials and community partners celebrated the opening of the Mandel Community Trail, a transformative 2.7-mile off-road connection along Cleveland’s east side lakefront between E. 9th and E. 55th streets. The new trail is a partnership between Cuyahoga County, which managed construction of the project, Cleveland Metroparks, which will manage and operate the trail, and the City of Cleveland. The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation provided a $5 million gift to Cleveland Metroparks for construction of the trail, complemented by $5.6 million in funding from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) through the Federal Highway Administration’s Carbon Reduction Program and local match funds provided by Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland. “The Mandel Community Trail turns a missing link into a new doorstep to Cleveland’s lakefront,” said Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian M. Zimmerman. “It gives people a safe, off-road way to connect from neighborhoods to our lakefront, parks, marinas and other community destinations, and it shows what we can accomplish together through partnership around a shared vision for a more connected Cleveland and lakefront.” The 2.7-mile paved Mandel Community Trail completes a critical missing link of the Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway, connecting to the existing trail from E. 55th Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The new trail travels along the north side of North Marginal Road and provides connections between downtown Cleveland’s North Coast Harbor and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to lakefront destinations including E. 55th Street Marina, the Patrick S. Parker Community Sailing Center and Gordon Park. The project also includes significant trail improvements between E. 55th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. “The Mandel Community Trail is an important part of our broader vision for a connected greenway network that links neighborhoods, residents, and destinations across Cuyahoga County,” said Chris Ronayne, Cuyahoga County Executive. “By creating safe, accessible routes for walking and biking, we are expanding opportunities for people to reach the lakefront and ensure that our region’s natural and recreational assets are available to everyone.” The new trail provides safe, accessible access to the lakefront for people walking and bicycling from the St. Clair-Superior and Glenville neighborhoods and surrounding communities. Prior to the project, pedestrians and cyclists traveling along this portion of North Marginal Road were required to share the roadway with vehicles to reach lakefront destinations on Cleveland’s east side. The Mandel Community Trail also connects to University Circle, Doan Brook and the Shaker Lakes via the regional trail network. "The Mandel Community Trail will now provide Clevelanders access to their lakefront, to our parks and public spaces, and to the opportunities that make our city stronger. That is the kind of connectivity we are building through Cleveland ERA," said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. "This trail closes a critical gap on our east side and brings us one step closer to a Cleveland where every neighborhood has a clear path to our natural assets and to the rest of our city." The trail is part of a broader investment in Cleveland’s east side lakefront, where the Mandel Foundation has made a significant commitment to several transformational projects. Altogether, the Foundation has committed $21 million in support for the Mandel Community Trail and additional trail improvements, enhancements to the 48-acre portion of Gordon Park south of Interstate 90 between E. 72nd Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Boathouse at the Patrick S. Parker Community Sailing Center. Enhancements to Gordon Park are underway following a robust public engagement process. “The Mandel brothers’ commitment to Cleveland was rooted in the belief that strong communities are built through long-term investments that benefit future generations,” said Dr. Jehuda Reinharz, President & CEO of the Mandel Foundation. “We are proud to support a project that connects more residents to Cleveland’s lakefront while contributing to the long-term vitality of the city’s east side neighborhoods.” The Mandel Community Trail was identified as a critical regional link in the Cuyahoga Greenways Plan, a collaborative effort to envision, plan and implement trail connections throughout Cuyahoga County that improve mobility, health, well-being and economic vitality. NOACA helped guide implementation of the regionally significant route along the Lake Erie waterfront. “The Mandel Community Trail fills a critical gap in the Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway and demonstrates how strategic transportation planning can turn a vision into reality,” said Grace Gallucci, Executive Director and CEO of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA). “The need for this missing link was identified through planning studies conducted under NOACA’s Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative (TLCI), helping to prioritize NOACA’s commitment of $5,684,048 in Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) funds. The trail is a prime example of NOACA’s role as the region’s metropolitan planning organization—identifying critical transportation needs, prioritizing investments to address those needs, and helping move projects from planning to implementation. The result is a more connected, accessible, and safer Northeast Ohio.” The Mandel Community Trail is part of continued investment to improve access to Cleveland’s lakefront and connect neighborhoods with parks, recreation, cultural destinations and other community assets. For more information about the Mandel Community Trail and current project updates, visit clevelandmetroparks.com.