December 27, 2025

The Wasson Way organization is an all-volunteer, non-profit, that relies on your support to carry out our mission. Consider a year-end donation to ensure that Wasson Way continues to be a safe, accessible, and sustainable urban greenway that connects neighborhoods, supports active transportation, and enhances quality of life for the community.

All year-end donations will be matched up to $25,000, doubling the impact of your generosity.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Wasson Way and the trail.

Know Your E-Bike: What’s Allowed on Wasson Way

To help keep the trail safe and enjoyable for everyone, it is important to understand the distinct types of electric bicycles (e-bikes), and which are allowed on trails like Wasson Way:

E-Bike Classes (as defined by Ohio law):

• Class 1: Pedal-assist only (i.e., the motor activates only while pedaling), with assistance up to twenty mph. These are allowed on Wasson Way.
• Class 2: Pedal-assist and throttle-operated, but the motor cuts off at 20 mph. These are also allowed on the trail.
• Class 3: Pedal-assist only, with assistance up to 28 mph and typically equipped with a speedometer. These are not allowed on shared-use paths like Wasson Way, and they cannot be operated by anyone under age 16.
• “Unclassified” (not e-bikes at all): Some motorized bikes do not fall into the above classes because they lack pedals entirely, use throttle-only operation beyond 20 mph, and/or have motors exceeding 750 watts (1 horsepower). These “classless” vehicles are not recognized as bicycles under Ohio law and are not allowed on shared-use paths like Wasson Way.

Whether you are on a bike, e-bike, scooter, or rollerblades, or whether you are pushing a stroller or simply on foot, please keep your speed under control, stay alert, and be courteous to others.  

Parents and guardians, please help ensure your children understand and follow these rules, especially when using electric or motorized devices.

Wasson Way Trail Etiquette

• Keep right; pass on the left and announce your presence clearly.
• Yield appropriately: cyclists yield to pedestrians; faster users yield to slower users.
• Maintain a safe speed and be prepared to stop, especially in crowded areas.
• Keep pets on a short leash and clean up after them.
• Please remain on the designated trail, and be considerate of landscaping, gardens, and nearby private property.
• Use headphones such as in-ear headphones (including AirPods-style earbuds), on-ear headphones, and over-ear headphones, with noise-canceling features, at a low volume so you can hear announcements.
• Please keep conversations considerate of others.
• Pack out all trash and help keep the trail clean and welcoming.
• Be courteous, patient, and aware that the trail is a shared community space.

December 27, 2025

Wasson Way is pleased to highlight Queen City Commons and its community-based composting service, which is helping reduce landfill waste while returning nutrients to local soils. Composting food scraps is a simple but meaningful action that lowers greenhouse gas emissions, supports healthier landscapes, and strengthens neighborhood-scale sustainability.

To learn more about Queen City Commons and how to participate in composting in the Hyde Park area and beyond, visit: https://www.queencitycommons.com/ and
https://www.queencitycommons.com/hyde-park/

The phrase “My best ideas keep turning into compost” is a metaphor that suggests our “ideas rarely succeed in the way we expect, but they are not wasted; they quietly contribute to future growth.”

December 27, 2025

A new Cincy Red Bike station has been installed in Hyde Park at Wasson Way and Paxton Avenue. This is the first Red Bike location in Hyde Park and directly connects the bike-share system to the Wasson Way trail, improving access for recreation and short trips between Hyde Park, Oakley, and nearby neighborhoods.

December 27, 2025

The Wasson Way continues its westward march with a new crossing at Montgomery Road, enhancing access to Xavier University and further extending through neighborhoods to the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. This segment of the Wasson Way, Phase 6B, is now open, extending from the trail’s current endpoint on Montgomery Road, just across from Xavier’s campus, and continuing westward through the campus towards Station Way. With the pavement complete and a new signalized crosswalk fully operational, this extension significantly improves safety and accessibility for all trail users.

The trail extension was made possible through $450,000 from the CROWN Capital Campaign. The signalized crossing at Montgomery Road was made possible through a $450,000 SORTA Transit Infrastructure Grant for pedestrian safety and a $350,000 State Capital Budget Grant approved by the Ohio General Assembly. Special thanks to Xavier University, the City of Cincinnati, and Tri-State Trails for project management and collaboration, and to the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee for the State Capital Budget recommendation. This Xavier-focused extension connects the existing 3.5 miles of Wasson Way east of campus to the 0.8-mile section west of campus. Phase 6B, when complete upon the opening of Xavier’s new College of Osteopathic Medicine, will effectively link these segments together, connecting Evanston and Avondale.

The new signalized Wasson Way crossing of Montgomery Road near Dana Avenue.

December 27, 2025

Wasson Way partnered with Wimberg Landscaping to establish a community perennial pollinator garden at the intersection of Isabella, Wasson, and Paxton. The garden was funded through a grant awarded to Wasson Way by the Charles H. Dater Foundation and the Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation, with additional support from the Oakley Community Council. This collaboration made the community perennial pollinator garden at the site possible.

The perennial pollinator garden at the corner of Isabella, Wasson, and Paxton.

December 27, 2025

Wasson Way is an urban multi-use paved trail for walking, biking, and running. Wasson Way connects neighborhoods from Old Red Bank Road near Ault Park westward through Evanston and Hyde Park and on toward Avondale/University areas.

“Tri-State Trails’ Vision: Give the Queen City Her CROWN” (LivingMagazines.com, March 2025)

Tri-State Trails is a nonprofit that brings together individuals, organizations, and communities with a shared goal of connecting and expanding the region’s trail and bikeway. The organization advocates for connectivity and access for walkers and bicyclists both within the city of Cincinnati and throughout the region surrounding our city.

🔗 Read the article

“Catching up with Wasson Way” (Hyde Park Living, August 2025)
Highlights recent progress on the WW trail connections—especially the new Montgomery Road crossing onto Xavier University property—and features quotes from Sean McGrory along with photos of community leaders.

🔗 Read the article

“Wimberg Landscaping Receives Statewide Merit Award for Oakley Pollinator Garden” (LivingMagazines.com, August 2025).

Covers the award-winning design and installation of a pollinator garden at the corner of Wasson Road and Paxton Avenue, adjacent to the trail. Funded by Wasson Way grants, the garden has been praised as a calm, natural space in a “loud, hot, and urban” setting.

🔗 Read the article

“Unregulated e-bikes are a growing danger on American streets. In one Bay Area town, a terrible accident finally led to reform.” NYT Magazine article

E-bike injuries and fatalities have surged tenfold as the popularity of high-speed, heavy electric bikes are outpacing safety regulations. Current laws are fragmented, enforcement is weak, and advocates are calling for stricter rules and education to prevent severe crashes, which carry an 11% fatality risk compared to under 1% for traditional bikes. 

🔗 Read the article

“Xavier’s light-filled medical school embodies Jesuit, osteopathic principles | Going Up”

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