Huber Heights city council on Tuesday agreed to move legislation forward that would authorize submission of a joint grant application with the City of Dayton to the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) for a paved bike path running from Chambersburg Road to the Great Miami River Trail.

City staff said the project would continue an 11-foot-wide paved path that the city plans to build next year along the north side of Chambersburg Road. The proposed new segment would be about 4,850 feet long and would be asphalt. Staff provided a map to council showing the route continuing west into Dayton, turning south through the Warriors soccer complex, then west along Fishburg Road to Rip Rap and a connection to the regional trail.

The project estimate presented to council was $1,046,760, and the city is requesting $500,000 in TA funding from MVRPC to support the construction. Staff said, if funded, design work would begin early next year and that the project is federally funded under ODOT review; construction could take up to four years because of required environmental and federal reviews.

Council members asked detailed questions about the route, cost drivers and alternatives. Several council members and staff discussed whether the path should follow a more direct alignment wholly along Chambersburg Road rather than routing through the soccer complex and across a creek, and whether the City of Dayton would participate. City staff said Dayton had so far shown reluctance because the segment primarily benefits Huber Heights residents, and therefore Dayton officials have not committed financial participation; staff also noted the routing choices were influenced by property ownership and right-of-way constraints.

Council pressed staff on specific technical issues: the creek crossing will require culverts or a box culvert structure, the Fishburg Road segment is narrow and will require right-of-way work, and a safety plan specific to bike facilities has not yet been completed. Staff said some developer contributions and escrowed funds may help with sidewalks and that parts of the path could be built in coordination with a Chambersburg Road widening project already scheduled for next year.

Councilmember discussion included parking and user access: one councilmember noted existing parking at a gravel lot near the proposed Rip Rap connection and said routing through the soccer complex could provide more parking options for path users. Staff emphasized the path’s benefits for local walkability and connectivity to the regional trail.

There was no formal recorded roll-call vote during the work session. Council took no substantive objections when asked and agreed to move the legislation forward for formal consideration on the regular meeting agenda on Monday.

What’s next: staff will finalize the joint application with Dayton for MVRPC’s TA program, continue discussions with the Warriors soccer complex about access and parking, prepare a safety plan for bike paths, and follow the ODOT environmental and federal review steps if the project is selected for funding.