Medina has opened the first phase of its new Uptown Loop multipurpose path, a 0.3-mile stretch running along the east side of Broadway from East Smith Road to Friendship Street. The path connects to the city's existing 2.4-mile trail, giving residents a new link in a network years in the making.
Andrew Dutton, Medina's community development director, announced that the path is open, according to Cleveland.com. Dutton said there are just a few items that still need to be buttoned up, though he did not specify what those remaining tasks involve. He also said the path could be extended beyond Friendship Street in the future.
The project includes a 10-foot-wide multipurpose path along with new ADA concrete curb ramps at several intersections. The new segment is designed to tie directly into the city's broader trail system rather than function as a standalone route.
How The Project Came Together
The idea for the Uptown Loop path dates back to 2023, when the Multi-use Path Steering Committee recommended several projects for the city to pursue. Medina City Engineer Patrick Patton said the city chose to move forward with this particular project because the 2023 committee ranked it among its top five recommendations and identified it as the most achievable, per the same account.
That steering committee included a wide range of city and community voices: Patton, Mayor Jim Shields, Dutton, Nate Eppink of the Medina County Park District, Mark Gryskiewicz, Rob Henwood, Economic Development Director Kimberly Marshall, Bike Medina County's Lynne Nawalaniec and Beth Schnabel, Main Street Medina's George Sam, and Parks and Recreation Director Jansen Wehrley. Bike Medina County describes itself as a community-driven coalition working to make biking safer and more accessible across the county, according to the group's own website, which is among the organizations represented on the committee.
Momentum built through 2025, when Medina City Council's Finance Committee approved moving forward with design services for the project on June 25 of that year. The city selected Cunningham and Associates as the project's consultant through a qualification-based selection process in summer 2026, the outlet's report noted.
Funding Figures Differ Between Reports
Financing for the project has been described two different ways across coverage. Cleveland.com's June 2025 report stated that the city received a $396,000 grant from the Ohio Office of Budget and Management to help fund construction of the multipurpose path. The outlet's October 2026 report on the path's opening instead identified the funding as a $398,600 state capital budget grant. Medina City Council had agreed to move the project forward this year, with the city covering the remaining project cost.
The discrepancy between the two grant figures has not been resolved in available reporting, and Hoodline is presenting both figures as reported rather than reconciling them. What is clear is that the project drew on state funding alongside city dollars to get the first phase built.
What Comes Next For The Trail Network
For now, Medina's newest trail segment gives walkers, joggers, and cyclists a direct connection between the existing 2.4-mile path and the stretch of Broadway near Friendship Street. Dutton's comment about a possible future extension suggests the city may continue building out the loop.
Similar multi-use trail efforts are underway elsewhere in Ohio. In Troy, City Council authorized staff to apply for grant funding for a multi-use trail along West Market Street, a project described as providing a safe, accessible route for pedestrians, according to the City of Troy. For Medina, though, the focus now is on finishing the small list of remaining items on the Uptown Loop before turning attention to what might come next.
