Twinsburg is ready to show off its newest piece of outdoor infrastructure this Saturday, when the city celebrates the completion of the Liberty Road Trail with a ribbon-cutting and a mayor-led community bike ride. The roughly one-mile path links Liberty Park’s active recreation area near Neille Lane with the Liberty Park Nature Center near Post Road, giving pedestrians and nonmotorized bicyclists a dedicated route through Liberty Park.
According to Cleveland.com, the trail connects the Liberty Park active recreation area at Neille Lane with the Liberty Park Nature Center at Post Road and is designed for foot traffic and bikes rather than motorized vehicles. The Bike with the Mayor event kicks off with check-in at 9:30 a.m. at the Liberty Park ballfield, 9385 Liberty Road, followed by a ribbon-cutting and ride starting at 10 a.m. Sam Scaffide will lead the community ride, which covers approximately 3.5 miles round trip along the new trail to the Summit Metro Parks Liberty Park Nature Center and back to the ballfield. Preregistration is not required, but organizers ask participants to sign a waiver, and the event is open to all ages. Helmets are encouraged, light refreshments will follow the ride, and electric bikes and electric scooters are not permitted. Because of the event, the trail itself will be closed to other users from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
From Construction Zone to Finished Path
The trail has been in the works for months. Twinsburg began construction this summer, and the city expects to finish remaining trail improvements by the end of October. A city solicitation posted on civiciq.com describes the project as including installation of a rubberized porous pavement trail along with concrete curb and storm sewer improvements along Liberty Road, with bids due by March 19, 2026, and Patrick Jeffers listed as the city’s primary contact for the solicitation.
That work required a temporary disruption for drivers. The city’s mayor website detailed a northbound lane closure on Liberty Road between Neille Lane and Post Road that ran from the morning of Sept. 14 through the end of that week in September, as crews poured curbs. Once the curb work wrapped up, the plan called for the rest of the trail construction to proceed, along with additional crossings fitted with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons and final landscaping.
Recycled Tires and Porous Pavement
One of the trail’s more unusual features is underfoot. The path runs 8 to 10 feet wide and uses porous pavement made with about 10,000 recycled tires, stone and a binder; Porous Pave, Inc. donated the tires and operates a processing facility near its headquarters in southern Michigan. The porous surface allows rainwater to drain directly through the pavement into the ground, which is intended to reduce stormwater runoff within Liberty Park.
The broader project also folded in curb and stormwater improvements, new sidewalks, and the rapid-flashing pedestrian signals meant to make nearby neighborhood access to the trail safer. Twinsburg Township contributed to those neighborhood connections, funding multiple sidewalk links adjacent to the trail.
Grant Covered Most of the $2 Million Price Tag
The project carries an estimated cost of approximately $2 million, funded primarily through a Transportation Alternatives Program grant drawing on federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding. The Ohio Department of Transportation administered the grant, which covered 80% of the project cost, with Twinsburg funding most of the remaining balance. Ohio’s Transportation Alternatives Program more broadly funds projects defined as transportation alternatives, including enhanced mobility and community improvement activities, according to transportation.ohio.gov. Earlier this year, Ohio officials said more than $21 million in Transportation Alternatives Program grants would be awarded statewide to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety, per governor.ohio.gov.
City groundwork for the trail stretches back to the start of the year. A resolution on the Twinsburg City Council’s Jan. 27, 2026 agenda authorized the mayor to execute a cost-reimbursement agreement with Twinsburg Township covering trail crosswalks and beacons, alongside a separate resolution authorizing a maintenance agreement with Summit County, according to the City of Twinsburg.
In a statement, the city described the trail as representing investment in safer connections and more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, and invited residents to “grab your bike, bring your family, and join us as we celebrate another great addition to our naturally beautiful Twinsburg!” City officials said possible trail extensions could continue south into Summit Metro Parks’ Tinkers Creek Nature Preserve, but noted that nothing of that kind is currently planned.
