Shad Beard lives and works in Covington. He rides his bike most days — to the office, to dinner, to meet up with friends. But he says safe routes to bike are disconnected from each other, making getting certain places very difficult.
"I can't get to Newport without it being very dangerous across both bridges," he says. "I can't get to Latonia without it being dangerous. It's almost like an island effect. One of the reasons I won't bike somewhere is I know there's this half-mile stretch where I could get killed."
His concerns have precedent. In August 2022, a driver struck and killed Gloria San Miguel as she was biking on the so-called Girl Scout Bridge between Covington and Newport. The tragedy further galvanized calls for safer cycling infrastructure in the city, including bike lanes.
Now, with the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project and other major developments looming, cyclists wonder if things will get better or worse.
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Some gathered recently near the busy intersection of Greenup and 3rd streets during the unveiling of a memorial honoring San Miguel.
Her friend Julia Kiester asked for change.
"Until the day that you can ride or walk down 4th Street, Scott, Main Street, Decoursey, Sixth Street, Greenup, 15th Street, MLK, 33rd Street, the Girl Scout Bridge, and anywhere in between with the certainty that you will live another day, the city has not done enough," she said during the memorial's unveiling.
Census data shows that as many as 20% of households in some Covington neighborhoods don't own a car.
Allison Wendling lives and works in Covington. She says being able to bike and walk safely is essential for her.
"I bike out of necessity," she says. "I don't have a car. Luckily I can walk to work. I live in a part of Covington where I can walk to a lot of places. But walking is quite dangerous, too."
Wendling says she has to bike for necessary trips, like going to get groceries, and wishes it was less dangerous.
The limitations
Covington Mayor Joe Meyer says he understands the need for safer walking and cycling. But he also says there are limitations officials have to work within.
"The city has been very positive toward alternative transportation modes," he says. "We have a basic problem though. Our streets are old and narrow. And there's parking on both sides of the street because there's no off-street parking for the people who live there. So when you come to bike lanes, you have a real problem because you can't tell people they can't park so people can ride a bike."
City officials point to the planned Fourth Street Bridge replacement between Covington and Newport, which will have 12-foot shared-use paths for cyclists and walkers.
RELATED: Designs show what a new 4th Street bridge could look like
Covington Communication Manager Dan Hassert says the city also wants to make big improvements on a thoroughfare running between the Brent Spence and Fourth Street bridges as part of a redevelopment of the city's former IRS site.
"We're going to reimagine Fourth Street," he says. "We're working with [The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet], we're cutting it from three to two lanes, with dedicated bike lanes and wider pedestrian [areas]. Because pedestrians are important and bicyclists are important."
Covington and Newport have contracted advocacy and planning group Tristate Trails to put together a holistic plan for bicycle infrastructure. The group is recommending a network of bike lanes that connect major parts of both cities.
The plan sets out short, mid- and long-term goals for both cities in terms of establishing safe, connected bike infrastructure. It also suggests possible funding sources for its recommendations. Covington is currently reviewing Tristate Trails' plan. The group will present the same plan to Newport's City Commission March 11.
Tristate Trails Executive Director Wade Johnston says he's optimistic about the plan. He also hopes the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project will help provide a much-needed connection between Covington and Cincinnati, make riding in the area around the bridge safer, and tie into existing bike infrastructure like the recently completed Riverfront Commons Trail.
RELATED: First draft of bike plan for Covington and Newport unveiled
Johnston says the corridor project includes plans to build a trail paralleling the highway in Covington from near the riverfront to 12th Street, and some talk of putting biking and walking space on the neighboring Clay Wade Bailey Bridge.
"If this is a $3.6 billion project, can we find a couple million dollars to create a shared-use path that's a really high-quality connection for people to connect to those two cities?" he asks. "And furthermore, can we think just outside of the terminus of either side of the bridge and extend it into Mainstrasse, extend it into the Central Business District, connect it to the riverfront?"