On Monday, September 21, Loveland police officers stood at the spot where the Little Miami Scenic Trail crosses West Loveland Avenue to walk people through something new. A full traffic signal was running there for the first time. The officers were there to help with the rollout. Police asked cyclists and walkers to wait for the walk signal and follow every crossing indicator.
It looks like one more stoplight on a street that already has several. It is actually the last piece of a plan the City laid out in 2022. That plan treats downtown's roads, the trail and the public parking lot as one connected system on a shared clock. The Nisbet Park amphitheater, now rising a short way up the trail, is being rebuilt to reshape the trail's edge too.
The Button Is Gone
For years this crossing had a pedestrian-activated flashing crosswalk. On big event days, the City sent crossing guards to keep people and cars moving. Under that setup, a person on the trail started the sequence by pressing a button.
The new setup turns that around. Trail users now get standard green, yellow and red signals, just like at any other intersection. When east-west traffic on West Loveland Avenue has a green light, the trail gets a red and people on bikes or on foot wait.
| At the West Loveland Avenue crossing | Before September 21, 2026 | Since September 21, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| What controls the crossing | Pedestrian-activated flashing crosswalk | Overhead signals for cars, separate trail signals for cyclists and pedestrians |
| How busy event days were handled | Crossing guards at high-volume events | Signal timing tied to traffic volume |
| How it relates to nearby lights | Ran on its own | Synchronized with the signals at SR 48 and Karl Brown Way |
| Railroad Avenue | Two-way | One-way toward the public parking lot |
The City's own example shows how the timing works. When the light at West Loveland Avenue and Karl Brown Way turns red and cars stop, the trail signal turns on automatically so cyclists and walkers can cross. The lights detect cars by radar and "talk" to each other, so the trail light speeds up or slows down with traffic. A walk across downtown now runs on the same schedule as a drive through it.
Four Years From Grant to Green
The trail light took a long time to arrive. Here is how it unfolded:
- October 2022. The City announces an Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments grant of $281,898 for the signal. It was one of 34 transportation projects OKI funded that year.
- 2023. Planned year for the specialized engineering, done in coordination with ODOT and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
- 2024. The year installation was originally expected.
- December 2024. The City widens a walkway and a vehicle lane at Grear Millitizer Place to get ready for the traffic-pattern change that would follow the signal.
- Summer 2026. ODOT contractors begin marking utilities for the installation.
- September 21, 2026. The signal turns on.
The light came in roughly two years after the City first projected. The City's 2026 notice still describes it as synchronized with the lights at State Route 48 and Karl Brown Way. When the grant was announced, City Manager David Kennedy described the trail signal as the final link in a network:
"Adding the automized signalization at the West Loveland Avenue crossing brings the plan for downtown's traffic lights full circle. The traffic lights will work together as a network and can adjust within seconds to improve vehicle flow."
Kennedy also said in 2022 that the City expected "an education period" once the system went in. That fits with officers being on site the morning it started.
Historic downtown has three trail crossings: Harrison Avenue near Nisbet Park, West Loveland Avenue in the center of downtown, and Broadway Street near the Linda J. Cox Trailside Parking Lot. The 2022 announcement said the City had made improvements over the years "as allowable." Those included the flashing crosswalk, new signs and new striping. West Loveland Avenue is the one that has now moved to full signal control.
Railroad Avenue Points One Way Now
The less visible change is a block over. Railroad Avenue is now one-way, heading toward the public parking lot. The City's summer notice tied this to the signal project and said it supports better traffic circulation.
The one-way street and the new signal work together. Cars heading for the lot follow a set direction, and cars on West Loveland Avenue move through lights timed together. People on the trail get their own scheduled crossing in the middle of that. None of the sources describe a change to the lot's size or new event parking rules. The City has not published a review of how traffic has moved since September 21.
The same thinking shows up in City Council's planning. At its February 28, 2026 goal-setting session, Council kept the goal of finding money for the Downtown Streetscape Plan. Members talked about signals, intersection improvements, getting in and out along West Loveland Avenue, walking routes to Nisbet Park, and pedestrian safety. The City's project page treats Phase 1 of the West Loveland Avenue streetscape as a separate project. That phase covers Second Street/SR 48 to Karl Brown Way, includes sidewalks, utilities and tree wells, and depends on Ohio Public Works Commission funding.
The Stage Is Being Turned Toward the Park
Walk north along the trail toward Harrison Avenue and the same approach shows up in concrete. The old Nisbet Park amphitheater was torn down the week of May 11, and work on the new one has been going on since late April. By the City Manager's August 14 report, the walls had been poured. The August 21 report led with "Construction Progress Continues at the Nisbet Park Amphitheater."
The new stage is in a new spot and faces a new direction. The Nisbet Park Master Plan, which the Recreation Board started with KZF Design in 2021, called for turning the amphitheater to face the park. It also aimed to improve how people walk through the park, create a focal point and open up access to the river. When the City announced the project in October 2024, it said a stage facing into the park would serve community groups and hold bigger crowds for concerts and festivals.
The bid package lists what is being built:
- A covered stage with stage platforms and stairs
- A changing room and a utility closet
- A concrete dance floor
- Stage lighting and power
- A sidewalk from the trail to the stage
- Landscaping and regrading of the site
The contractor is John P. Tumlin and Sons. Lynn Zuch of KZF Design attended the preconstruction meeting as the designer. In July 2025, Local 12 reported an estimated cost of about $1 million, with more than $950,000 already secured. The City has also set aside about $200,000 from a Verizon easement sale for the project. No final contract amount or opening date has been announced. The most recent estimate is completion sometime in 2026. If you want to check progress without walking over, the City started a construction livestream on June 22.
The master plan goes beyond the stage. It also includes a longer walking trail and riverside swings. In August, the Parks and Recreation Board learned the City had hired a consultant to begin a master plan for the City-owned land along Riverside Drive and the Veterans Memorial. A new Veterans Memorial and Riverfront Advisory Committee will help guide that work.
A Frog Is Headed for Nisbet Park
On September 29, the City started a community fundraising campaign for a bronze sculpture and water feature at Nisbet Park. The design draws on Loveland's long connection to the Frogman, and the project is part of the 150th anniversary celebration. The sculpture does not have a name yet, and the City is accepting gifts of any size.
"It's something people will want to see, take pictures with and show their friends," said Mayor Kathy Bailey. Kennedy said, "The Frogman is part of our history, and bringing that personality into the park just feels right."
If you followed the 150th anniversary calendar this summer, this is one of the longer-lasting pieces of that year.
The New Blocks, This October
With the signal in place, a short downtown walk this fall passes through a networked crossing and a few newer stops.
Favorite Things Deli & Market opened on Friday, June 26, at 305 W. Loveland Ave., in the former Cocoa Bites space. It serves made-to-order sandwiches, wraps and salads next to shelves of local products. Owner Leah Moss said the shop answers residents' requests for a sandwich spot and gives local makers a place to sell. Farther along at 600 W. Loveland Ave., Cocoa Muse expanded into the empty space next door and added seating. The Dapper Dog Parlor held its ribbon cutting in late July as the City's newest business.
Coming up on the calendar:
- Saturday, October 3, 10 a.m. The 17th annual Captain Seth Mitchell HERO 5K starts at the Linda Cox parking lot, the trailside lot by the Broadway crossing.
- October 9–25. Loveland Stage Company performs Into the Woods at its theater at 111 S. Second St.
- Friday, October 23, 6 p.m. NEST holds its 8th annual Dancing with the Stars fundraiser at Oasis Golf and Conference Center, 902 Loveland-Miamiville Road.
For more on the trail through the rest of the week, see our guide to everyday life along the Loveland Bike Trail. Our Loveland neighborhood page covers the wider area.
If your daily route now takes you past the new signal and the half-built stage at Nisbet Park, Ragan McKinney keeps track of these downtown changes block by block. If you're wondering how projects like the streetscape plan or the riverfront master plan might affect your street, let's connect.
