Mandel Community Trail
About
The Mandel Community Trail will be a portion of the Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway between E. 9th St and Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK Jr.) Blvd along North Marginal Road on the east side of the city of Cleveland. Work to construct and improve this trail is split into two separate sections:
- New Trail from E. 9th to E 55th – Managed by Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works
- Trail Improvements between E. 55th and MLK Jr. Blvd – Managed by Cleveland Metroparks
Once these projects are both complete in Fall 2026, the Mandel Community Trail will provide a continuous, lighted, and paved bike and pedestrian connection between E. 9th St and MLK Jr. Blvd. See the map below for a visual breakdown of the two projects.
1.) New Trail from E. 9th St to E. 55th St – Cuyahoga County Public Works
This new 2.7-mile off-road paved trail segment will connect to the existing portion of the Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway from E. 55th Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and provide much needed safe access to the lakefront on foot or by bicycle to the St. Clair Superior and Glenville neighborhoods and Downtown.
The project is a partnership with Cuyahoga County (which is managing construction), the City of Cleveland, and Cleveland Metroparks. The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation provided a $5 million gift to Cleveland Metroparks for the trail, which is complemented by $5.6 million of funds from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) through the Federal Highway Administration’s Carbon Reduction Program and local match funds provided by Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland.
For the most up-to-date construction information from Cuyahoga County, please visit their website here.
2.) Trail Improvements between E. 55th St and MLK Jr. Blvd – Cleveland Metroparks
Cleveland Metroparks is expanding and improving its Lakefront Reservation facilities. The Mandel Community Trail Improvements project will add trail lighting and other upgrades along the existing shared use trail between E. 55th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, improving safety and comfort for all users.
ADA-compliant crosswalks and ramps, trail surface repairs, and new sidewalk connections will also be completed along this section of Lakefront trail. Enhanced wayfinding will strengthen connectivity between the Mandel Community Trail and the Harrison Dillard Bikeway which runs south from Gordon Park to University Circle.
Project Facts
Project Type: All Purpose Trail Project
Project Phase: Construction
Anticipated Construction Completion: Fall 2026
Contact: Andrew Stahlke, Project Developer, 216-635-3255 or [email protected]
Project Size: New 2.7 mile trail; 1.3 miles of trail improvements
Contracting Partner(s): Independence Excavating, Inc.
Consulting Partner(s): Michael Baker, International
Partners:
- City of Cleveland
- Cuyahoga County
Funding:
- E. 9th – E. 55th Trail
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation
- Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) via Federal Highway Administration Carbon Reduction Program
- City of Cleveland
- Cuyahoga County
- E. 55th– MLK Jr. Trail Improvements
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation
In the News
Cleveland officials break ground on North Marginal Trail project - News 5 Cleveland (August 12, 2024)
Cleveland to greenlight plans for lakefront trail from downtown to East 55th Street - Cleveland.com (Feb. 28, 2024)
