What you need to know
- The Saratoga Street Bikeway would create a 0.7-mile protected bike path in Newport.
- Four design alternatives were presented, with varying widths, costs, and impacts.
- Tri-State Trails is gathering public input before applying for grants to fund it.
A new protected bikeway, called the “Saratoga Street Bikeway,” could be coming to Newport.
The city of Newport, Tri-State Trails and Compass Infrastructure Group are proposing the bike trail. A project open house was held on Wednesday at the Newport Branch of the Campbell County Public Library, where the three initial design alternatives were presented for public feedback.
“The whole idea of this project is to build a 0.7 protected bikeway from 3rd Street to 11th Street that would extend the experience of the Purple People Bridge, which is a safe trail experience into the heart of Newport, so that anyone, regardless of your age or ability level, could feel comfortable riding a bike or walking to get through Newport,” said Executive Director of Tri-State Trails Wade Johnston.
Tri-State Trails presented the initial design alternatives to residents and businesses along Saratoga Street at a neighborhood meeting held on June 26.
- Alternative 1: 10.5-foot by 11.5-foot-wide bike path on the west side of Saratoga Street. This is the least expensive option.
- Alternative 2A: Two-way protected bike lane on west side of Saratoga Street: 10-foot by 11-foot wide from Third Street to 9th Street, 8-foot wide from 9th St to 11th Street. This option narrows the path in some areas to avoid stairs in the route, meaning the path would not be consistent from 3rd to 11th Street.
- Alternative 2B: 11-foot-wide two-way protected bike lane, with shifted bike lane where stairs encroach into sidewalk to keep consistent width. This would remove two to three parking spaces. This option curves the path around the stairs in the route.
- Alternative 3: 5.75-foot one-way protected bike lanes on both sides of Saratoga Street. This is the most expensive option and would require parking loss on one whole side of Saratoga Street.
Flip through the slideshow below to view the design options.
Alternative 1 – 10.5′ – 11.5′ wide bike path on west side of Saratoga Street. Graphic provided 
Alternative 2A – Two-way protected bike lane on west side of Saratoga St – 10′ – 11′ wide from Third St to 9th St, 8-ft wide from 9th St to 11th St. Graphic provided 
Alternative 2B – 11′ wide two-way protected bike lane, with shifted bike lane where stairs encroach into sidewalk to keep consistent width. Graphic provided 
Alternative 3 – 5.75-ft one-way protected bike lanes on both sides of Saratoga St. Graphic provided
Mike Yeager with Compass Infrastructure Group talked about existing conditions along the route during the input session.
Yeager said the existing right-of-way is 65 feet, but when they looked at the usable width, it was about 56 feet.
“The reason being is we looked at which side of the road made the most sense if we did the two-way, on one side or the other, and it became clear pretty quickly that the west side was the better of the two options for two main reasons,” Yeager said.
One of those reasons is that the Purple People Bridge lines up with the west side sidewalk and creates a smooth transition. The other piece is that the overhead utilities and utility poles are already underground on that side of the street, between 3rd and 6th Streets.
As part of the proposed improvements, a bicycle-specific traffic signal is being considered at the intersection of Third Street and Saratoga Street, which could be the first of its kind in the region, according to Johnston.
According to the project’s website, in 2019, Tri-State Trails organized the Connect NKY project to pilot temporary bike lanes on Saratoga Street and nearby corridors through a weeklong demonstration. The project showed strong support and helped lay the groundwork for the Saratoga Street Bikeway effort.
In August 2024, the Newport Commission voted unanimously to support Tri-State Trails’ bicycle transportation plan, which is being developed in collaboration with Covington. The bike plan was formally started in January 2023 to create a roadmap for a safe and connected bike network (for both Covington and Newport) that serves everyone regardless of age and ability.
According to the project’s website, in early 2025, Tri-State Trails secured funding to advance high-priority segments of the Covington and Newport Bike Plan, starting with improved bike facilities on Saratoga Street.
There are options for phasing implementation, and Johnston said many of these projects are built with grant funding. Project estimates according to Yeager are around $2 million.
“The whole idea is that if there is support for this project moving forward, perhaps this fall or the spring, we could apply for a grant to build it,” Johnston said. “Typically, the grants take several years to come in. So, this is not going to happen immediately; this is a long process, and we’re at the beginning.”
Those who could not attend the public input sessions can fill out the survey here until Sept. 2. After the public feedback period, Tri-State Trails will make a recommendation based on the feedback and prepare a final report to hand off to the Newport City Commission.
