Cleveland Metroparks, West Creek Conservancy, and the City of Parma celebrated the opening of the West Creek Greenway trail on Wednesday, May 20, at the Metroparks West Creek Reservation in Parma.

Crowds of people lined up in May at at the Metroparks West Creek Reservation in Parma for the West Creek Greenway trail ribbon cutting.The new trail corridor expands access to outdoor recreation and strengthens connections between neighborhoods and regional green spaces.

“This creates a safer way and more accessible way for outdoor recreation, and all that West Creek has to offer,” Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman said during the ceremony.

Following remarks from local and regional leaders, officials gathered for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, despite rainy weather conditions, to officially open the trail segment to the public.

While the trail opened this month, the effort to create it began more than 20 years ago with planning and land acquisition efforts led by West Creek Conservancy and its regional partners.

West Creek Conservancy executive director Derek Schafer said the project culminates “20 years of acquisition along the West Creek Greenway,” with the agency gradually piecing together multiple properties to create the trail connection.

Parma Mayor Timothy DeGeeter stressed the importance of expanding access to green space, recreation, and alternative transportation options.

Parma Mayor Timothy DeGeeter speaks during the West Creek Greenway trail opening ceremony.He said the Greenway represents “connection between neighborhoods, communities and people, and nature,” while advancing a broader vision to link Parma, Seven Hills, Brooklyn Heights, and Independence through an interconnected trail network.

Officials at the ceremony stressed the importance of partnerships in completing the Greenway. In addition to the Metroparks, West Creek Conservancy, and the City of Parma, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) and the Ohio Public Works Commission also lent support.

NOACA executive director and CEO Grace Gallucci said in a statement that NOACA had committed more than $560,000 in federal funding toward the trail segment.

Gallucci said the regional planning efforts identified the Greenway project as an important transportation and recreation corridor that will allow residents to safely walk and bike, while also improving connectivity and reducing car dependency.

“This project is a stepping stone towards an even greater vision,” she said in a statement. “By closing these strategic gaps, we ensure that the West Creek Greenway will ultimately connect to the wider Cleveland Metroparks system and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.”

According to West Creek Conservancy officials, the long-term vision for the West Creek Greenway includes a 20-mile natural public trail network that will link multiple Northeast Ohio communities to West Creek Reservation and Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Additional trail connections are planned as part of the long-term Greenway vision.