b'7 thEdition of the Bikeways Map Released MVRPC staff and area partners completed an update to the regional bikeways map to release the 7 thedition. This map is updated every three years and featured over 350 miles of trails that make up the Nations Largest Paved Trail Network. Today, the Miami Valley Trails connect over 40 communities in 11 counties. The map features trails as far north as Sidney in Shelby County and Bellefontaine in Logan County, trails that reach south to the Ohio River and trails from the west in Darke and Preble County that stretch east to Madison County. The cover of the 7 thEdition Bikeways Map celebrates fifty years of trails in the Miami Valley. Starting with the first mile of the trail, constructed in Troy in 1973, the Region has seen continuous growth and popularity of our trail network.Visit MiamiValleyTrails.org to view the trail map and detours.50 thAnniversary of the First Mile of the Miami ValleyTrail System In September 1973, the City of Troy completed a bike trail project atop a Miami Conservancy District (MCD) levee between the Westbrook neighborhood and downtown. Little did they know back then that this would become the first of hundreds of miles of trail built in the Miami Valley, and it would be a template for how trails get built. On September 29, 2023, a crowd of advocates, community leaders, trail users, and trail managers gathered to mark the 50th Anniversary of that first mile of trail in what has become the Miami Valley Trails network. MVRPC Executive Director Brian O. Martin spoke at the celebration along with MCD General Manager MaryLynn Lodor, Executive Director of The Troy Foundation Melissa Kleptz, Miami County Commissioner Wade Westfall, and Troy Mayor Robin I. Oda.A Troy Daily News article from 1973 touts the trails route as connecting Hobart facilities and residential neighborhoods to downtown, Hobart Arena, and Community Park. Today, the over 350 miles of the Miami Valley Trails connect residents to jobs, parks, schools, amenities, and nature across 11 counties. The event was a wonderful celebration of what the Region has achieved in 50 Years, and a call to continue the work to build out the trails network in the future.23'