Stark Parks Unveils Newly Paved Middle Branch Trail in Canton

CANTON — Stark Parks has reopened a newly paved portion of the street. Middle Branch Trail.

Director Dan Moeglin said accessibility is a top priority for the project.

“We are Stark Parks for the entire community, not just able-bodied people,” he said. “We think it makes a huge difference.”

The park district was developed by Milton Young, a Canton resident and president Buckeye Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Young said accessibility improvements allow people like him to enjoy parks like everyone else.

“We’re all the same except we do things differently,” he said.

Young said the new trail will benefit the community.

“This gives us an opportunity, not just us disabled veterans, but citizens using mobile devices to stay active and come out here and enjoy our parks,” he said.

An asphalt road has other advantages: Cantonese Parks and Recreation Director Doug Foltz said.

“Now this gives us the ability to use it all year round,” he said. “You don’t have to worry so much about winter snow or fall and spring rain.”

Portions of the Middle Branch Trail pass through and connect Canton city parks, including Schreiber Park, Reifsnyder Park, Oak Park and Martindale Park. Park districts worked together to facilitate the paving project.

A popular 3-mile section of the newly paved trail runs from 55th Street to Colonial Boulevard in Canton. The entire Middle Branch trial covers a total of 7.7 miles from Plain Township to Canton.

There are even more paving projects ahead

Moeglin said Stark Parks plans to continue to pave trails to ensure accessibility.

“We’re not going to pave every trail, we’re going to have trails that will always be stone,” he said. “Some of the most commonly used areas… we really want to make sure that the entire community can use them.”

Future paving projects include most of the Middle Branch Trail, portions of the Fulton Canal Trail and a section Hoover Trail.

The Middle Branch Trail paving project cost approximately $700,000. One paid for it Carbon Reduction Program grant provided by the Stark County Regional Planning Commission, Stark County Transportation Study and ODOT, and Creating Healthy Communities Grant from the Stark County Health Department.

Contact Grace at 330-580-8364 or [email protected]. Follow her on X @GraceSpringer16.