Athens City Council members voted to close down a portion of Union Street for a motorcycle rally and furthered the process of building an extension on the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway.
At the Monday meeting, members voted to close Union Street, between Congress and Court streets, between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on July 9 for a motorcycle rally held by the Vulcan Riders Association. About 220 riders will attend the event, which marks the association’s 20th anniversary.
“They have never had a city or a community roll out the red carpet like this,” Paige Alost, the executive director of the Athens County Visitors Bureau, said. “This is a first for them and a first for us.”
Council members voted to allow the city service safety director to enter into an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation for the construction of a bikeway spur that gives Armitage Road and University Estates better access to the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway.
Under this agreement, ODOT will use federal funds to pay for up to 95 percent of the $409,774 cost for the bikeway extension. Council members will vote on the final approval for the construction at a later date.
Councilman Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, offered support for plan and said that this has been discussed for a while and that he is glad to see it finally come to fruition.
Athens Mayor Steve Patterson also discussed an award given to the City of Athens and Ohio University by the International Town and Gown Association.
The award was given to the city and university for having an excellent relationship.
