RENDERINGS VIA CITY OF ORLANDO
Orlando officials are continuing to explore an ambitious new bike and pedestrian trail called the O-Line, a linear park that would run alongside the SunRail corridor from downtown through the SoDo District.
Conceived as a “green spine” in 2020, the project would extend through an area dominated by roads and warehouses. The O-Line would offer separated lanes for bicyclists and walkers, shaded landscaping, public art, and new connections to SunRail and surrounding neighborhoods.
The city’s conceptual plan, developed with Toole Design and S&ME, shows Phase 1 running along South Hughey Avenue between Columbia Street and Gore Street, linking into the Division Avenue bike trail. Renderings on pages 13–15 of the report (which you can read below) show wide, tree-lined paths, benches, bio-swales to manage stormwater, and signature metal archways draped in vines marking gateways at Columbia and Gore streets.
Supporters say the O-Line could serve the same role in Orlando that “rail-trail” projects have played in European cities, spurring redevelopment and drawing people on foot or bike through underused industrial corridors. The design calls for a 10- to 12-foot bike trail placed closest to the rail line and a separate pedestrian path on the development side, with a future setback to allow outdoor dining or plazas at adjacent mixed-use buildings.
A cost estimate prepared in 2020 put the first phase at about $2.9 million, not including potential undergrounding of utilities. Survey responses collected by the city emphasized shade, native plants, safe crossings, and clear separation between cyclists and pedestrians as top priorities for making the trail comfortable and well-used.
Once built, the O-Line would tie into Gertrude’s Walk’s south end and ultimately connect to a network of east-west paths across SoDo, including planned improvements along Columbia, Grant, and Kaley streets. City staff call it a chance to turn a rail corridor into an urban park, and to link downtown to its southern neighborhoods.
As first reported by Ryan Gillespie for Orlando Sentinel, the Orlando City Council just approved a contract to kick off the engineering work for the first phase of the project. An overall project timeline is not public at this time.
Click HERE to see the full plan.
