On a Thursday night in October, a stretch of Fort Thomas Avenue is busy in new ways. Eight improv performers are making up a horror movie at the north end, with the audience calling out suggestions. At the south end, a dining room is serving a Basque pintxo with a suggested glass of fino sherry. Any cyclist going past either door is now expected to get off and walk.
These three changes came from different people, but they all start from the same idea. The city's new bike ordinance describes its sidewalk rules as consistent with Fort Thomas's "pedestrian first" priority. The rest of this fall's news on the avenue fits that idea closely.
The Rule That Changes How You Get to Dinner
Start with the change that applies to everyone. City Council approved Ordinance O-09-2026, and on October 2 the city posted a plain-language guide to what it changes for anyone on a bike or e-bike. The key part is section 2.6. It makes all central business district areas, including Inverness, Town Center and the Midway District, plus every crosswalk in the city, "Walk Your Wheels" zones. Inside those zones you dismount and push or carry your bike, scooter or skateboard. There is one written exception, the South Fort Thomas Avenue sidewalk in front of the Cincinnati VA Medical Center-Fort Thomas.
The ordinance doesn't list street-by-street limits. It defines "business district" using the Central Business District and Traditional Business District zoning categories in the city's Unified Development Ordinance, adopted December 20, 2024. The city's explainer has area graphics labeled Cultural Arts District, Midway District and Inverness District, so check those before your next ride.
Here's a quick summary of what changes for each kind of rider, based on the city's explainer:
| Where you are | What the ordinance says |
|---|---|
| In the street | Bikes, e-bikes and scooters follow the same roadway rules as a motor vehicle |
| Sidewalk, regular bike | Allowed; yield to pedestrians and signal before passing |
| Sidewalk, e-bike | Not allowed with the motor engaged, except Memorial Parkway from N. Ft. Thomas Ave. to Stardust Ln. |
| Scooters, skateboards, one-wheels, rollerblades | Allowed on sidewalks; yield and signal |
| Walk Your Wheels zones and all crosswalks | Dismount and walk; medical scooters exempt |
| Playgrounds | No riding any of these devices |
| After dark | Bikes and e-bikes need a headlight, taillight and reflectors; e-scooters need at least a headlight and rear reflectors |
The e-bike rule matters most for the hills. The ordinance itself describes e-scooters as letting riders "climb steep hills easily." It still allows e-scooters on sidewalks unless a specific rule says otherwise, while an e-bike with the motor assisting has to stay off the sidewalk almost everywhere. The ordinance had its first reading August 17 and its second reading September 21, and it was published September 23.
North End: A Stage at 8 N. Ft. Thomas Ave.
Walk north into the Cultural Arts District and the newest tenant is Improv Northern Kentucky, known as INK. It opened in May 2026 at 8 North Center for the Arts, 8 N. Ft. Thomas Ave. Co-founders Charley Roetting and Warren Bryson, along with INK Leadership Council members Bethany Pike and Derek Shipman, all attended Northern Kentucky University. According to LINK nky, they started INK because the region's improv scene had stayed on the Ohio side of the river. INK was incorporated May 28 and held its first event June 18 at Fort Thomas Coffee.
The October show is MUMPs: The Made-Up Halloween Horror. Every Thursday and Friday this month, eight paid performers improvise a horror movie built from audience suggestions and classic horror tropes, so no two nights are the same. A holiday version, MUMPs: The Made-Up Holiday Classic, follows in December with a new cast, so auditions open up through the year.
Beyond the shows, INK offers a four-level class series from Improv Fundamentals 101 to Advanced Performance 401. It also runs community jams and youth improv programs. "This is a welcoming third space for people of all ages to enjoy," Roetting told LINK nky. Like a dinner reservation, a weeknight show is the kind of plan that gets you out walking the avenue after dark, when the new lighting rules for bikes apply.
The Middle: Midway's Streetscape, Still Settling
Between the two ends, the Midway project explains why the city cares so much about who uses the sidewalk. The city has been burying utilities on South Fort Thomas Avenue from Garrison Avenue to just past Grandview Avenue, as it did in the rest of the Midway District. It is also adding and upgrading sidewalks, lighting and landscaping.
The schedule has moved. The original bid notice, printed February 14, 2025, required completion no later than June 30, 2026. In late March 2026 the city said the work would "likely continue until October" because of weather and other logistical delays. As of early October, the city's news page has posted no completion notice or ribbon cutting, so this month is the city's last forecast, not a confirmed finish date. On May 29 the city reminded residents that Midway businesses stayed open during construction.
The two projects overlap. The city is adding and upgrading Midway's sidewalks, and the new ordinance names Midway as a zone where nobody rides on them.
South End: Dinner at 1011 S. Fort Thomas Ave.
Keep walking south to the newest dinner spot. Traveler's Table opened for dinner September 4 at 1011 S. Fort Thomas Ave. It is in the space Grassroots & Vine used to occupy. The owners are Challis and Lauren Hodge of Taste Food and Wine Group. Challis is co-owner and executive chef.
The idea behind Traveler's Table is "Travel the World Without Leaving the Table." The menu draws on food traditions from Spain, France, Peru, Morocco, India, Japan, Georgia, Argentina and Mozambique, among others. Each dish comes with a story and a suggested drink:
- Gilda, Basque Country: anchovy, olive and pickled pepper. The pintxo was named in the 1940s after Rita Hayworth's character in the 1946 film Gilda. Pairings include fino sherry, Txakoli or a Spanish-style gin and tonic.
- Flammekueche, Alsace: a dish that began with village families topping leftover bread dough and baking it in the cooling shared oven. Pairings include Crémant, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, cider or beer.
- Ceviche, Peru: UNESCO recognized ceviche as part of Peru's intangible cultural heritage in 2023. It is served with high-acid whites, a pisco sour or a citrus-driven zero-proof drink.
"We want to tell the story behind the food, but also why people eat it, where it came from, what traditions surround it, and what you might drink with it," Challis Hodge told LINK nky. That's an unhurried dinner, and with wine pairings on almost every dish, walking there makes more sense than driving.
Off the Avenue: The Same Rule at the Playground
The pedestrian-first approach reaches past the business districts. Highland Hills Park's new playground on Mayfield Avenue was open by July 4. It has accessible equipment, sensory features and separate play areas for ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12. Under section 2.7 of the new ordinance, riding bikes, e-bikes, scooters, skates or electric skateboards on any playground in the city, including this one, is not allowed. If a child rides to Highland Hills, the bike stays at the edge.
The Rest of the October Calendar
A few dates to note for the rest of the season:
- Every Thursday and Friday in October: MUMPs: The Made-Up Halloween Horror at INK, 8 N. Ft. Thomas Ave.
- October 28: a Halloween House Contest, listed in a city events document dated August 24, 2026.
- October 29 and 30: a Pumpkin Walk, listed in the same document. It doesn't give a location, so watch for the city's announcement before you head out.
- October through December: the city's 2026 leaf pickup schedule, posted October 1, lists three pickup dates for each street across the three rounds. Look up your street on the city's leaf removal page.
Before you head out, read the full text of Ordinance O-09-2026, and check the city's news page for the Midway completion notice that hasn't been posted yet.
Wondering how the new sidewalk rules and the Midway streetscape affect daily life on your block, or what they could mean for a home near Fort Thomas Avenue? The Megan Stacey Group follows these changes block by block. Let's talk about your next move. Schedule a free consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
