Greenway Conversations Revisited

I plucked this image off Next Door. Two things struck me about the post:

The writer calculated the number of acres of hardwoods that will be lost. Interesting.

The second thing is that all of these development plans say "Future greenway."

It seems to me that we should make it the other way around:

First, you build the greenway, then you get to move forward with your development.

The further I have delved into Greenway Conversations with residents, politicians, Town and County staff, the more I encounter greenways that everyone was hoping for that never got built.

The rail spur from Potterstone Village that connects with the Robeson Creek Greenway? Talked about for years. Never built. It's flat, it's graded, the Town of Pittsboro has the easement (we are using it for the force main to Sanford as we speak), yet no one can ride their bike on it. It exists as dirt, but not as a greenway. We should change that.

One day I went to Alexander Kast's place and we walked the sewer easement that runs behind his neighborhood. It could easily connect the woods behind the Alpha Center to Salisbury St. downtown. Once you are downtown, there are sidewalks to everywhere.

This isn't news. Alexander brought it to everyone's attention long ago. Why aren't we acting?

If the answer is money, let's get the developers to pay for it. Greenway connectivity will help them sell units faster. The developers I have talked to understand this. They are not "anti-greenway." They want to build projects, sell out, and move on to the next town. Greenways can help them do that faster.

Pam Smith made an interesting comment: At the End of Diane Street there was once a bridge that connected the Horton Middle School community to wonderful trails at Town Lake Park. Let's rebuild the bridge.

As our tree cover vanishes, and developments are being approved left right and center, now is the time to build greenways. Not in the future.

As we can tell from our current state of greenway connectivity, "Future greenways" don't become reality.

A couple of weeks ago we had a great breakfast meeting at West End. I think we need to meet again. I would like to invite everyone to the Fair Game Beverage Company on Thursday, September 25 @ 6:00 for a second live conversation.

Bring your maps. Bring your ideas. Now is the time to get greenway connectivity. Join me if you can.