Pittsboro Pedestrian Coalition

Last Thursday night 31 people showed up at the Fair Game Wheelhouse for a second "edition" of Greenway Conversations.

Earlier that day the Pittsboro Pedestrian Coalition burst onto the scene with this super cool map of current pedestrian patterns in Pittsboro. Facebook only for now.

I didn't think of it as "stealing our thunder." It felt more like hearing the sound of a calvary's bugle. Their perspective on Pittsboro's connectivity is much larger than mine was, and I loved their wholistic approach.

Something to note: Chatham Park is killing it with greenway connectivity. They get it. They know they can sell more homes faster if Jr. can ride his bike to the park, or to a friend's house, without having to dodge traffic.

In our meeting we mapped out a greenway connection that Brian Harbour discovered. We could connect the rail spur behind Potterstone Village to the 15-501 bridge from the south--all on existing Town easements.

Can't afford a bridge? No problem. Use the NC DOT bridge on 15-501 that already exists. This connection could get built right now. It's flat, maintained, deeded to the Town of Pittsboro. With minimum cost/effort we could connect Potterstone to our existing greenway segment.

Maybe not with pavement. If "greenways" must be paved in Pittsboro, perhaps this could be classified as a trail? Give it another definition, and let's get it connected.

Lots of updates: the Town is awaiting an insurance settlement in order to repair the bridge from Diane St. to Town Lake Park.

In general it was a free wheeling discussion that jumped from park design (pickleball agitators) to greenway connection to the Corbinton development scheduled for Oakwood.

I must say it is edifying to see interest growing in this conversation. 31 people is more than show up for the average commissioner's meeting. It appears interest in this topic is swelling...