Greenways as Alternative Forms of Transportation

[monsoon]

This Article in the Huntersville Herald, is good writeup of the funded plans to build 1 of 2 new greenways in Huntersville and Cornelius by mid 2008. At least in these plans, the greenways are being billed as an alternative way for people to get to the schools, businesses, and shopping from their homes without having to use their automobile. This particular greenway will start at Gilead Rd. in Huntersville and connect the Rosedale, Huntersville Market Place, the Gazi Development, the Hospital to about 4000 homes, apartments and condos, and a couple of CMS schools. Both cities have required developers to set aside land for Greenway access for the last 20 years.

I am familiar with some of the other greenways in the county, but I am not sure if any of them are being setup for the purpose of providing alternative access to the businesses and retail. (Maybe around Kings Drive and Midtown) I was as this meeting and heard that longer term plans include building a tunnel under I-77 which will connect this greenway to the one in East Huntersville. The East Huntersville greenway includes the proposed CATS north commuter rail station, and the new urbanist development of Vermillion. I'm not sure but this might be the only transit station on the county greenway system.

[dubone]

That is great news for North Meck. I think Mecklenburg county is pretty progressive with trying to retrofit greenways.

I've been to quite a few Little Sugar Creek Greenway meetings, and it is almost always billed by county leaders as being a "bicycle highway" from south Charlotte to Uptown.

I love the idea in principle.