From the top of the hill

to the bottom

Posted by nicomachus at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Saturday was busy on the Tobacco Trail. Riding the length of the trail, I passed probably more than 75 people. It almost felt crowded at times. (And it looks like rollerblading is making a comeback.) While riding, friends and I noticed these two instances of confusing signage. Since photo-documentation has a track record of getting the most attention from the City, here goes...

At the northern terminus of the trail (Mile-Marker 0) is a sign stating the rules of the trail (foreground) and a kiosk (background) with some history about American Tobacco. While the hours of trail use were extended (from "dawn to dusk") to 5Am to 10PM, and this change is clearly noted in the large letters below the original sign, the "dawn to dusk" language still appears in the original -- which is the sign titled "Durham Open Space and Trails."

The more significant problem is at the intersection of Cornwallis Rd and the American Tobacco Trail. Here, cars turning onto Cornwallis from Fayetteville St (map here) are presented with three signs in a row, each before the trail crossing. First, is a sign indicating there is a bike lane ahead, which there is. The bike lane begins just after you cross the Trail. The second sign sets the speed limit at 45 mph. And the third, merely feet from the Trail's crossing, is North Carolina's "bike crossing" sign.

Why not move the 45mph sign to the other side of the trail? Why not sequence the signs so that drivers are encouraged to drive 45mph only after they have passed the bike/ped path intersection?

Posted by nicomachus at 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Posted by nicomachus at 8:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

seen again today

Posted by nicomachus at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jack Warman caught the cat with his camera phone this morning.

Posted by nicomachus at 2:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A white and black fluffy-haired cat sits on the bike path most mornings, just south of the Apex Street bridge.

It doesn't panic when I approach, like the mourning doves, rabbits, and squirrels do. It doesn't dart in front of me in a poorly conceived plan to avoid my bike.

It just sits and lazily turns its head as I roll by. It makes no noise, no sudden movements, and watches the wheels spin in only a half-interested way.

It sits half on the paved path and half on the gravel screening to the side. Its head, the only thing that moves on an otherwise still body.

Posted by nicomachus at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (1)

Grassroots politics works. See below...

Hi American Tobacco Trail supporters,

As some of you may know Dan Clever and I presented the petition Requesting Durham City Council and City Staff Move Forward with the Design and Construction of the I-40 Bridge and Final Phase of the ATT in Durham, to the Durham City Council at the City Council workday on October 5.

Dan did a great job in the presentation. Thanks to everyone's support there were over 2700 names and comments on the petition. And Council members have them all!

Councilman Eugene Brown said "It is time to move beyond rhetoric and get to work!" Immediately after the presentation, Durham City Manager Patrick Baker offered to meet with us on October 12.

Yesterday, October 12, Dan Clever and I met with Durham Assistant City Manager Theodore Voorhees and Public Works Director Kathryn Kalb at the City Manager's office. In the update, they said that Durham was awaiting funding amount approval from the North Carolina Board of Transportation. Once that amount is finalized and formalized, Durham will submit a revised Municipal Agreement and a professional design services contract to NCDOT for their approval. Durham anticipates that these two items may be in place before the end of the calendar year.

Cross your fingers!

After the NCDOT approves the Municipal Agreement, Durham can hire the design contractor, which at this point will be Parsons Brinkerhoff. Durham is currently negotiating with PB now under the presumption that the funds will be approved by NCDOT.

This is progress that would not have been possible without all of your support. According to the memo from Engineering Manager Lee Murphy, (below) the ATT project was transferred from General Services and Parks and Recreation to the Public Works Department in July 2006 AFTER our June 9, 2006 letter to the City Manager and others were mailed and after the petition was started.

Our meeting yesterday with Mr. Voorhees and Ms. Kalb and arranged by Mr. Baker, was not offered or set up until AFTER the petition with over 2700 names was delivered last week.

I think you will agree with Dan and me that the letter and petition have had a major effect and are largely responsible for getting the city to quit stalling and move on the ATT. Thank You!

We plan on leaving the petition up for awhile so folks can still sign and make comments on it. It will be valuable to decision makers in the coming weeks and months ahead. We'll keep reminding staff and elected officials of it!

If you haven't been there yet, please visit it at http://www.petitiononline.com/att2/ or at www.triangletrails.org

In any event, thank you for all of your support for the ATT on this petition and over the years. Thanks to you, the American Tobacco Trail is well on the way to being the Treasure of the Triangle.

Please let us if you have any questions and how we can be of service.

Please feel free to post this to interested lists and groups.

Happy Trails,

Bill Bussey
President
Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
www.triangletrails.org
919 545-9104

Posted by nicomachus at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There's a giant tree down on the Tobacco Trail, just south of Otis St. It probably blew down last night during that fierce wind.

It completely blocks the path, so you'll have to go around using neighborhood streets. Here's how I got around it. DETOUR

Hopefully it won't take long to clean it off the trail.

Posted by nicomachus at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you haven't done so yet, please add your name to the petition to finish the American Tobacco Trail. Bill Bussey of the Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy says that his organization is making one last push to get more than 2,000 signatures before taking the petition to Durham's City Council on October 5th.

(Bill Russ, photographer for the NC Division of Tourism, took this photo on the ATT)

So... sign the petition. What are you waiting for?

Posted by nicomachus at 12:08 PM | Permalink

Below is a message from the durhambikeandped listserv. It's a request to sign a petition which asks the city of Durham to finish building its part of the American Tobacco Trail. The petition was written by Bill Bussey, President of the Triangle Rails to Trails Conservancy.

Please take a moment to sign this petition. It doesn't take much to sign it, and the benefit to the Triangle of a completed ATT will be immeasurable.

Once you've signed it, please send it on to your friends so that they too can add their voices.

If you'd like more information about the durhambikeandped listserv (or you want to join), visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/durhambikeandped/

Hi Durham Bike and Ped List Member and American Tobacco Trail Supporter,

We've set up an online petition asking Durham City Staff and Officials to complete the American Tobacco Trail in Durham.

Here is the link for you in text form: http://www.petitiononline.com/att2/petition.html

This is the same petition which was available for signature at the Festival for the Eno last weekend. Over 400 folks signed it! If you are among those that did sign the Festival printed petition, you are welcome to sign this one as well. Or not! Do as you please. Do note that you can leave comments on this online petition that you could not with the printed material.

The petition is self explanatory, so I won't include more here.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about this. Please call at my phone below if you'd prefer.

Also, please pass this link http://www.petitiononline.com/att2/petition.html along to other groups or persons who you think have an interest in the American Tobacco Trail.

Thank you for your continued hard work on and support for the American Tobacco Trail.

Happy Trails

Bill Bussey
President
Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
americantobaccotrail@earthlink.net
919 545-9104

As of this posting, there are 105 signatures. Let's see what we can do about that.

Posted by nicomachus at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(last week's crew)

American Tobacco Trail
Thurday night rides, January 26 - April 6

No Drop Group Ride -- Rain or Clear Skies

Who: Cyclocross/Mountain Bikes/Road Bikes. All fitness levels.
Where: Meet at the Bicycle Chain in Durham (639 Broad St)
When: Roll out of the shop by 7:45pm. Ride distance varies.
What to bring: Flashing tail light, headlight, spare tube, pump

More information? Contact Danielle

(Allen trackstands in the parking garage at Corcoran and Ramseur)

Posted by nicomachus at 7:55 AM | Permalink

Phillip Barron
The Herald Sun
December 22nd, 2005

DURHAM -- One reason Lars Trost took his current job is that he knew he could bike to work from home. His office is about six miles south Forest Hills West, and it was important to him to find a route he could ride safely at night, since he often leaves work in the dark. After months of riding, he feels that the American Tobacco Trail is the safest and most direct route.

Ever since Daylight Savings Time ended in October, Trost, like most bike commuters in Durham, finds himself riding home in the dark most of the time. Trost says that after dark he's not comfortable riding in the traffic of Fayetteville or Roxboro streets, his only alternatives to the ATT. So, he chooses to ride Durham's most popular greenway instead.

One evening a little more than a month ago, he left work around 6pm. The sun had set, but his path was lit by a headlight mounted to his handlebars. Near the ATT's intersection with Cornwallis Rd, a Durham Police Officer patrolling the trail pulled him over and issued a warning for trespassing.

The officer pointed to a sign near the intersection and noted that the American Tobacco Trail, like all parks in Durham, closes at dusk. The officer advised Trost that the next time he is caught on the trail after dark, he could be issued a $135 fine.

This incident brought to light a problem for Durham's greenways. If users rely on greenways to get to and from different sides of town, then why should the trails close at sunset? Doesn't closing greenways at sunset limit their utility, especially in the winter months when the sun sets as early as 5pm?

While greenways are parks, they are parks of a different sort. Linear parks double as transportation corridors, and transportation is more than a daytime activity. Whereas recreational cyclists have more flexibility to arrange rides at convenient times, commuters are at the mercy of their work schedules and mother nature.

Trost isn't alone. I see the same people every morning on my way to work, he says. If I had to guess based on my experience, I'd say close to a hundred people a day use the trail.

Through email, Trost initiated a conversation with the Durham Police Department, City Council, and the City's Transportation and Parks and Recreation departments. A meeting was arranged, at which the City acknowledged that it would be squandering a resource if a transportation corridor is unavailable to those who need to use it.

Bike commuters in other cities also face the problem of dusk trail closures, so Durham was able to look to other places for solution models. While some municipalities, such as Baltimore, Maryland, address the problem simply by exempting commuters from the trail closure, how to enforce this exemption creates a new problem for law enforcement. The idea of establishing a permit system was also looked at. But requiring cyclists to register with the city in order to lawfully use a greenway after hours would prevent folks from spontaneously using Durham's greenways to bicycle to and from a Durham Bulls game.

After hearing from Trost as well as many other commuters who use Durham's greenways as transportation routes, Darrell Crittendon, Director of Parks and Recreation, decided that extending the hours that the trails are open is both the simplest and most democratic solution.

As of Monday, December 5th, the Parks and Recreation department extended the hours of the American Tobacco Trail from dawn until dusk to 5AM until 10PM.

Crittendon also notes that The Durham Police Department (DPD) will continue to monitor the ATT for safety throughout the extended usage hours. He encourages any commuters who use the trail at night to consider using a buddy system. The more traffic there is in any area, the safer it tends to be from a public safety perspective.

None of Durham's greenways are lit and the City does not plan to install lighting along the trails. So,
if you're going to ride the trail at night, be aware that it will be dark. From sunset until 10pm and 5am until sunrise, Durham police will be enforcing the state laws concerning nighttime cycling.

All cyclists riding at night must be equipped with a headlight visible from at least 300 ft. and a red tail light visible from at least 200 ft. All local bike shops carry these lights, which can be attached to either your bike or your clothing.

--
NC General Statutes
20-129. Required Lighting Equipment of Vehicles.
(e) Lamps on Bicycles. Every bicycle shall be equipped with a lighted lamp visible up to three hundred feet in front when used at night and must also be equipped with a taillight or rear reflector that is red and visible for up to two hundred feet from therear when used at night.

Posted by nicomachus at 8:14 PM | Permalink

Phillip Barron
The Herald Sun
November 10th, 2005

DURHAM -- Chris Sevick would love to be able to ride the entire 23 miles of the American Tobacco Trail. Three things stand in his way right now, but he hopes that riding it will be a real possibility one day soon.

The first obstacle is a 1,000-foot gap between where the trail currently ends at N.C. 54 and where it will pick up at The Streets at Southpoint. A pedestrian and cyclist bridge over Interstate 40 is in the works and funding has been set aside by the federal government (and was fodder for John Stewart's political humor a few months back -- "$2.8 million for something called the American Tobacco Trail in North Carolina," he joked on the Daily Show). In a few years Durham will provide safe passage for cyclists, joggers, and walkers from one side of the expansive freeway to the other.

The second is that there's still is no trail south of N.C. 54 through Southpoint. The railroad corridor has been purchased from Norfolk Southern through the N.C. Department of Transportation's rail program and construction could begin as soon as a year from now.

The third obstacle is that, even when finished, riders have long expected the southern sections of the ATT to remain unpaved and instead be graded and topped with a packed gravel screening. Gravel makes it hard for Sevick to ride, since the Durham resident rides a traditional road bike with tires less than an inch wide.

"Given the long distances that the trail connects, it would be more efficient to use a road bike on a paved trail," he said in a recent e-mail to the N.C. DOT. And this, whether to pave the southern sections of the American Tobacco Trail, is the issue at hand.

Bob Morris, vice president of the mountain bike club NC Fats, says that if the existing Wake County section of the ATT is an example of how the rest of the trail might be finished, he wouldn't want to ride it either. The loose, softer trail surface attracts equestrians, but the impact of the horses' hooves contributes to the fairly steady erosion of the trail. The ATT is pocked with rough sections that, even on a "cushy" full-suspension mountain bike, leave the trail difficult to ride, Morris says.

Morris is not worried that paving the American Tobacco Trail means losing it as a mountain biking opportunity. The ATT follows a former railroad corridor originally built by the New Hope Valley Railroad. Its long, straight stretches and minimal elevation changes lack the technical challenge of singeltrack that typically draws mountain bikers out into the woods.

Rails-to-trails projects across the country are most successful when they serve as both transportation corridors and recreational outlets. "Multi-use trails should serve the greatest number of users and paving is the way to do that," Morris says.

Tom Norman is listening. Norman works with the division of the DOT charged with completing the American Tobacco Trail. As director of the division of bicycle and pedestrian transportation, he wants to hear from cyclists how they might use the trail and what kind of trail surface they prefer.

To clear up some confusion, Norman says there really has never been a plan for what to do with the southern portions of the ATT -- at least not an authoritative one. DOT, which is responsible for the final design of the ATT, is currently in the information gathering stage of the design process.

So, why is everyone thinking that the southern half of the ATT wouldn't look like the signature paved section between Southpoint and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park?

In 1992, the Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy commissioned Greenways Inc. to develop a Master Plan recommending designs for completing the American Tobacco Trail. This independent study suggested, based on then-current levels of residential development and population south of I-40, that the sections south of Southpoint could be left with just a gravel topping.

But, a lot has changed in southern Durham, Wake, and Chatham counties since then. Residential development and population in 1992 was "substantially less dense than it is today and what projections showed that it would be," says Norman. "Current residential density levels need to be taken into consideration."

Norman adds that funds for this project have come from federal and state resources slated for development of alternative transportation, so there is pressure to think of the ATT as a transportation corridor first, with resulting recreational opportunities as a bonus.

So, if like Sevick, you've ever wished that you could continue riding your bike the entire length of the planned 23 miles of greenway, now is your chance to be heard. Norman is currently accepting input on whether the southern portions of the American Tobacco Trail should be paved.

You can reach him at tnorman@dot.state.nc.us or by writing to him at this address: Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation, 1552 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1552.

Posted by nicomachus at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Phillip Barron
The Herald Sun
September 8th, 2005

DURHAM -- As if North Carolina didn't already have a hard enough time combating air pollution, a new federal ruling may allow neighboring, upwind states to off-load soot and other particulate pollutants on the Tar Heel State.

In July, Attorney General Roy Cooper filed a lawsuit in federal court and a petition with the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider portions of the agency's Clean Air Interstate Rule. "While we generally support EPA's new standards to clean our air," Cooper explained, "we fear that loopholes in this Rule will give power plants in other states the ability to send additional pollution our way."

According to the Sierra Club of North Carolina, the petition specifically asks the EPA �to require emission reductions from power plants in thirteen upwind states in order to reduce their contribution to North Carolina's fine particle pollution,� a contributor to asthma and other respiratory ailments.

On September 14th at 9 a.m., the EPA is holding a public comment hearing on the CAIR ruling and Cooper's petition for reconsideration. The hearing will be held at the EPA facility in Research Triangle Park.

The Sierra Club hopes to gather the support of local cyclists who want to say something about it. In order to show support for Cooper's petition and cleaner air standards, the environmental group is organizing a bike ride from downtown Durham to the EPA hearing, says Beau Memory, NC Sierra Club's Conservation Campaign Coordinator.

The �Bike Against Bad Air� begins at 8am at the American Tobacco Trail's northern trailhead, just across Willard and Blackwell streets from the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The planned route to the EPA is less than ten miles � approximately a third of which follows the greenway, a third follows the new bike lanes on Cornwallis Rd, and the remainder follows Alexander Dr. through RTP.

The plan is for cyclists to ride together and enter the EPA's campus as a group. A photo ID will be required to enter EPA facilities. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Sierra Club invites the cyclists to return to downtown Durham for lunch at the Mellow Mushroom.

�Getting riders out in the middle of the week will demonstrate North Carolinians' commitment to clean air,� says Memory. �We're lucky to have a great trail system here, and we also want to show people there are cleaner ways to get to work each morning.�

In a July press release, Roy Cooper says that �out-of-state polluters are interfering with North Carolina's ability to meet national air quality standards despite the state's success at cleaning up in-state pollution under it's Clean Smokestacks law.�

Memory acknowledges that �North Carolina's taken a huge leap forward with smokestack legislation.� The point of the �Bike Against Bad Air� and the public hearing, Memory says, is to convince the EPA that �unfortunately, air pollution doesn�t stop at state lines. Every day that goes by that our neighbors don't clean up their pollution means more soot, more smog, and more asthma for North Carolinians.�

RIDE DETAILS
If you're interested in riding or testifying, you can register with the Sierra Club by emailing bikeagainstbadair@yahoo.com or calling Christa Wagner at (704) 374-1125.

Cyclists should arrive downtown at 8am and be ready to roll by 8:30.

All riders are required to wear a helmet and sign a waiver of liability.
Bring plenty of water, a photo ID, and a bike lock.

Posted by nicomachus at 9:37 AM | Permalink

Phillip Barron
The Herald Sun
July 14, 2005

DURHAM -- Back in the winter, Curt and Judy Eshelman had an idea. They though it would be fun to celebrate the summer solstice with an organized cycling event. At night. A night ride in honor of the longest day of the year.

�They made one fatal error,� says friend and fellow cyclist Peter Anlyan. �They put it out to the cycling community for opinions.�

It seems no one could agree on anything � the time, the route, whether to make it a benefit ride. But Curt Eshelman is quick to point out that the idea �died� for lack of consensus � not a lack of interest.

A week before the solstice, Anlyan and the Eschelmans revived the idea, passed the word among friends, and gathered twenty or more riders at the American Tobacco Campus for a 17 mile ride.

As we head off around 8:30pm, the sun is setting and the riders are giddy. Not many have ever ridden their bikes at night before, and for a good number of the riders, this event is their first foray into group bike rides. Fitting that an ad-hoc event brings together such an unlikely group of people.

�Well, [it's my] first intentional night ride,� says Muriel Moody. There was that time, in the Peace Corps, in Madagascar, �but that's a long story.� Moody, a first year Duke Law School student getting a jump on her studies this summer, is excited to get tapped into the loacl cycling community.

For Tate Little, the solstice ride is also his first group ride in Durham. Little moved to Durham only two days before the summer solstice when his girlfriend, Roxanne Hall of Durham's Habitat for Humanity, told him about the ride. Little and Hall are training for the local MS 150 ride in September. �I'd just like to get in as many rides as I can,� says Little. �This is a nice, safe ride.�

Hall says she can't believe all the fireflies. It's �nice and cool. I'm really enjoying it. It's a different experience. Durham by night.�

Rusty Miller, a cycling coach and �ex-professional cyclist� joins the ride midway through it. On his way home from his own ride, he spots a pack of riders with lights. �A night time ride on the Tobacco Trail... how could I say 'no'?�

Near the end of our route, we cross the bridge over Lakewood Avenue. Any hint of sunlight is gone; the sky is a deep blue-gray. Facing north, all you can see are the lights of Durham's skyline and the blinking tail-lights of other cyclists.

As rider Matt DeMargel puts it, the solstice was the �perfect night for it.�

Posted by nicomachus at 12:38 AM | Permalink

The Herald-Sun
April 27, 2005

DURHAM -- Riding along the American Tobacco Trail on my way home from work, I come up behind another bicyclist. I slow down to say hello, as I always do.

My fellow biker assertively tells me to slow down, to pull over and that he is a cop.

"Of course, Officer," I say, unlocking my shoe from the pedal and squeezing the brakes a little harder. When we both stop conveniently at an intersection, I look more closely at the arresting officer: a young boy, no more than 9 years old.

"I read in the paper that the Durham police are putting more cops on bikes this year," I say.

Reading either the skeptical look on my face or my willingness to play along, he shows off his radio, which validates his ability to protect and serve. It's the hand-held mouthpiece to a CB radio with its coiled wire tied to the handlebars of his BMX bike.

"Seen any trouble on your ride today?" he asks me.

"No, not yet, but I could use some help crossing this intersection." Riding his own bike nearby, the cop's older brother -- I mean superior officer -- smiles at the two of us.

Like cops in the movies do, Officer BMX is eyeballing me -- with a squint no less. Kids are fascinated by gadgets, and he's taking in the utilitarian nature of my gear: shoes that lock into the pedals, a rubber band around my right ankle to keep my pants cuffs out of the greasy crank, a rack holding my sandals and blinking tail light, a brightly colored shoulder bag with reflective tape and most importantly, my helmet.

Officer BMX happily complies, escorting me through the intersection once he determines the coast is clear.

"Did you respond to any calls today, any trouble in the neighborhood?" I ask him.

"Yeah, a girl had a bike accident earlier. I had to help her fix her bike. It's been quiet since then," he replied.

On the other side of the road, I thank him for helping me across the street and for keeping this route safe for me and for other cyclists.

As I click into my pedals and begin to pull away, I think he might ride with me. Instead, he turns around and rides back through the intersection. I guess he can't stray too far from home, I mean, outside his jurisdiction.

Posted by nicomachus at 10:44 AM | Permalink

The Herald-Sun
October 7, 2004

DURHAM -- Gene Mayhall of Durham writes in to say that he and his wife have ridden their bicycles on greenways -- linear parks -- all over the United States and even Canada. "Durham's American Tobacco Trail (ATT), while not the longest, is one of the very best," says Mayhall. "We're lucky to have it."

If the East Coast Greenway (ECG) is successful with its plans, the ATT along with the South Ellerbee Creek Trail in northern Durham will become part of the longest greenway project in the country. The East Coast Greenway is an effort to build a continuous 2,600 mile path stretching from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Fla.

Touted as an urban alternative to the Appalachian Trial, the East Coast Greenway will be an off-road and mostly paved connection between the major cities of the eastern United States.

Greenways provide opportunities for recreation, relaxation and transportation. Like a road, a greenway establishes a connection between where you are and where you need to go. Like a park, greenways draw to them people looking to relax or workout.

Like all good ideas, the East Coast Greenway requires a lot of planning and work. That's why right now seven people, including Carroll Webber of Greenville, N.C., are bicycling from Maine to Florida to raise money for and awareness of the greenway's mission. For the first annual East Coast Greenway Tour, each rider is raising $10,000 to help build new sections of the path. The group as a whole is bringing to the nation's attention the potential greenways possess for bringing communities, even cities, closer together.

Bill Bussey, the North Carolina state chair for the East Coast Greenway, says, "I just think it would be neat to be able to ride a bike from Durham to Washington, D.C., to New York City, or even to Key West." In the near future, you may be able to do just that. Many cities along the way already have paths which have been designated part of the official greenway route. In these cities, the seven riders are biking those paths. For much of the route, however, they're riding on roads parallel to the proposed route. When they reach Key West, it will be the first time anyone has ridden the proposed route in its entirety.

The group rides into Durham via the South Ellerbee Creek Trail on Tuesday. They will spend a day of rest on Wednesday and leave via the American Tobacco Trail on Oct. 14. On Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m., the Carolina Tarwheels are hosting a potluck dinner for the tour riders at the Armory in downtown Durham. This event is open to the public, and if you bring a dish, no RSVP is required. Donations will be accepted.

The American Tobacco Trail, the South Ellerbee Creek Trail and Durham's six other greenways have already proven themselves vital to our community's wellness. Their users reflect the diversity that makes Durham so strong; from wheelchairs to Litespeeds, from walkers to commuters. Nearly everyone can use greenways; that's one of the things that makes them such a good investment for the community.

The ECG is unique in that it requires municipalities to work together in ways they normally don't. "When you link greenways together," says Bussey, "you get more bang for your buck." A well-designed greenway can be a regional attraction. Imagine the potential for a trail spanning the entire East Coast. If the East Coast Greenway successfully links Maine with Florida, then the combined effect will truly be greater than the sum of its parts.

---

TO LEARN MORE For more information on local greenways, contact Bill Bussey at 545-9104. You can also visit the East Coast Greenway's web site.

Posted by nicomachus at 7:12 AM | Permalink