Writer: Liz Palmer
3 min read October 2022 — The Raleigh-Durham region ranks highly on multiple quality of life reports, which has in part been achieved by the Triangle’s offerings of extensive greenway and park systems. In conversations with Invest:, local decision makers discuss the different ways in which they are committed to preserving and expanding these green spaces in an effort to keep pace with a rapidly growing population.
Last month, the Wake County Board of Commissioners agreed to allocate $3.3 million toward connecting greenways throughout the Triangle, creating another mode of transportation for commuters through the Triangle Bikeway project. “I am so excited,” said Mayor Palm Hemminger of Chapel Hill. “It will be an incredible thing to connect our communities with a bikeway and, now that e-bikes are becoming more widely used, it will change the way we deal with congestion. If you have a 17-mile ride between Raleigh and Durham, the Triangle Bike project will make it much easier, especially because e-bikes can go up to 30 mph. By creating a better, safer network for our region, this will get people out of their cars and into a healthier lifestyle.”
Research Triangle Park’s (RTP) President and CEO Scott Levitan also echoed the excitement around the Bikeway project and RTP’s role in that. “Some of our efforts have also gone towards the Triangle Bikeway,” he said. “The Triangle Bikeway is a component of the East Coast Greenway that extends from Maine to Florida. The Triangle Bikeway is a huge undertaking that will cost around $70 million, and it is still in the planning phases, but we want to enhance the position of RTP in that network so that people can see the promise that RTP holds.”
In another effort to enhance the Triangle’s greenspace offerings, the 2022 Parks Bond will be on the ballot this November, a $275 million bond referendum that would expand investments in Raleigh’s park system, including the Big Branch Greenway Connector, Dix Park’s second phase of renovations and multiple trail and greenway updates. “The Chamber is supporting a number of key bond referendums in November. One is for parks and greenways in Raleigh … As we experience growth, it is a continual process to understand where it is going and if policies are being enacted to support it in the right way,” said Adrienne Cole, president and CEO of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce.
Smaller municipalities within the region are also working to boost these green spaces. Mayor TJ Cawley of Morrisville is prioritizing sustainability, and the Morrisville Town Council adopted a five-year strategic sustainability plan in June that includes a boost to an already robust greenway system. “Currently, we are continuing to add solar panels on our highest energy using facilities, including our public safety building and our newest fire station, Fire Station No. 3, which the voters approved through a bond referendum. We also continue to install more publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations throughout the town and expand our greenways,” he said. “We’re trying to embrace connectivity by continuing to build a sense of community through multi-modal opportunities that encourage biking, walking and enjoying the outdoors. The Town is also making significant strides with our Town Center project, creating the first downtown for our community … The Town Center will connect several components of our extensive greenway system. We also are not shy about mentioning our strong cricket community connections and our world-class cricket grounds at Church Street Park.”
Other initiatives focused on ecotourism in the Triangle include the eBike Pilot Program in Cary, Durham’s Trail Repair Project and Beech Bluff County Park, the first park to be added to Wake County in over a decade.
