Story by Hal Goodtree | December 6, 2009 | Tags: black creek trail, bond park, cary, Grants, greenway, nc, News, parks, white oak tree trail
Black Creek trail painting by Nancy Hughes Miller. Used with permission of the artist.
Cary, NC – Once upon a time, the Town of Cary envisioned 160 miles of greenways, pedestrian and bike friendly trails connecting the town through a hub at Bond Park. The Town took one step closer to that goal with a vote to accept a $75,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Parks and Recreation.
The grant will help Cary connect the Black Creek Trail with the White Oak Creek Trail. Once finished, hikers and bikers will be able to travel from Lake Crabtree to the American Tobacco Trail and thence onward to Durham. The Town website describes the vision for the project:
The White Oak Creek Greenway Project is part of a Town-wide effort to develop a system of inter-linked bikeways and off-road trails. In 2003, Cary’s Town Council adopted the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Facilities Master Plan. This plan included recommendations for a greenway system of over 160 miles of greenways. This system of trails is designed to provide sufficient opportunities for pedestrian and/or bicycle access to places of employment, parks and schools without reliance on the automobile. In addition, connections are recommended beyond Cary to Research Triangle Park, Umstead State Park, Jordan Lake, and Raleigh’s Capital Area Greenway System.
In the long term, the White Oak Creek Greenway will link with the Black Creek Greenway within Bond Park. Eventually, these two greenway trails will total 14 miles and connect Lake Crabtree to the American Tobacco Trail, the 23 mile-long trail that will link Durham to southern Chatham County.
In addition, the Town has been awarded $1,299,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for work on the Black Creek Trail. Since grant money must be spent promptly, work is expected to be completed by late 2010.
CONTACT
Joe Godfrey, Senior Parks Planner
(919) 462-8263
joe.godfrey@townofcary.org
