Bond to Be Proposed for Neuse River Greenway

Raleigh, N.C. — Mayor Charles Meeker is expected to call for a bond referendum to be put on the ballot to fund an extensive system of local greenways.

Meeker, who will deliver his annual State of the City address Monday, wants to connect 28 miles of greenway along the Neuse River, from the Falls Lake Dam to Johnston County.

Over the years, Raleigh and Wake County have bought land along the river, but $30 million to $40 million is needed to connect the land with an asphalt path and benches.

"I'm optimistic that the public will (support a bond)," Meeker said. "It just gives access to that whole piece of the Neuse River, which is a great resource for us."

The City Council would have to sign off on the greenway referendum to place it on the ballot in October.

Raleigh already has 50 miles of greenways. The referendum would add 28 more miles to the city-county system and would help link more than a hundred greenway miles across the Triangle.

"Being able to access this type of asset has huge benefits," said environmentalist Sig Hutchinson, who is excited by the prospect for the Neuse River greenway. "It's fantastic."

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Latest Comments

I believe greenways are an excellent form of recreation, however, the city of Raleigh and Wake County do not appear to be exploring the idea of 'commuter' greenways. It seems like a 28 mile greenway leading into RTP from East Raleigh could be more beneficial to the citizens than a nature trail. I would certainly consider parking my car and communiting 20 miles to work by bicycle if the greenways were constructed along major traffic routes, and based on the number of cyclists on the roads I do not think I would be alone.

This stretch of greenway would be nice, but it would not be very functional. In addition, there are existing homes along the Neuse River that will be negativey impacted by having a greenway traversing through their backyard. I believe the City Council and County Commisioners should take a closer look at the impact on their citizens and consider a more functional approach to greenway development before adding a $30-40 million dollar bond referendum to the ballot.

jtroxit
January 23, 2007 4:43 p.m.

we can't fund the rest of I-540 but we have money for a trail in the woods and talk about building circles in other roads (Hillsboro St). strange

builder276
January 19, 2007 7:53 p.m.