Raleigh formally dedicates 28-mile Neuse River Trail

Mayor Nancy McFarlane said the trail brings out runners and bikers, but also attracts business to the area.

"When we have businesses come to look here, the greenways and the parks always stand out," McFarlane said.

Raleigh now has more than 100 miles of greenway trails within its city limits. 

The city's senior greenway planner, Vic Lebsock, is the man behind the Neuse River Trail, which he said, has been in the planning stages for decades.

"We built about a mile or two miles a year," he said.

In 2007, a $13 million bond allowed the construction of nearly 30 miles, and the trail now stretches from Falls Lake Dam to the Johnston County line.

Lebsock said he's proud to have the trail as part of his legacy.

"I approach my job not so much for what I create today, but for what I create for my child or grandchildren later on," he said.