City of Hendersonville celebrates 2024 NCDOT Mobi Awards for the Oklawaha Greenway

Press release from City of Hendersonville:

Hendersonville, NC (November 8, 2024) – The City of Hendersonville has been honored with multiple awards from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Mobi Awards program for the Oklawaha Greenway, a project recognized for its positive impact on multimodal transportation and community connectivity. The awards highlight Hendersonville’s commitment to providing vibrant, accessible outdoor spaces that enhance mobility options for residents and visitors alike.

“We are thrilled to see the Oklawaha Greenway recognized as a model of multimodal infrastructure,” said Brent Detwiler, Public Services Director for the City of Hendersonville. “This greenway project demonstrates what’s possible when a community comes together to prioritize safe and sustainable pathways that enhance quality of life for our residents and visitors.”

City Engineer Brendan Shanahan accepted the awards at the November 7 City Council meeting. He was joined by key project partners who contributed to the greenway’s successful implementation.

The City of Hendersonville received the following 2024 NCDOT Mobi Awards for the Oklawaha Greenway:

• First Place – Small Urban Category
• First Place – Most Voted Project
• Second Place – Innovation Category

While Hendersonville staff could not attend the Mobi Awards luncheon on October 11 at the Raleigh Convention Center due to Hurricane Helene recovery activities, the recognition underscores the City’s dedication to innovative transportation solutions. The City of Hendersonville Public Works team worked diligently to reopen the Oklawaha Greenway on Friday, October 4, to a community with a deep need for outdoor recreation opportunities, relaxation, and a return to some semblance of normalcy, following unprecedented storm impacts.

Completed in July 2019, the Oklawaha Greenway Phase III project enhances the area’s active transportation system by expanding the Oklawaha Greenway an additional 1.5 miles and completing a city-wide network that connects four parks in Hendersonville. The 10-foot-wide asphalt, multi-use path provides an inviting place for visitors to exercise in nature. The North Main Street sidewalk portion of the project creates a half-mile of sidewalk along a busy corridor where no walkway previously existed. A beautiful, 70-foot pedestrian bridge provides safe passage over Mud Creek and gives the Oklawaha Village direct greenway access.

The NCDOT Mobi Awards honor North Carolina communities that complete multimodal transportation projects contributing to economic growth, improved public health, and community development. Hendersonville’s achievement is notable, with NCDOT staff acknowledging the city’s success in the “Most Voted Project” category, where it outpaced much larger communities, a testament to the enthusiastic support of local residents.

To view project videos for the Mobi Award winners as well as the 2024 Mobi Booklet, visit https://connect.ncdot.gov/events/Pages/mobi-awards.aspx

The project award video on the Oklawaha Greenway is available at https://vimeo.com/1014445209