From Mars Hill in the north to Rosman in the south, from Black Mountain in the east to Maggie Valley in the west, the Hellbender Regional Trail system would link major municipalities in the five-county French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization region through paths devoted to bicyclists and pedestrians.
According to a staff report available before the Tuesday, Jan. 21, meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, design of the project’s Riverside Drive segment had initially been estimated at $660,000, with 80% of the cost to be covered by federal grants. That projection, however, covers just 40% of the now-finalized price for laying out the greenway.
From pickleball to bike polo, opportunities to find community while being active abound in WNC — and you don’t have to be traditionally athletic to join in the fun.
What if you could bike or walk all the way from Asheville’s Hominy Creek Greenway to the Bent Creek Experimental Forest? The Buncombe County Parks and Recreation department is studying the feasibility of a potential greenway segment along Brevard Road to the Asheville Outlets, and they welcome your comments and input.
Government agencies and departments from Buncombe County and the City of Asheville are pursuing a slew of initiatives that will reduce the barriers to active modes of transportation like walking, biking and using public transit. In addition to their environmental benefits, these coordinated efforts also promote mobility, health and well-being.
At the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners’ March 17 retreat, the Planning Department gave two separate presentations, each containing proposed actions to be discussed at future meetings.
