Durham First North Carolina Link In East Coast Greenway
Visitors and Durhamites have been taking advantage of the American Tobacco Trail's (ATT) beauty and tranquility since its opening in June, 2000. Work has begun to soon connect the state's most ambitious trail to visitors on the East Coast from Maine to Key West, making the ATT the first section of the East Coast Greenway (ECG) to be designated in North Carolina.
The vision for the ECG has grown over the past 10 years as an idea to connect a 2,700 mile trail for hikers and cyclists through major cities on the Eastern Seaboard. The ATT, together with the North-South Greenway running from the Eno River through Downtown, form the spine for a number of connecting greenways that will be legs of the ECG.
According to the East Coast Greenway Alliance, activity is moving ahead full tilt all across the nation, but especially in the southeast. Areas like Durham are models of excellence, where opportunities to restore public access to rivers and waterfronts, to convert abandoned rail lines to new uses, and to make our communities more bicycle and pedestrian friendly have generated strong public involvement. Durham currently has more than 113 miles of trails under construction.
The Durham Parks and Recreation Department is working to construct a system of greenways and trails that will not only serve recreational purposes but functional transportation purposes as well.
Soon visitors and Durhamites will be able to walk, bike, or rollerblade nonstop along Durham's paved trails from Woodcroft Shopping Center to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, from West Point on the Eno to NCCU, and from the Museum of Life and Science to Downtown. The trails will also serve well for quick commutes to work and many other Durham features.
For information on other activities in Durham click here
For more information on the trail and trail development log onto http://www.ncrail-trails.org/trtc/ATT.HTM
Last updated 2/27/04
