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https://reasonstobecheerful.world/east-coast-greenway-maine-florida-car-free/>
"When the owners of running store Bull City Running Co. were scoping out a
second location in Durham, North Carolina, they set their sights on retail
space near the planned Durham Belt Line. Their flagship store already benefits
from a spot along the city’s American Tobacco Trail.
“We know that it is good for foot traffic, bike traffic, active living,”
co-owner Kim Chapman says, “which is our target market as a running shop — but
it also makes it convenient for local races and for our training groups to go
on long runs.”
The American Tobacco Trail is just one small stretch of the East Coast
Greenway, an evolving network of trails from Calais, Maine down to Key West,
Florida. Project leaders at the East Coast Greenway Alliance have been working
since 1991 to stitch them together and create new greenways with the goal of
establishing a car-free, 3,000-mile route for walking and biking. The Durham
Belt Line will add about two more connecting miles to the Greenway’s remaining
2,000 miles. Although it’s a fraction of the path’s full Eastern
Seaboard-spanning journey, it will be a critical car-free route for Durham
residents on a daily basis.
Greenways can be a simple low-tech solution to complex, intersecting issues. In
the face of the climate crisis, transportation remains the top source of
emissions for the US. With safe, functional paths, people swap driving for
commuting by bike or foot. Greenways also keep people safe from cars. A study
of 12 cities found that separated bike lanes were one of the biggest factors in
reducing fatalities and injuries for everyone on the road, lowering risk by 44
percent."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
