Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 15, 1995 TAG: 9508150063
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Imagine pedaling some 35 or 40 miles from one end of Roanoke County to the other, without ever leaving the banks of the Roanoke River.
Or hiking from the City Market in downtown Roanoke to the Appalachian Trail.
Or biking to work along Brambleton Avenue, getting to the office well ahead of co-workers stuck in traffic.
A draft plan for the Roanoke Valley's greenway system shows such possibilities, and the Greenways/Open Space Steering Committee wants more ideas.
The multijurisdictional committee will hold its second public workshop Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at William Byrd High School in Vinton. A third workshop is scheduled for August 30 at Salem High School.
The committee got its first glimpse of a consultant's vision of potential greenways Monday. Greenways are linear parks, often with walking and bicycling paths, that connect neighborhoods, public parks, schools, shopping areas and other points of interest.
The draft map includes proposals for:
Off-road, multiuse trails along the Roanoke River, Mason Creek and Virginia 311, Mud Lick Creek and Tinker Creek.
On-road bicycle and foot paths along the Blue Ridge Parkway, U.S. 419 and Electric Road, Williamson Road, and Main Street in Salem.
Including bike lanes and sidewalks in already-planned road construction projects on Colonial Avenue, U.S. 221 to Cotton Hill Road, and Wood Haven Road.
The committee, made up mostly of representatives from Roanoke, Roanoke County, Salem and Vinton government officials, told their hired consultant, Greenways Inc., of North Carolina, to bring plenty of large-scale maps to Thursday's meeting so residents can draw in more potential greenway corridors.
"There aren't as many lines as I expected to see on that map," said Roanoke County Supervisor Lee Eddy, a committee member.
The key to success for the plan, the committee believes, is public participation. A complete plan, with corridors identified and ways recommended to implement the plan, is expected by October.
The group, which is touting greenways as a plus in economic development efforts, is also making sure the business community gets involved. The committee, with assistance from Appalachian Power Co., is holding a breakfast Friday for area chambers of commerce.
Helen Smythers, a Fifth Planning District Commission staffer who is working for the greenways committee, said she is pursuing a grant or technical assistance through the Federal Transit Authority's "Livable Communities Initiatives." The program considers projects that promote well-planned transit, neighborhoods, community safety, environmental awareness, and full community involvement in making decisions.
by CNB