Recently, WCHL aired a Commentators opinion piece from a Chapel Hill resident upset about a project near her neighborhood.  Was it a highway, new McMansions, or some big box store they were building?

No.  The project that upset this resident was the extension of the greenway.

Officially the Bolin Creek Trail, “the greenway,” as many people call it, is the bike and walking path that goes from Community Center Park on Estes Drive to Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard.  It’s where thousands of Chapel Hillians ride their bikes, go jogging, or simply enjoy a stroll with their family and friends.

Back when my wife and I were dating, we had some pretty deep conversations walking on the greenway.  When our daughter was born, she took many naps in the stroller along the greenway.  Soon, we’ll teach her to ride a bike on the greenway.  You can see why it’s close to my heart.  Lots of other Chapel Hillians say the greenway is one of their favorite things about living here, too.  The greenway may well be the most popular attractions our parks and recreation department oversees.

So, why was this resident upset again?  She’s upset by the current work extending the greenway to connect with the Northside neighborhood.  She claims that’s bad for the environment.

Really?  This new extension of the greenway won’t just get more people out to exercise, it will help make biking a viable alternative to driving by connecting the greenway to places people actually have to go every day, like work, school, and shopping downtown.

Bicycles are still the only real zero-emission vehicle we have.  How is getting more of our neighbors out of their carbon-emitting cars bad for the environment?

It makes me wonder if there’s some additional concern she may have about the greenway.  Is she worried about her property values?  She shouldn’t be.  Nationwide studies show people are willing to pay a premium for a home near a greenway.  Is it crime?  Research also shows having a popular greenway nearby reduces crime.

Obviously, I can only guess why another resident might oppose expanding the greenway, but I do know why I support it:  I want Chapel Hill to stick with our plans to become a place where walking and biking are practical and pleasant alternatives to driving.  I want Chapel Hill to continue to treat our greenways as a top priority for our town, both for weekend recreation and for everyday transportation.

If you agree with me—and I know thousands of you do because so many of you are on the greenway every weekend—don’t take our town treasure for granted.  Make sure the candidates you vote for this fall for mayor and town council stand firm in their commitment to preserve and enhance our greenway system.

After all, our elected officials hear all the time from residents who oppose things.  Don’t take for granted that they know when you support something.

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