Trails and Greenways Master Plan, City of Greenville, South Carolina

Project Description > In December 2006, the City of Greenville commissioned Greenways Incorporated and Arbor Engineering to prepare a Trails and Greenways Master Plan. The purpose of this plan is to develop a framework for building an integrated system of pathways that will link residents to the outdoors. The future network will provide residents with close-to-home and close-to-work access to bicycle and pedestrian trails that connect to the City’s most popular destinations. The trails and greenways will serve transportation and recreation needs and help to encourage quality, sustainable economic growth. Building upon existing planning efforts and existing facilities, this Master Plan contains detailed trail corridor recommendations and guidelines, which together form this comprehensive network.

The planning process started with the collection and analysis of existing plans and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data.  A kick-off meeting between city staff and the project consultants established the initial work plan, which consisted of identifying major opportunities and constraints for trails and greenways throughout the City. Next, draft recommendations were presented to the public for review, including opportunities for residents to speak directly with City staff and project consultants about any concerns, comments, or ideas for the plan.  In addition to comments received during the public workshop, public input was also collected through an online survey (with over 700 participants), which gathered specific information related to trail use in the City of Greenville.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee also reviewed the Plan’s recommendations and helped determine how the Plan could best serve the interests of the City as a whole.  Final presentations will conclude the effort with recommendations to officially adopt the Plan.