Bolin Creek Bikeway Extension. We want to improve biking connections, but not in riparian areas along stressed streams. The Town of Chapel Hill is asking for input on the proposed “Bolin Creek Greenway Extension” route. The existing Bolin Creek Greenway runs from the Chapel Hill Community Center and ends at Umstead Park. The planned extension will extend the Bolin Creek Greenway and add a connection to join the Estes Drive Bike Lanes. The Town suggests three options.
Bolin Creek Bikeway Extension. We want to improve biking connections, but not in riparian areas along stressed streams. The Town of Chapel Hill is asking input on the route for a proposed “Bolin Creek Greenway Extension”. The existing Bolin Creek Greenway runs from the Chapel Hill Community Center and ends at Umstead Park. The planned extension will extend the Bolin Creek Greenway and add a connection to join the Estes Drive Bike Lanes. The Town suggests three options.
Why Route 1A (a side path along Umstead Drive) is the Best Choice
- Makes the most direct connection to Estes Drive Extension Bike Lanes
- Keeps the stream corridor intact by allowing vegetation and trees to shade the stream and provide an undisturbed passage for turtles, birds and other species of wildlife.
- It follows existing infrastructure, meaning fewer trees will need to be removed, preserving the already-limited canopy along the creek.
- It keeps the path away from the riparian buffer, protecting sensitive ecosystems and reducing the risk of further erosion and pollution.
- It is the least expensive option in terms of both construction costs and long-term maintenance, allowing the town to allocate funds for other critical environmental projects.
- Building within 50 feet of a waterway violates the Jordan Lake Rules. Bikeways are allowed in riparian areas only if there are no other alternatives. Here, we have two viable alternatives, making Route 1A the compliant and responsible choice.
1B is similarly less expensive but will take out many trees. Alternate 2 will bring major disturbance to the stream buffer and wildlife corridor and will be the most expensive option.
Estes Drive Bike Lanes. The Estes Drive Bike Lane project is a separate project that will build new bike lanes the entire length of Estes Drive Extension from MLK Jr. Blvd. to the Chapel Hill limits at the railroad crossing. These off-road bike lanes and sidewalk amenities will protect bikers and walkers from the brisk traffic on Estes Drive Extension and provide a safe means of non auto connections between Carrboro and Chapel Hill. The Town presents five options for your input and you can view all five by clicking this link.
We prefer Option 1 because:
- The land disturbance is limited to one side of the road.
- Both a two-way bikeway and a Multi-use path on one side
- Less pavement overall
- Lower costs
Finding Harmony Between Recreation and Conservation
While a more scenic greenway route directly along Bolin Creek may seem like a good choice, the environmental damage caused by constructing a high-traffic paved “greenway” to DOT standards along a waterway prone to flooding, and part of a water supply watershed feeding Jordan Lake, makes the creek route a bad choice. Paving next to a creek would destroy the wooded area near the creek that shades it during hot summers and provide unfragmented safety for wildlife.
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