Kernersville leaders took two related actions this week that help move long-term transportation and trail planning forward. One measure focused on a regional greenway project and the other on how such projects receive approval and funding in the first place.
Love at the Kernersville Honeybee Festival
A new romantic comedy by playwright Scott Icenhower, running Feb. 6-22 at Stained Glass Playhouse in Winston-Salem.
The Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a resolution supporting a feasibility study for the Piedmont Greenway, a planned 19-mile off-road trail that would connect Winston-Salem and Greensboro by way of Kernersville.
The board also heard a detailed presentation from the Winston-Salem Area Transportation Planning Organization, which plays a central role in funding and coordinating transportation projects across the region.
What is the Piedmont Greenway?
The Piedmont Greenway is a long-envisioned regional trail that would link the Triad’s two largest cities while passing through Oak Ridge, Summerfield, and Kernersville. The project is being coordinated by the Piedmont Land Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust that works across nine counties.
Conservation planner Palmer McIntyre told town leaders the greenway is designed as a “regional spine,” connecting into several existing trail systems. Etta Lea & Lawrence Pope Memorial Park is envisioned as a local “hub” in the developing plans.
McIntyre emphasized that greenways are considered critical infrastructure. Studies conducted in North Carolina show that every dollar invested in greenways returns more than $1.70 annually through economic activity, and nearby home values also tend to increase.
Proponents say greenways improve safety by keeping pedestrians and cyclists off busy roads.
What action did the town take?
The board approved committing $15,000 toward a $150,000 feasibility study that would examine possible routes connecting East Forsyth High School to the existing Kerner Mill Creek Greenway. Forsyth County would cover the other half of a required local match, with the balance funded through a federal transportation grant via the TPO.
The money will only be spent if the grant is awarded. If approved, the study would represent the next step in a multi-phase process that includes planning, property acquisition, engineering, and construction.
Several sections of the greenway are already moving forward, including a segment from Salem Lake toward EFHS and another portion near Triad Park that recently received state funding for design and engineering.
How the TPO factors in
Later in Tuesday’s meeting, TPO Administrator Hunter Staszak gave an overview of how transportation planning works at the regional level. The organization itself is federally required to coordinate planning and funding for a dozen municipalities, including Kernersville.
The TPO develops long-range transportation plans, prioritizes projects, and manages grant programs. On a local level, it has helped fund projects like the Kerner Mill Creek Greenway and improvements to sidewalks and turn lanes.
Alderman Bill Apple serves as chairman of the TPO’s Transportation Advisory Committee, which consists of elected officials tasked with making final policy and funding decisions.
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