Greensboro Plan2Play Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2019

138 - FEBRUARY 2019

Action 7a. Complete a city-wide outer “Community Loop” trail that connects to the region and the Downtown Greenway. According to the City of Greensboro, “greenways are defined as linear tracts of open space with the ability to connect people to destinations.” These corridors often parallel existing features such streams or abandoned rail lines. They offer many benefits including promoting health, improving multi-modal transportation options, enhancing cultural awareness and community identity, and generating value and economic activity. Currently Greensboro offers 11 separate greenways throughout the city. Of these greenway systems, three are extensive and provide clear connections between people and destinations. These greenways include a) the Downtown Greenway that loops the historic city core and has an estimated completion date of 2020, b) the Bicentennial Greenway that connects north/south across the city tying together the lakes with neighboring community of High Point, and c) the soon to be expanded A&Y Greenway will take visitors from Summerfield, through Country Park to the Downtown Greenway (see Figure 68).

Form a larger more continuous network that connects the lakes along North Buffalo Creek - Expansion plans will increase the length of this network over to Revolution and Printworks Mill and Smith Senior Center. While this addition provides great benefit, the North Buffalo Creek Greenways will still be missing key links across this historic east/west spine. The remaining five greenways are more isolated trails running through larger linear and regional parks throughout the city. Build a Community Loop Greenway - The community loop concept builds on the existing network of greenways within the system, as well as Greensboro’s BiPed Plan . It proposes a connected outer loop that is knit together along a central north/ south spine created by the pre-existing A&Y Greenway, and central east/west spine created by an expanded Latham, Lake Daniel, and Greensboro Arboretum network. The Downtown Greenway stands as a central feature of the plan. Precise trail location and land acquisitions need to be strategically studied, however a preliminary review of future trail location shows ample opportunity for expansion along existing city-owned drainageways and street connections already prioritized within the BiPed Plan .