On Tuesday night the Wilmington City Council is expected to adopt the Cape Fear Regional Bicycle Plan. The new initiative is supported by a grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The goal is to improve the region for all types of cyclists.
The beefy, 165-page final draft covers Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, and Pender Counties as well as southern Bladen, western Onslow, and southern Sampson Counties.
The plan spells out opportunities for bicycling in the Cape Fear region, and offers recommendations for improvement.
Allen Serkin is with the Cape Fear Council of Governments, which plans and administers a variety of federal, state and local programs in the region, and spent over a year crafting the plan.
“There are a number of different goals with the plan. Some of which are recreation related, and health related, but a lot of it is also bicycling for basic transportation needs, both for people who have a choice in the matter and folks who may need to commute by bicycle because they have no other alternative.”
Safety is a big goal, suggested through new infrastructure, policies and programs for all types of bicyclists. Also the plan includes an increase in bikeways and bike trails in the region.
In addition the plan encourages more bicycle-related tourism and economic development.
Pulling it off will require a combination of federal, state, local and private/non-profit funding.
Read the Final Draft of the Plan here.
Here is the Plan's executive summary.