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And, city council just approved the start of construction on a third section. (News Release) — The City of Charlotte has completed a new trail connecting the McMullen/McAlpine/Four Mile Creek Greenway system to the Cross Charlotte Trail (XCLT) and Little Sugar Creek Greenway. The .75-mile-long trail, called the South Charlotte Connector, runs parallel to I-485 between McMullen Creek and Park Road near the Pineville City Limit. It features a boardwalk system and bridge over McMullen Creek near Charlotte Water’s McAlpine Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant. The trail expands access to the Cross Charlotte Trail by approximately six miles and to thousands of users.
Cross Charlotte Trail Segments
— A massive project underway, known as the Cross Charlotte Trail, is connecting the city’s greenways by creating a 30-mile-long pathway through Mecklenburg County. Within about three blocks we found ourselves on a pretty cool stretch covering a smooth asphalt path as wide as a residential street that cuts between Urban District Market and Seoul Food restaurant’s sprawling new complex. But then the equivalent of about three blocks after that, we spilled out onto the side of North Brevard Street and found a sign that indicated the trail continued north only in theoretical terms (i.e. with a dotted line on the legend that denoted “future greenway.”).
Construction on Cross Charlotte Trail accelerating
In all, there are 11 segments of trail, stretching 30 miles from Pineville all the way to Cabarrus County. The newest section of trail is just over a mile and a half, but officials say it fills a critical gap, completely connecting an 18-mile stretch between NoDa and the South Carolina state line. The trail combines transportation options with recreation amenities as a way to encourage residents to drive less and exercise more. The long-term project is a collaborative effort between Charlotte city government and Mecklenburg County government.
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The concrete path that curves under Brandywine Road in the shadow of Park Road Shopping Center looks open, but we were met by three orange barrels and yellow “caution” tape at the next underpass — the one that dips beneath East Woodlawn Road. We parked at Cordelia Park in Villa Heights, walked down the steep hill to North Davidson Street, and followed the signs for the Little Sugar Creek Greenway that pointed northeast not knowing where we’d wind up. Just beyond that point, there’s a wooden boardwalk that curves up a hill that represents the steepest section of this stretch of Toby Creek Greenway. In fact, because the battery on Melissa’s borrowed e-bike wouldn’t power on (and because those bikes are so heavy), she had to get off and walk it to get to the top. Upon reaching the other side, you can look right to finally see the continuation of the greenway — and right in front of you, for the benefit of those coming up the trail from the south, a small “Greenway Continues” sign pointing in the direction from whence you just came. Not quite 2 miles in, we arrived at the intersection where the on- and off-ramps for the westbound lanes of East W.T. Harris Boulevard meet University City Boulevard.
And there’s not a single point where you have to cross a public street or contend with a motor vehicle (other than the occasional park employee trundling past in a golf cart). The City of Charlotte is partnering with Mecklenburg County to create a 30+-mile trail and greenway facility that will stretch from the City of Pineville through Center City and on to the UNC Charlotte campus and Cabarrus County line. Once completed, the Cross Charlotte Trail will allow residents to travel seamlessly from one end of Charlotte to the other. Approximately 140,000 residents and 130,000 jobs will be within walking distance of the proposed trail and the adjacent greenways that connect to it. Construction has been underway on a section of the trail that’s near Archdale Park in south Charlotte. That’s in addition to work happening between 7th and 10th Streets in Uptown.
Charlotte Rail Trail - charlottenc.gov
Charlotte Rail Trail.
Posted: Fri, 21 Apr 2023 06:52:51 GMT [source]
City council expects the entire Cross Charlotte Trail to take roughly three to four years for completion. Creating more Cross Charlotte Trail continuity is speeding up after many were shocked in 2019 to learn the major project was underfunded by $77 million. To celebrate the opening of the South Charlotte Connector, the City is encouraging users to snap a selfie on the trail using the hashtag #XCLT on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Charlotte Building The Longest Biking Trail in NC – The XCLT
There are 11 total segments of the Cross Charlotte Trail, plus a bicycle boulevard that improves connectivity to the trail in North Charlotte. Freedom Park will always be the crown jewel of the county park system. It’ll always be one of the most attractive pit stops on the XCLT. But the brand-new section that starts a mile to the south is going to steal away a lot of attention this year.
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Once completed, XCLT will officially be the longest paved biking trail in North Carolina – you’ll be able to ride seamlessly from one end of Mecklenburg County to the other. The longest current trail is the American Tobacco Trail extending 22 miles from Durham to down to Wake County. This signature 31-mile greenway traversing Mecklenburg County is the epicenter of the Carolina Thread Trail and is critical to advancing regional trail development. The Cross Charlotte Trail is being completed through a partnership between the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
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A gigantic improvement project is underway, and the result — according to the city and county — will be a widened greenway, better flood control and a restored stream bank. Until then, however, there’s a detour that runs along Kings on regular ol’ sidewalk. Last month, I spent a total of about four hours running a total of nearly 30 miles — roughly from the top of north Charlotte to the bottom of south Charlotte.
As for this stretch of the Little Sugar Creek Greenway, which was largely new to me, it’s breathtaking — full of hidden-gem urban green spaces and eclectic points of interest from tiny to huge. Within a few hundred yards from the crest of the hill, we were on the regular sidewalk that runs along Rockland Drive. Around the 3-mile mark, after navigating gentle bends and concrete boardwalks through/over a pretty, peaceful swath of wetlands, we came to the street crossing at Rocky River Road West. In the not-too-distant future, the northernmost tip of the XCLT will be the trailhead at North Tryon Street, just around the corner from PNC Music Pavilion. A run (or, more precisely, a pair of runs, since I decided to save my legs by spreading it over the course of two days) packed with surprises and pleasures, as well as a few pains.
“I run about 50 miles a week, and I cycle about 200 miles a week,” Bollinger said. He says the best workouts happen when he has an unfettered, free range of trails, paved walkway and greenways. “I’ve just become accustom to figuring out what the perfect out and back is,” he said. Learn more about this and other segments of the Cross Charlotte Trail at charlottefuture.com/xclt. The 30-mile-long pathway is part of Charlotte’s strategic mobility plan; investing in multimodal travel options that promote health and sustainability.
Now that the Brandywine-to-Tyvola segment finished, the Cross Charlotte Trail will be open from Pineville to NoDa. Crews were working to extend the Little Sugar Creek Greenway from Brandywine Road to Tyvola Road in August 2022. Megan Huggins, who was bicycling on the greenway with her two-year-old son in tow, told WCNC Charlotte she's excited for the construction to be done so she can ride from the Park Road Shopping Center to Park Road Park. Officials said the newest part of the plan cost more than $26 million, and six other segments have work going on right now. (WBTV) - The newest section of the Cross Charlotte Trail will officially open Thursday morning. The Signal Mountain fire and police departments were called to Rainbow Lake Trail on Sunday evening after two people were reported underwater, authorities said.
While the Cross Charlotte Trail is one part of the greater Thread Trail network of trails and greenways, we have a stake in ensuring this continuous greenway is built as promised and planned. The Cross Charlotte Trail will be a 30-mile-long trail through Mecklenburg County that expands Charlotte's greenways. We’ve pulled together details and an interactive map to show you its planned route, offer updates on which segments are built or under construction, and detail plans for future segments. Use the arrows to navigate from the southwestern end of the trail south of Pineville and continue all the way to the Cabarrus County line.
Hunt Allen told WCNC Charlotte he lives near the Little Sugar Creek Greenway and not only exercises on it everyday, but bikes on it to get to work. "I feel very safe and comfortable riding on the trail all the way downtown.” Allen said. Rescue personnel hiked a mile down the trail and spoke to a female who said she was hiking with others to a large creek on the trail when another woman trying to cross the creek fell in. She said a man jumped in and tried to rescue her, but he also disappeared. Officially, the 1.5-mile Brandywine-to-Tyvola segment is not open.
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