The Future of Greensboro Cycling: The BiPed Plan Sets High Expectations

For nearly a decade, Jim Westmoreland has served as the leader of the Greensboro, NC Department of Transportation (GDOT for those in the know.) During his tenure, a number of positive changes have taken place in the world of two-wheeled transportation and recreation. When asked for a glimpse into the future of Greensboro cycling, Mr. Westmoreland had much to offer about the city's exciting plans.

"Over the past few years, the City of Greensboro has focused on and worked with the community to develop a comprehensive cycling and walking master plan for Greensboro and the Greensboro Urban Area MPO. While the plan is still in its early stages of implementation, we are already seeing very positive and exciting results. More cyclists on the streets in Greensboro using newly marked bike lanes, greater public awareness and respect for cycling and cyclists in general, and very positive feedback from the community and media about the plan, its action steps, and current and expected outcomes."

The plan Jim Westmoreland speaks of is the Greensboro Urban Area Bicycle, Pedestrian & Greenway Master Plan, or, otherwise known by the catchy title of the "BiPed Plan." While the girth of this 300 page plus document is frightening, its content is detailed, easy to follow, and comprehensive as anything we've ever come across. The future of Greensboro cycling looks bright. If you're a Greensboro cyclist, you might be wondering how the plan impacts you. Since we know cyclists prefer to spend time on the trails than page through dictionary-sized manuscripts, we did the dirty work. Here's a recap.

First, the basics. The purpose of the BiPed Plan is multifaceted, but centers around several key focus areas, to include: increasing public health and wellness, enhancing Greensboro's growing reputation as a viable and truly livable city, defining immediate and long-term needs for bicyclists, pedestrians and greenway facilities, and proposing an interconnected system the joins greenways, roadways, and sidewalks to enhance safety and broaden transportation options for citizens and visitors alike. No doubt, these are lofty goals, but trust us; this plan has got it all covered...

Ready for some seriously mind-blowing cycling figures? The BiPed Plan recommends adding an additional 400 miles of greenway to the current 81 miles in Greensboro and roughly 100 miles in the Greensboro Urban area. The additional greenways would result in 1.2 miles of greenway per 1,000 people. It is important to note that the miles aren't centered in one region. Instead, they are designed to cover a variety of population areas, offering easy access to all of Greensboro's cycling citizens. The number of greenways recommended for improvement or development is astonishing. We lost count around 80. If we've got you curious, peruse the BiPed Plan yourself and find out what's in store for your neck of the woods at.

Thankfully, the BiPed Plan has been well received. In fact, in October of 2006, the BiPed Plan was adopted by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) which is the organization responsible for transportation planning throughout the Greensboro area. As if this wasn't enough to be thankful for, the BiPed Plan was adopted by the Greensboro City Council in December of 2006, and in June of 2007, it was adopted by the Guilford County Board of Commissioners. Looks like things are moving right along...

So what's happened so far in the world of Greensboro cycling? Prepare for a few more numbers... before the BiPed Plan was adopted, there was only one mile of unmarked bike lanes (known to those in the biz as edgelines). Following the adoption, Greensboro now sports four miles of edgelines with another 2.7 miles scheduled for completion this summer and 4.9 miles of marked bike lanes with 3.7 more to be added this summer. Other cycling related accomplishments include the installation of new signed bicycle routes in the city of Greensboro, installation of additional bikes racks and replacement of archaic racks, and a revised bike map which includes suitability ratings of main roads. Check out the map for yourself - it is super detailed, and easy to navigate:

If you live in the Greensboro area, or plan to visit soon, do yourself a favor and surf the official Greensboro Department of Transportation site. When you're done, grab your bike and take advantage of your tax dollars at work... and they have only just begun.

The information provided in this article was extracted from the official Greensboro Urban Area Bicycle, Pedestrian & Greenway Master Plan and through contacts with Mr. JR (Jim) Westmoreland, Director of Transportation for the city of Greensboro, NC and Peggy S. Holland, Bicycle/Pedestrian Planner for the city of Greensboro, NC.