Emerald Isle receives bicycle friendly recognition

EMERALD ISLE — As Emerald Isle prepares to extend its bike path through town it has moved closer to its goal of becoming a Bicycle Friendly Community.

The town received an honorable mention this month from the League of American Bicyclists.

The League announced 15 new Bicycle Friendly Communities and three renewing BFCs.

While Greensboro was the only North Carolina community on that list of fall 2009 winners, Emerald Isle was one of 17 new communities to receive honorable mentions.

Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation Director Alesia Sanderson said the application process is a rigorous one and receiving recognition on the first try shows they are moving in the right direction.

“It’s quite an honor to be recognized and an honorable mention is a start,” she said.

Sanderson said the League will be sending them information on ways to make further improvements and the town will likely apply again next year.

Sanderson said the town’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee heard about the League’s Bicycle Friendly Community program and made it one of its goals.

“We think it’s relative to what Emerald Isle is doing to improve bicycling and biking facilities in town,” she said.

One of the things the League looks at is the infrastructure improvements within a community to promote bicycling and Emerald Isle is getting ready to begin a project that will extend the approximately 2.4 miles of bike path it currently has in place.

The new stretch of bike path along N.C. 58 will extend east from the terminus of the existing path at Black Skimmer Drive as far as funding will permit.

The N.C. Department of Transportation awarded the town $500,000 for the project, with funds coming to the town through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act federal stimulus funds.

Town officials opened bids for the project Friday and is expected to authorize a contract at the Nov. 10 Board of Commissioners meeting.

The goal is to have the new path open in time for the Easter holiday.

The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America.

In addition to Greensboro’s new designation, North Carolina’s other Bicycle Friendly Communities are Carrboro, Cary and Charlotte.

For more information about the League of American Bicyclists or the Bicycle Friendly Communities program go to www.bikeleague.org.

Contact Jannette Pippin at 910-382-2557 or jpippin@freedomenc.com.