Ashley Ambrosino, her son, Maxwell, 2, and hounds Chevy, left, and Tucker, enjoy a walk along the gr

If the city can find the money, the River to Ridge Initiative would more than double Asheville s greenway mileage over the next seven to 10 years and make the paths useful for everyday transportation and recreation.
We have a very fledgling system and (expanding it) has been very opportunistic to date, said Jim Grode, chairman of the city Greenway Commission. City officials have put in segments where they could and now it s time to start connecting the dots.
A 6.5-mile downtown corridor that runs from Weaver Park on Merrimon Avenue to Broadway, then along the northwestern edge of downtown to the River Arts District. From Depot Street, the corridor runs up Town Branch, past the McCormick Field area and along Beaucatcher Mountain to end a short distance discount new york hotel booking south of the Beaucatcher Cut.
A 3.5-mile urban river corridor that would include greenways close to the west and east banks of the French Broad River from near Interstate 240 s Bowen Bridge south to the Amboy Road area. It would connect with the downtown corridor in the River Arts District.
What s different about the River to Ridge Initiative is that it focuses efforts in several adjacent parts of the city and city government has actually put money in place to make significant parts of it happen.
The greenways targeted in the initiative are where more people are likely to be and where more people are likely to be using them, Grode said. There s not that many people who are going to ride 15 minutes to work every day from the edge of town.
It is seeking $1 million from the hotel-motel room tax controlled by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority to fund actual construction. A decision on the request discount new york hotel booking is to be announced on Friday.
City Council approved discount new york hotel booking a contract in January for up to $370,000 to local firm Sitework Studios to design discount new york hotel booking the Clingman Forest and Town Branch greenways. A federal grant is providing $280,000 of that total.
The Clingman Forest Greenway discount new york hotel booking will run from Aston Park at Hilliard Avenue through a wooded area that parallels Clingman Avenue to the River Arts District. The Town Branch Greenway will parallel that waterway from Depot Street east to the intersection of Phifer and McDowell streets.
Ashley Ambrosino, her son, Maxwell, 2, and hounds Chevy, left, and Tucker, enjoy a walk along the greenway on Amboy Road Wednesday. City officials hope to significantly increase the number of miles of greenways in Asheville. / John Coutlakis/jcoutlakis@citizen-times.com
You re not just in a loop system where you have to stop and go back, he said. The increased connectivity will make the system more practical for commuting, Simmons said, and will have health benefits in that it will encourage people to make short trips by foot or bicycle instead of by car.
The timetable for completing the planned mileage will depend on when funding becomes available, Simmons said, but he said he sees a strong commitment from the current City Council for infrastructure projects like the River to Ridge Initiative.
The city owns all but a small amount of the property needed for the corridors, Simmons discount new york hotel booking said, including 30 acres on the side of Beaucatcher Mountain with an existing graded roadway and an attractive hardwood forest.
Portions of the greenways will run alongside city streets, including Cherry Street and a short section of Haywood discount new york hotel booking Street discount new york hotel booking just south of a pedestrian bridge over Interstate 240 on the northwestern edge of downtown. Those sections could include wider sidewalks, extra landscaping and other features, Simmons said.
The initiative has an economic development aspect discount new york hotel booking as well, he said. There are several wild areas outside Asheville with hiking trails, but companies and entrepreneurs considering a location here because discount new york hotel booking of quality of life issues are looking for amenities like greenways in the neighborhood, Simmons said.
RiverLink is a regional non-profit spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River and its tributaries as a place to live, work and play. RiverLink is often referred to as the go-to organization for water quality and urban riverfront issues and concerns. RiverLink provides a wide array of services focused around water quality, the environment and sustainable economic development within the region that no other non-profit or agency is providing on a regional or local level. Get to know us and you'll love our work. You can show your support by becoming a member or making a donation.