CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Projects are underway that aim to make North Carolina’s largest cities more pedestrian and bicyclist friendly.
In Charlotte, a multi-million dollar pedestrian bridge is being planned that’ll connect the city’s Uptown and South End neighborhoods.
UNC-Charlotte student Jacob Unterreiner lives near the Rail Trail, a commuter path along the Lynx Blue Line in South End.
“It’s a main reason why I moved to that area, because of that connectivity for bikes and public transit,” Unterreiner said.
During his summer break, Unterreiner has been riding along the path while earning some extra cash delivering food between South End and Uptown. But the trail ends just before crossing into Uptown.
Unterreiner says he has other options to get into Uptown, however, they’re not all perfect.
“You have Tryon [Street], which has painted bike lanes that aren’t very safe, and College [Street] just has a narrow sidewalk,” Unterreiner said. “And then South [Boulevard] actually has a nice, protected bike and pedestrian path that I use sometimes.”
A solution to bridge the gap has been in the works for several years. The city is planning to build a pedestrian bridge over Interstate 277 to connect the Rail Trail to Uptown. But the project’s completion date is being pushed back by two years.
The delay is a disappointing development for bike commuters like Unterreiner.
“We spend a lot of money and have a lot of priority when it’s something vehicle-related mobility,” Unterreiner said. “But when it comes to pedestrians or transit, it’s an afterthought.”
Charlotte Center City Partners mention a few reasons behind the delay, such as supply chain issues, rising costs and awaiting approvals to begin construction.
In the meantime, Unterreiner is calling for more investments in bike lanes and other bike-friendly infrastructure.
“If we want to keep Charlotte as a popular destination to live, we need to keep funding, getting these projects built faster, because people want it,” Unterreiner said.
Construction on the bridge is expected to begin in 2025 and should be done by 2027.
Meanwhile in Raleigh, construction on the Blue Ridge Road Bike-Pedestrian Improvement Project is underway. It includes a proposed pedestrian bridge going over Wade Avenue, near PNC Arena.