On Monday, December 5, 2005, the Durham Parks and Recreation Department (DPR) will extend the hours of the American Tobacco Trail from dawn to dusk to 5 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily.
As commuter usage of the American Tobacco Trail (ATT) grows, particularly now with the new connection along Cornwallis Rd. from the ATT into Research Triangle Park and from the ATT to the Downtown Trail into northern Durham, commuters are accessing the trail more during morning and evening hours.
"We want citizens to continue to view the American Tobacco Trail as a commuter alternative and to make maximum use of Durham's resources," said Darrell Crittendon, director of DPR. "The extended hours will give bikers and pedestrians the flexibility to use this City resource more during the fall and winter when dusk arrives earlier."
To ensure maximum safety for bicycle and pedestrian commuters on the trail during morning or evening darkness, bicyclists must adhere to the State's General Statute 20-129 which requires that "every bicycle shall be equipped with a lighted lamp visible up to three hundred feet in front…and a tail light or rear reflector that is red and visible for up to two hundred feet from the rear."
The Durham Police Department (DPD) will continue to monitor the ATT for safety throughout the extended usage hours. The DPD has the authority to ticket persons on the trail outside of the new usage hours or bicyclists not adhering to the lighting requirement. Citizens can learn more about trail safety by visiting the City's website

Users Guide to the ATT

Tony Reevy, a Durham resident and history buff, has compiled a guide to the ATT. It presents mile by mile descriptions of the trail as well as brief historical discussions of the various rail lines which ran on the corridor and on a number of local landmarks. The Guide is available in the Portable Document Format (PDF).

Future Funding for the ATT

FIRST ROUND:
We have found out a little more about the ATT receiving just under $1M in the Federal Omnibus Spending Bill, signed by the President on December 8, 2004.
Funds for the ATT have been passed down to NC DOT as of early June. We understand they will be evenly split between Chatham and Durham counties. Ms. Howard of Representative David Price's office notes that funds for the ATT would be distributed by NCDOT and perhaps other state agencies. This is great news because we'd like to see actual construction of the ATT in Chatham county.

SECOND ROUND:
Representative Price has secured key federal support for the American Tobacco Trail in the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (TEA-LU) which we've referred to in previous newsletters as the 6-Year Transportation Bill. According to a release from Congressman Price's office, $2 million has been secured by Price for the ATT in Chatham and Durham counties.

This bill has been postponed several times already with funding carrying on at previous years levels. This bill is a biggie and has still not passed through the House-Senate conference committee which hammers out the final bill, nor has it been signed by the President. However, with the announcement, chances are good that this funding will stay in place. Stay tuned for more info.

We hope that the 109th Congress passes, and the President signs, TEA-LU to include sufficient and increased funding for alternative and muscle powered transportation projects like the American Tobacco Trail. Offering safer and greater numbers of linked muscle powered transportation facilities will help to reduce pollution from travel and commuting, and increase the level of physical fitness, not to mention bring neighbors together.

REI and TRTC Partner Again on National Trails Day

Our June 4, 2005 workday was supported for the second year by the REI stores in Durham and Cary and again had a fine turnout of over 60 volunteers.
The volunteers received a free t-shirt and a free Hotdog/Veggie Dog lunch was provided at the worksite. We cleared a lot of previously cut logs and branches from a section of the ATT in Chatham County north and south of New Hope Church Road. Much of this work was done bucket brigade style to minimize the carrying distance for any one person.

Click here for PHOTOS from this year's efforts.

Our efforts were written up in the June 5 News & Observer.

Click here for a picture from that article.

Click here for PHOTOS from the 2004 efforts.

Little River Regional Park is Now Open!

As some of you may be aware, Durham and Orange Counties have established a new Park off of Guess Rd. (northwest of Durham). Trail work, signage and other park construction was delayed by the wet weather this Fall but the Park was officially opened on December 5. Currently, the Park has trails for hiking and separate trails for mountain biking. Equestrian trails are planned for the future. The main access is now open; it's about 1/2 mile into Orange County on Guess Road.

Grant From Tarwheels Bicycling Club

On January 9th, 2004 we received a grant for $5000 from the Carolina Tarwheels Bicycling Club. This award recognizes that TRTC and the Tarwheels have the mutual goals of working for better facilities for cyclists. Our work on the ATT and in promoting links to greenways certainly complements work they have been involved in for years. In May TRTC purchased   a riding mower  to be used to maintain sections of the ATT from Woodcroft to Northeast Creek and in Chatham. For info on rides and cycling events in the Durham-Chapel Hill area, please visit the Tarwheels website

Donations Via PayPal

As of January 2004 you can make a donation to TRTC by credit card through PayPal .  It's a quick and simple way to help us keep on developing local rail trails.

Grants from REI

In November 2004, REI continued it's great support to TRTC with a second grant of $5000 for development of the ATT. These new funds will be used for general support needs and for a bridge and culvert work at the new trailhead we are building at Fayetteville Road.
In November 2003, REI's CEO presented TRTC with a check for $5000 for future efforts to develop and maintain the ATT and other local trails. Funds from this first grant are being used for tools, equipment and materials needed to develop and maintain sections of the ATT, liability insurance, and possibly as matching funding for other grants. With the opening of their newest store (on Fayetteville Road in Durham) less than a kilometer from the trail, REI is now an ATT neighbor. These funds are a great plus for TRTC and we look forward to our new relationship with REI. We want to thank REI and encourage local trails supporters to visit their new store and the
REI web site.  

Our Web Site Has a New Host!

On November 1, 2003 we moved our web site from NC Rails to Trails to RTPnet. This change gives us direct access to our files and some new options for mailing lists and managing discussion groups. RTPnet is a community network which helps nonprofit organizations leverage internet tools to promote their goals. We're enthusiastic about being a member of RTPnet. If your nonprofit has a need for a web host, we urge you to contact them at the RTPnet web site

Clothing, Accesories Available with ATT Logos

A TRTC on-line store has been set up with Cafe Shops. Golf shirts, long and short sleeve T-shirts, hats, vests, bags, stickers and mugs are available with the American Tobacco Trail logo. By purchasing items from our store you will be helping to build the ATT in Durham, Chatham and Wake Counties.

Recent & Upcoming Wake Events

Most Recently:

Construction of Final Wake Segment of ATT

In late July 2006 construction began on Phase 2B of the ATT in Wake County. This is the final mile or so to the Chatham County line. The contractor has finished laying the granite screenings and installing gates at the road crossings. As of mid-December 2006, all construction and related clean-up had been completed. Opening of this final Wake section occurred in April 2007. Click on the links below to see some views of this section near the crossing at Greenlevel Road and at the Wake/Chatham line.

• PIC #1
• PIC #2
• PIC #3
• PIC #4
• PIC #5

Clean-up of Final Mile by TRTC Volunteers

Since late March 2006, TRTC has held several workdays to clean-up the last mile of the ATT in Wake County for the granite screenings surface to be installed by Wake's contractor. We have trimmed numerous branches and small trees close to the future trail surface and removed easily 10 pick-up truck loads of junk, old appliances and other unsightly materials. Wake staff estimate these volunteer efforts saved them $7000 and shortened the building time by about a month.

White Oak Creek Greenway Moving Forward

In support of a regional approach to environmental stewardship, the Towns of Apex and Cary have joined together to make use of a $282,700 federal grant that will help improve a vital natural resource in the Triangle – White Oak Creek. The Town of Cary was awarded a stream restoration and greenway grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in January 2005 to be used towards the development of a plan for open space preservation; the Town of Cary decided to collaborate with Apex to develop a plan that will recommend areas to protect for open space preservation for the area between Green Level and Wimberly roads, recommend the restoration of 1.5 miles of White Oak Creek and provide the planning for a major greenway connection to the American Tobacco Trail.

“We are pleased to partner with Apex to implement this worthwhile undertaking,” said Mary Henderson, Cary’s Director of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources. “This project is significant because the development of a trail link to the American Tobacco Trail will be mutually beneficial to both the residents of Cary and Apex.” Henderson added that because the project area extends into Apex’s jurisdiction, the Town of Cary proposed the Town’s collaborate on the enhancement effort.

“We are looking forward to working with Cary to make the project a success,” said Bruce Radford, Apex Town Manager. “Once complete, citizens of Apex and surrounding areas will be able to enjoy the natural beauty and recreational opportunities our environment has to offer. Through improvements such as these, we are able to contribute to a better quality of life for years to come.”

As part of the project, Apex will plan for restoration and protection of farmland, wetlands, and riparian areas adjacent to tributaries to Jordan Lake. Plans will also be developed for preservation of farmland, as well as restoration and creation of wetlands and riparian areas, which will help reduce sediment and nutrient losses within the watershed and improve the water quality in the lake.

Apex staff has been working with staff from Cary and two consultant teams, Buck Engineering of Cary and HadenStanziale of Wilmington, NC, to develop the stream restoration and greenway plan. The planning effort will take approximately one year to complete. When complete, the plan will include a natural communities inventory, wetland inventory, topographic and other surveys, greenway plan development and stream restoration plan.

Design concepts for the project will be presented for public feedback at a public meeting on Tuesday, May 9 at 7 p.m. at the Apex Town Hall 3rd Floor Training Room. Attendees will be able to view renderings, maps and information for each of the design concepts, as well as have the opportunity to meet and talk with design team members and Apex and Cary staff, who will be available to answer questions.

On Thursday, July 13 at 7 p.m., a final public meeting will be held, and the final recommended plan for implementation will be presented. The location will be announced at a later date. Additional details and directions are available online at under “Public Notices – Special Meetings.”

PRIMARY CONTACTS:    Candace R. Davis, Town of Apex, Planning, (919) 249-3505
Bruce Radford, Apex Town Manager, (919) 249-3400
Paul A. Kuhn, Cary’s Parks Planner, (919) 469-4360 Paul.Kuhn@townofcary.org
Mary Henderson, Cary’s Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, (919) 469-4066
April R. Little, Cary’s Public Information Specialist, (919) 481-5091
Susan Moran, Cary’s Public Information Officer, (919) 460-4951

Earlier Construction Events:

Phase II Segment Open For Use

At the end of March 2005, Wake County opened an additional segment (approximately 2 miles) of the ATT north from the Wimberly Road trailhead to the trail's crossing at Lewter Shop Road. Construction of the new trailhead parking area at White Oak Church Road was completed during April. The restroom facilities at both the White Oak Church Road Parking area and the New Hill-Olive Chapel Road Parking area are OPEN. A formal opening of the Phase II facilities was held on National Trails Day (June 4, 2005).

This new trailhead includes a gravel drive and parking lot with 45 vehicle spaces and 10 horse trailer parking spaces. Unique to this trailhead is a waterless (composting) restroom. The restroom is handicapped-accessible and constructed of concrete block with a metal roof. See Photos 16 of the new trailhead. These additions will be very much welcomed by all trail users. This latest trail section was constructed with a geotextile underlayment for its entire length instead of only at the heavily used portions such as at road crossings and poorly drained areas. This will insure that this portion of the trail remains in good shape for years to come.

Please go to Photos 11 for two images of the trail as of late October 2004.

This is great news and demonstrates continued progress on the ATT! This means it is critical to keep those cards, letters and emails to Chatham County Commissioners in order for them to see the need to support the ATT with planning and other funding. For the commissioners names and addresses see our Officials page.

Earlier Reports

Work on the initial phase of the Wake section (the southern 3.75 miles) was completed in June 2003 and opened for use in mid-July. The formal opening was held on August 23 at a ceremony involving the Wake Commissioners, Congressman David Price, most of the TRTC Board, and a number of interested trail supporters. A talk on ATT History and a guided tour of the new section followed the ribbon cutting. Opening day pictures of the trail and some users are now on our pictures site ATT Trail News on Yahoo (Groups). The southern most access or the beginning of the trail is located just off of New Hill-Holleman road three miles south of highway 64. The New Hill-Holleman access area is the only lot available for equestrian parking. The parking lot at this location is large enough to easily accommodate several horse trailers and other vehicles as well. The only other area for parking is the northern access, which is located just off highway 64. To locate this area head west on highway 64 toward the Town of Pittsboro and turn right onto Jenks road for one half mile. Turn left on to Wimberly road and continue down for one mile until you see the trail on your left and the parking lot on the right. The Wimberly parking lot is for cars and trucks only and is not to be used for parking horse trailers because of the small size of the lot. If you want to park your equestrian trailer please go to the New Hill-Olive Chapel Road trailhead.
The Wake section is open every day of the year except for Thanksgiving Day, New Years Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It opens daily at 8:00 am and throughout the year will close one hour prior to sunset. Always remember to plan for your trip and bring along plenty of fluids to keep yourself hydrated.

Since the Fall of 2002 Wake has rebuilt all 3 bridges, graded and constructed the main parking and access area at New Holleman and Wimberley Road, and graded the southern 3.75 miles of the trail. Work on all 3 bridges was completed in late March and granite screenings were applied to this section during April and May. The bridge construction has utilized the existing vertical timbers but required the construction of a new riding surface, railings and the work needed to ensure smooth transitions from the trail surface. NCDOT has required that these bridges support 10,000 lbs. so as to safely support emergency vehicles. The cold and wet winter weather has delayed the completion of this work (designated as Phase I) beyond the original completion date of March 31. For pictures of the construction please go to ATT Trail News on Yahoo (Groups).
Planning for Phases II and III has been completed and work should start in the next 30 days. Phase 2 will grade and surface the section from Wimberley Road to White Oak Church Road including the development of a trailhead (without restrooms). Phase III will involve the construction of a restroom at the New Hill-Olive Chapel road trailhead. Funding for Phases II and III will be done under a grant from the State's Transportation Enhancement Program and other funds from a Federal grant.  Finally, Tony D'Amico has been selected as the full time Ranger for Wake's portion of the ATT. He is based at Harris Lake Park and can be reached at 387-2117.

See our archives for earlier Wake News

Anyone desiring additional information may contact the Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation at 1552 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1552, phone (919) 715-2342, or email katrivedi@dot.state.nc.us(For those unable to attend this meeting, you may email your comments as the trail surface {asphalt, granite screenings, something else} or other concerns to the above Email address until 2 weeks after the information meeting).

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this workshop. Anyone requiring special services should contact the Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation at the contact information above as early as possible so that arrangements can be made.

Chatham County staff are currently in discussion with staff from NCDOT concerning the allocation of Federal funds for the ATT from the Omnibus Spending Bill passed in December 2004. This initial funding should allow Chatham to begin active development of their 4.5 mile section of the ATT. In addition, the County has available ~$100,000 from exaction fees from the northeast District containing the ATT which may be applied to trail development. It is not yet clear whether these new funds will be sufficient for the decking, railings and related work for the Northeast and Panther Creek bridges. TRTC will continue its work on removing fallen trees, eliminating major holes, improving drainage and mowing until the County builds in-house capabilities for these tasks.

During June and July 2004, TRTC had active discussions with Chatham County staff about our future role in taking a broad variety of efforts necessary before this section can be opened for use, and in maintaining the Chatham section once it is open. We foresee an active role for the next 2-3 years in continuing to cut and remove fallen trees, working to eliminate major holes and do other improvements to the trail surface, improving drainage, mowing trail edges, and working with the county to obtain signs and additional gates. (See workday information below).

Our June 5, 2004 workday in Chatham County brought out over 65 willing volunteers who cut and moved large quantities of logs and brush from on or near the ATT to areas on the edge of the corridor. Our thanks to REI for coordinating the signup and transportation of the volunteers and for providing tee shirts, snacks and drinks. We continued the efforts underway since January through some new cutting and moving large quantities of wood cut and stacked at earlier workdays. See PHOTOS from a workday earlier this year. Click here for PHOTOS from the June 5 efforts.

In early May 2004, access gates were installed at ATT crossings at O'Kelly, Pittard-Sears, and New Hope Church Road. See recent photos of the gate at O'Kelly. TRTC managed the design and installation while funding for the gates came from an Adopt-A-Trail grant to Chatham County.

In late February, the Memo of Agreement was signed by the US Army Corps of Engineers Regional Office and the Chatham County ATT lease and the Memorandum of Agreement with the with NC Wildlife Resources are all in effect. This has been a long process and concludes the Trail License Agreement and Memorandum of Agreement approved by the County Commissioners on August 18th. This agreement is the culmination of many years of work by many folks and is another important step in making the ATT a reality in Chatham County. Now that the signed Agreement is in effect, Chatham will be able to move forward with plans to clean up and develop their portion of the trail. Through it's Friends of the American Tobacco Trail Committee, TRTC will be working closely with Chatham to sponsor workdays to remove fallen trees and other brush and to install bollards at several road crossings.

TRTC is now hosting semi-regular workdays in which we clear and clean the future ATT in Chatham County. Thanks to the efforts and leadership of Steve Lund, we have hosted five major workdays (on January 16, February 14 and 29 and March 13 and 27) in which between 10-40 helped cut, clip and clear the future ATT of trash, trees, limbs and brush. See recent photos of a workday. We have also done many more informal workdays with much smaller groups. We have some funding to purchase and install gates and traffic control devices at trail access points in Chatham. However, we still need funds to purchase gravel to fill mud holes, funds to help cut and move downed trees, among other things. Your tax deductible contributions help here!

Currently workdays are scheduled for the second and fourth Saturdays of each month at 8:30 a.m. at various meeting points. These days are scheduled so they will not conflict with the first and third Saturday workdays we have been holding, and will continue to hold, on the Massey Chapel to County Line and Chancellor's Ridge Parking area in southern Durham. Smaller Sunday workdays are also being scheduled depending on conditions.

At their March 17, 2003 meeting, the Chatham County Commissioners approved leasing the ATT corrridor for 10 years. This was a critical first step in development of the Chatham section of the ATT. No further action on ATT development was taken at this meeting. Over the next few months, TRTC will be working with the Chatham Trails Committee to identify grant programs to accelerate development of the Chatham section. In late March, staff from Durham and Chatham prepared estimates of funding (over $4Mln.) to complete ATT development in both counties. These were provided to Congressman David Price for his use in developing possible earmarked transportation projects for the 2004 budget.
If you support development of the Chatham section, please contact the Chatham Commissioners and urge them to carry out the Master Plan. See our Officials page for contact information.

For more information on the ATT and other trails in Chatham, please contact Bill Bussey at billbus@gte.net.

See our archives for earlier Chatham News

To assist users of the TRTC web site, we have initiated a Links page to provide a listing of site addresses of other rail trails and related projects around the country. Periodic additions are planned; if you know of sites that you feel should be added to our list please contact Curt Devereux at cdever@yahoo.com

The Triangle Greenways Council (TGC) has partnered with TRTC to develop maps and brochures of the ATT and connecting trails. We support their complementary role in promoting, planning and developing local trails. For more information, please visit the Greenways Website.

• In August 2006 we learned that planning for the construction of the next phase of the American Tobacco Trail (ATT) in Durham is stalled. There are continuing delays in starting the design process as well as assigning department responsibilities and management oversight responsibility in Durham municipal departments. Though the City of Durham has worked out a municipal agreement with NCDOT, the City has not yet signed an agreement with Parsons Brinkerhoff (PB) to begin design of the bridge and remaining trail. Our petition asks that City officials look into this because the ATT is long overdue for completion in Durham. We ask that all supporters of the ATT read and sign this petition. On October 11 we provided the petition results and a short presentation to the City Council. On October 12, Bill Bussey and Dan Clever met with the City Manager and staff to learn the status of key steps in establishing funding amounts and finalizing agreements with NCDOT.

  the following is a short report of that meeting:

  "Dan Clever and I presented this petition to the Durham City Council at their workday on October 5. Dan did a great job in the presentation. Thanks to everyone's support there were over 2700 names and comments on the petition. And Council members have them all! Councilman Eugene Brown said "It is time to move beyond rhetoric and get to work!" Immediately after the presentation, Durham City Manager Patrick Baker offered to meet with us on October 14.

  On October 12, 2006 Dan and Bill met with Durham Assistant City Manager Theodore Voorhees and Public Works Director Kathryn Kalb at the City Manager's office. In the update, they said that Durham was awaiting funding amount approval from the North Carolina Board of Transportation. Once that amount is finalized and formalized, Durham will submit a revised Municipal Agreement and a professional design services contract (with PB) to NCDOT for their approval. Durham anticipates that these two items may be in place before the end of the calendar year.

  This is progress that would not have been possible without all of your support. According to the memo from Engineering Manager Lee Murphy, (below) the ATT project was transferred from General Services and Parks and Recreation to the Public Works Department in July 2006 AFTER our June 9, 2006 letter to the City Manager and others were mailed and after the petition was started.

  Our meeting yesterday with Mr. Voorhees and Ms. Kalb and arranged by Mr. Baker, was not set up until AFTER the petition with over 2700 names was delivered last week.

  I think you will agree with Dan and me that the letter and petition have had some effect and are largely responsible for getting the city to quit stalling and move on the ATT."

  Here is the memo/report that Dan and Bill were handed by Ms. Kalb when the meeting started:

  Date: October 5, 2006
  To: Patrick W. Baker, City Manager
  Through: Theodore L. Voorhees, Assistant City Manager
  Kathryn R. Kalb, Director of Public Works
  From: R. Lee Murpy, Engineering Manager
  Subject: Agenda Item 25 - American Tobacco Trail Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

  The ATT Project was transferred from General Services/Parks and Recreation to Public Works in July of 2006. Since that time we have had local action by the TAC to acquire adequate funding and that funding is awaiting approval from the NC Board of Transportation.

  At the same time we are working concurrently to obtain the required Municipal Agreement from the NCDOT and the Professional Services contract necessary to begin design. We anticipate that these two items may be in place once funding is secured toward the end of the calendar year.

  Once the design process starts there will be public meetings open to all to receive comment. Updates are provided monthly on the City CIP website. Because of the Federal funds involved there are numerous and stringent procedures to follow. If not followed properly the City will not be reimbursed. These procedures tend to control the speed of the process.

• On January 7th, 2006 the components for a 10' x 12' information structure were delivered to the trailhead and unpacked. On the 14th we erected the vertical supports and structure for the roof. See our PHOTOS section for pictures of the new parking spaces, connector trail and our recent workdays. In early March 2006 we finished off the roof panels. We expect to install the information boards by early April. We also plan to do additional clean-up of the site, install a large sign near the road and put in a pair of control bollards at the entrance to the connector trail. Please see the January 26 News & Observer article on TRTC and a picture at the trailhead. See our Volunteers page for information on volunteering.

• Funding for I-40 Bridge Design, Construction

  Since mid-October 2005, NCDOT and parks staff from Durham and Chatham have been meeting to determine funds required to complete the ATT in both counties. State planners have suggested allotting $900,000 from the grant to the Durham segment and $700,000 to the Chatham segment. Durham's Commissioners and some members of the City Council are not happy with this proposal and believe a larger share should be allocated to Durham. Regardless of the split, estimates by the State indicate both Counties would need substantially more than is available. Resolution of this issue involves monies split between 2 State Highway Districts and may well continue into early 2006. An article from the Herald Sun provides more detail on these issues.
  In mid-August we received information that the most recent Federal Transportation bill contains funding secured by Congressman Price for completing the ATT. Design of the bridge will begin this Fall and should be available for public review during the first quarter of 2006.

• Chancellor's Ridge Trailhead Parking Facility Update

  In early October 2005 we awarded a contract for grading of the parking area and construction of the short trail to connect the lot with the ATT. By mid-November all grading and the connector trail have been completed. On November 12 and 19 and in December we plan several workdays to complete clean-up of the area. TRTC Volunteers Make Good Progress on Future Parking Facility (September-November 2004)

  We made lots of progress towards developing an ATT Parking facility on Fayetteville Road, about 3/4 mile south of the Streets of Southpoint Mall. On September 25, we started demolition of an existing structure and continued removal of a lot of trash and junk on the site. On suceeding workdays we finished the demolition and filled 4 large dumpsters with the building debris and other trash from the site. We have taken down numerous dead trees and burned lots of brush.

  We still need folks to help clear the brush around the grounds. Scouts and other volunteer groups are welcome and needed! See our PHOTOS section for pictures from our September and October workdays.

• In January 2004 we received a grant from the National Recreational Trails program which is administered by NC State Parks to build the trailhead parking facility off of Fayetteville Road in southern Durham! This is great news! The Triangle Greenways Council has taken possession of the future parking area and TRTC is managing it. We'll start working on this project this spring, provided all of the City of Durham red tape hassles can be worked out. Cudos to Thad Howard for leading the charge in working through the many bureaucratic challenges apparently necessary to complete this project.

• Durham received a grant to provide improved access to the ATT. $50,000 in State funds and $15-20,000 in City funds will be used to construct an accessible and bikeable entrance from the SW corner of the intersection of Carolina Circle and Beverly Drive. Design is being done in-house. Construction should begin in May or June.

• The MPO Plan for the Durham area was approved in August. This approval was required in order for Durham to utilize Federal monies that will fund the design (and later construction) of the bridge that will take the ATT over I-40 near Southpoint. Work by the design contractor (Parsons Brinkerhoff) began in September.

• Staff from Durham's Parks & Recreation Dept. received approvals from NCDOT (and Duke Energy) to complete planning for a parking area to be built on a sight easement on the south side of Scott King Road adjacent to the ATT. The project will be fenced and accomodate 3 to 4 horse trailers and up to 6 cars on a gravel surface. Development will be funded by impact fees and should commence early in 2004.

• Mile marker signs have been installed on the paved section of the ATT north of NC 54. Installation of East Coast Greenways signs was completed during September.

• The City of Durham now has downloadable versions of  trails and greenways maps online in the Portable Document Format (PDF). Twelve maps are available including five depicting sections of the American Tobacco Trail.

• Southpoint Crossing Shopping Center Still Supposed to Install Bike Racks

  Still no word from The Regency Centers of the Southpoint Crossing (Kroger) Shopping Center, about installing bike racks at the center. We'll keep you informed. We hope the Regency Center folks are still planning on installing bike racks at Southpont Crossing. For the many cyclists who access this popular shopping center on the American Tobacco Trail from points such as Woodcroft, Hope Valley Farms, Fayetteville St. area, or even downtown and points off the trail, having bike racks available for the upcoming Spring, Summer and Fall prime trail use seasons will be a blessing!

• Adopt a Park and Trail Program

  Durham Parks and Recreation now has an Adopt a Park and Trail program which allows groups and individuals to help care for Durham parks and trails by doing what you are probably already doing. If you or your organization enjoys the satifaction of making things better for your fellow citizens, you might want to find out more about the Adopt-a-Park and Trail program at: the Durham Parks site.

• The December 4, 2002 Ice Storm

  This storm brought down a large number of trees along the ATT but caused the most damage on the southern section between Massey Chapel Road and the bridge at Northeast Creek. We are happy to report that through volunteer eforts on December 14th, 19th, 21st and 22nd all of the fallen or hanging trees have been removed and this section is again open for hiking, biking and equestrian use. Workdays held during January, February and March 2003 continued these efforts, focussing on cutting up larger logs into smaller pieces and moving all sizes of brush closer to the trail. On March 29 we made good progress in chipping much of the accumulated brush. Bollards to control access to the trail at Scott King Road and Massey Chapel Road were installed during January and February. See our Photos section for pictures. If you would like to volunteer please see contact info at  Friends of the American Tobacco Trail Committee.

• In late March 2003, staff from Durham and Chatham prepared estimates of funding (over $4Mln.) to complete ATT development in both counties. These were provided to Congressman David Price for his use in developing possible earmarked transportation projects for the 2004 budget. If Durham were to receive it's share of funds from this request, it would augment the $1,200,000 included in Durham's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the period which began on July 1, 2002. These funds will be used to design and construct a bicycle/pedestrian bridge over I-40 and for grading and partial paving of ATT segments south of the new mall (Phase E). Developers of the recently approved Auto Park at Southpoint (to be built just north of I-40 on the east side of NC 751) have committed $150,000 towards construction of the bridge and for a connecting trail from NC 751 to the ATT. As planned, the bridge will have a wooden deck and allow a direct tie in with new ATT sections (built by the developer) through the new Southpoint Mall. A precise start date for starting construction is not currently available since currently available funds are frozen until the MPO plan for the Durham area has been approved by the Federal DOT. Approval is expected in the June-July period. When this bridge and the new trail section through the Mall are completed, trail users will be able to avoid going on Fayetteville Road (a road whose traffic volume is expected to grow sharply in the next few years).

• On March 4th, 2002 the Durham City Council formally approved a 10 year lease with NCDOT for management of the ATT corridor from south of NC 54 to Northeast Creek after lengthy negotiations over terms. Durham will now be able to seek external resources for this section in southern Durham and take a more active role with TRTC in development. Grading, paving and the installation of signs and access bollards for Phases C & D (from near Cornwallis Rd. south to NC 54 and the Riddle Rd. spur) was completed in September 2002 under a single contract awarded in September 2001. The first section runs between Hillside High School and the Southpoint Crossings Shopping Center at NC 54 (3.0 miles) and the second (1.5 miles) runs between Hillside and Briggs Avenue (Riddle Road Spur). Together they will bring the ATT and Riddle Spur to a total of 7.7 miles. Ribbon-cutting and a general celebration to open these trail sections was held on September 28, 2002. See our Photos section for pictures.
  City/County staff are working with their sign contractor on the design for kiosks, mile markers and other signage for the ATT. Mile markers will look a lot like the original RR markers and have the ATT logo on them. Other signage will be similar to that found on Durham's North-South Greenway.

  If you support funding for this vital ATT component, please contact members of the Durham City Council and/or County Commission to convey your support. Please see the Officials page for contact information.

  Efforts to Accelerate Opening of Southern Durham Section of ATT. This 3+ mile section is south of the Southpoint development (it crosses Massey Chapel Rd., Fayetteville Rd. and Scott King Rd.). While some funding for this section has been added to the 2002 TIP request, TRTC and many local residents of the area support efforts to open this section earlier than 2003-04, the dates envisioned by City/County Planning Staff. Any funding needed beyond those received in the 2002 TIP may take a bond referendum for new parks and greenways. Durham City and County residents should ask their elected officials to work with TRTC to look for creative methods to open this south Durham section of the ATT as quickly as possible. To this end, in early July 2001 TRTC received a $17,000 grant from Durham County to allow TRTC to have an active role in making improvements to this segment and accelerating its opening. These monies are being used for grading, bollards, clearing, culvert work and fencing.
  Two significant projects by local Boy Scouts were completed during Summer, 2003.

• The first involved installing 1000 feet of split rail fencing by Eagle Scout Ken Langdon.
• The second project, a kiosk located just south of Scott King Road was built and installed by Eagle Scout Will Renfrow.

Workdays to support develpment of Section E began in August 2001 and are now being held the first and third Saturdays of each month. Since August 2001 we have removed over 35 truckloads and one large dumpster of trash, filled in numerous holes, corrected a number of drainage problems, and moved several tons of logs and other trash blocking the corridor. The City of Durham wil take over management of thew trail when TRTC and the Friends are finished with construction. See the article on Friends of the American Tobacco Trail (below) for info. on contacting team leaders for upcoming workdays. Please visit our expanding PHOTOS Section to see some recent views and some sites just begging for clean-up efforts.
On a related note, construction of the trail through the mixed use development on the west side of the Southpoint Mall complex was completed in December 2000 with paving of the future ATT from just south of I-40, across Renaissance Parkway and south to the property line. The Renaissance Parkway crossing is slightly raised and paved with brick. Drivers on the parkway will definitely know they are crossing the ATT!!

See our archives for  earlier Durham News

Please see the section on the Annual 1999 Meeting for other details on the construction and plans for trail heads.

Please see their blog for pictures of their stopover in the Durham area.

Earlier News:

East Coast Greenway Tour Stop in Durham--October 2004

The First Annual East Coast Greenway Tour (at the site, click on the second bullet -labeled "here" at the top of the page) rode on the American Tobacco Trail and Ellerbee Creek Trails with a rest stop in Durham on October 12 and 13 2004.

Seven riders and two staff began their journey in Calais, Maine on September 12, and generally followed the future route of the East Coast Greenway down the coast to Key West, Florida with an arrival in early November.

The neat thing is that this is the first time any rider or group of riders have traversed a route which is known as the East Coast Greenway.

The East Coast Greenway (ECG) continues to make progress in North Carolina. Currently, the 6.5 miles of American Tobacco Trail currently open in Durham is a formally designated segment of the projected 2600 mile-long East Coast Greenway. The green and blue arrow East Coast Greenway signs are already up on the trail. Durham has given us permission to install some ECG informational signage and a list of North Carolina Mile Sponsors on the back side of the kiosk at the Morehead Avenue trailhead across from the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. This was installed in the Spring of 2004.
See our ECG News page for more news and contacts.

The East Coast Greenway (ECG) will be an 85% off-road greenway trail up the East Coast. As planned it will stretch from Key West to Calais, ME. The planned route takes it through Boston, New York, Trenton, Philadelphia, Washington, Richmond, Durham and Raleigh, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Charleston, and then down Florida's east coast to Key West. The ECG can best be described as a "Trail Connecting Cities".

See the ECG site  for more on the route.
Background on ECG: The initial 3.2 mile portion of the ATT in Durham was officially made a part of the 2600 mile ECG at a brief ceremony at the Durham City Council Meeting on April 16, 2001. This is the only portion of the ECG open in North Carolina. TRTC formally applied for the American Tobacco Trail to become part of the East Coast Greenway. On July 15th, 2000 Karen Votava, Executive Director of the East Coast Greenway met with Chuck Flink, the NC State Committee Chair for the ECG and a group of 10 of us to start the organizing process to accomplish this project in North Carolina. The meeting was a great success. At it's September 2000 Board meeting, the ECG Board designated the ATT to be a part of the East Coast Greenway. Since then, approval of the designation was given by Durham's Open Space and Trails (DOST) Commission and by the Durham City Council.
We are looking for folks from all over the state to be a part of this. The American Tobacco Trail and several greenways that connect to it will play a key role in this project. If you are interested in more information, or in being part of a North Carolina East Coast Greenway state committee which will plan and work to develop the East Coast Greenway in NC, please contact Bill Bussey billbus@gte.net.
For more information, check out the East Coast Greenway website.

At it's August 7th, 2000 meeting, the TRTC Board broadened its historical role of trail advocacy through the approval of a committee to perform maintenance, construction and other tangible work on the future trailhead off of Fayetteville Road. Thad Howard has headed up the initial organization efforts and is still seeking volunteers interested in helping with such tasks at future work days. The goal of this working group is to make the ATT safer through stewardship, improved access, and to help open new sections along the ATT. These projects include clearing trail of debris, repairing erosion, picking up trash, cleaning up the trail, and construction of new ATT amenities. Thad Howard and Cotten Tyler of TRTC have agreed to serve as project leaders who will be responsible for workdays. If you would like to help, or would be interested in becoming a project leader, contact Thad at 544-9126.
On Sunday November 5th (2000) the first workday was held and was successful in removing two large dirt piles and filling in several holes on an ATT section in southern Durham County. On Saturday November 11th and Sunday November 18th the Committee cleared brush and numerous trees on several ATT sections in Chatham and Wake County. This clearing was done to ease future access to bridge sites by staff engineers from Geosciences doing structural studies of these bridges.
On February 24th we removed trees along the ATT in Southern Wake County. This is still a closed section of the ATT, however we cleared trees to provide engineers access to the five bridges for geo-technical evaluation of old trestles. On March 3, 2001 we did clearing work at the Fayetteville Rd. trailhead parking area which TRTC is developing. Since June 2001, efforts by the Friends of the ATT has been directed at the ATT from south of Massey Chapel to the bridge at Northeast Creek (the bridge is about 1 mile south of Scott King Road). Further work on the trailhead parking area will be restarted when formal transfer of the tract is accomplished. Please call Frank Bennett 851-3992 fjb675@hotmail.com or Cotten Tyler 544-3966 Cottentrail@aol.com if you would like to help, or would like to get on our direct e-mail list of service outings. If you want to help with this project we start at 9 am at the trail crossing at Scott King Rd. on the first and third Saturdays of each month. TRTC hopes you can join us in our efforts to speed up the opening of the American Tobacco Trail in southern Durham County.

Durham has prepared a detailed map of the Durham portion of the ATT and all intersecting roads and highways. This new (3/2001) map includes the location of mile posts and will be posted at trail kiosks to be placed along the trail.

In late Fall 2000, the Geographic Information Systems group at Triangle J Council of Governments prepared an Updated ATT Map. This map and the accompanying text have been used to prepare a new ATT brochure. This current version focuses on landmarks on or near the Durham section and is available at the City/County Parks & Rec. offices at 403 Blackwell St. (in the DBAP office complex). As the sections in Wake and Chatham are opened for use, TRTC plans to revise the map and text and will make it available to trail users in those Counties.
The current text for the map     is in the Portable Document Format (PDF) and can be viewed with the Adobe Reader.

The October 2003 issue the National Rail to Trails publication featured the ATT as it's trail of the month. It was a nice article with pictures and some background on the name of the trail. The National Rails to Trails Conservancy Site has Rail-Trails news and links to rail trails throughout the U.S. Click here to look at the article and pictures in their Trail Links section.