Purpose: This was second committee meeting for the Yadkin Valley Regional Bicycle Plan. The purpose of this meeting was to begin discussing opportunities for potential projects to improve bicycling in the Yadkin Valley region. Staff from Alta Planning + Design (project consultants) presented and facilitated discussion.

In Attendance: Steve Bzomowski Alta Planning + DesignLynn Cochran Piedmont Triad Regional CouncilPhillip Craver NCDOT Division 9Jesse Day Piedmont Triad Regional CouncilMichael Hosey National Cycling CenterPaul Moore Davie CountyMichael Pardue Town of JonesvilleCaleb Poplin Yadkin CountyJason Reyes Alta Planning + DesignDawn Vallieres Yadkin CountyJudi Wallace Wallace ConsultingRob Weisz NCDOT Division 11Daniel White Surry County

AGENDA: YADKIN VALLEY REGIONAL BIKE PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING #2

AUGUST 28, 2019, 1:00-3:00 PM PIEDMONT TRIAD REGIONAL COUNCIL

1398 CARROLTON CROSSING DRIVE, KERNERSVILLE, NC 27284

The meeting began with a round of introductions followed by a presentation, led by Jason Reyes and Steve Bzomowski of Alta Planning + Design.

The powerpoint slides from the presentation are attached at the end of this summary for reference and below are notes from discussion.

If you missed the meeting, please be sure to see the PPT slides at the end of this summary for an overview of potential projects being considered at this early draft development stage. Send questions and comments to Stephen Bzomowski at stephenbzomowski@altaplanning.com.

NOTES FROM THE PRESENTATION & DISCUSSION

• Public Outreach » Autumn Leaves Festival (Oct 11-

13) in Mt Airy - Daniel inquiring about setting up at a local agency’s table.

» Winston-Salem Dixie Classic Fair (Oct 4-13) - consider attending.• Plan to add for review:

» Blue Heron Trail Master Plan (Bermuda Run) » Connect Davie Greenway Master Plan

• Yadkin Valley Railroad through Surry and Stokes Counties carries very low volume train traffic (~one train per day). Consider rail with trail opportunities.

• Jonesville » Planned commercial development near the Yadkin River in uptown Jonesville -

trail oriented development as part of site plans could make direct connection to MST/Jonesville Greenway/Yadkin River Greenway and between the two town centers.

» Jonesville Trails Association currently working to become 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

• Jonesville/Elkin » Bike/ped connectivity between the two towns over the Yadkin River - new bike/

ped bridge likely the best option (as opposed to retrofitting US 21B bridge), discussion to be continued.

• I-77 bridge across Yadkin River connectinig Surry and Yadkin Counties » During bridge replacement project, NCDOT will include piers for future bike/ped

bridge next to I-77 bridge.• NCDOT modernization

» 5’ paved shoulder included, adopted bike plans important for including paved shoulder (and potentially bicycle friendly rumble strips). Recently updated NCDOT Complete Streets policy (August 30, 2019) will strengthen these opportunities.

• US 601 from Yadkinville to Booneville » STIP (R-5896) - Roadway modernization - include bike friendly design - 5’+

shoulders and bike friendly rumble strips - continued bike friendly cross-section into Surry County in future.

• Mt Airy Granite City Greenway » Railroad not interested in converting inactive section into rail trail connection that

would link Lovills Creek and Ararat River sections just north of downtown Mt. Airy. » Explore on-road connections to downtown Mt. Airy such as Oak St, Virginia St, and

Lovill St. » Planned greenway extention north along the Ararat River to the Jones Intermediate

School.• US 601 roadway project in Mt Airy (R-5714)

» Includes sidewalks but no bicycle facility » Project footprint ends 600 ft from Granite City Greenway - no connection to

greenway included in current design (construction scheduled for 2020) - STI sidewalk project will provide link on north side of Rockford St (construction scheduled for 2024 currently)

• Yadkin County southeast of East Bend toward Lewisville » Roads that are part of proposed NC Bike Route 12 (Yadkin Valley Crossing) may be

improved in future funding cycles - opportunity to incorporate bicycle facilities into design.

• National Cycling Center » Currently running SRTS programs in Winston-Salem. » Have been invovled in exploring material and design options for developing trails on

top of existing railroad tracks (instead of removing rails).• Pilot Mountain

» Alignment for downtown to state park connection needs further exploration. » Electric bicycle rental in Town of Pilot Mountain could be considered as a way of

addressing the challenging topography along potential routes between the town and the state park.

• Mocksville » Local Bike/Ped/Greenway planning process to begin 2019/2020 » Piedmont Legacy Trails designated in Rich Park. » Sidewalk south of South Davie Middle School stops at DOT bridge - need feasibility

study to complete bike/ped link from South Davie Middle School to Davie County Community Park (grand opening May 2nd 2020 for the park) and Davie County Community College.

NEXT STEPS• Bicycle Level of Comfort development• Overall Draft Plan development• Public Outreach continued

The meeting concluded with a Mapping Exercise, where participants were encouraged to further discuss potential priority projects.

Steering Committee Meeting #2

Agenda

1. Introductions

2. Project Overview To-Date

3. Public Outreach Update & Strategy

4. Review of Project Opportunities Identified to-date

5. Next Steps

6. Map Mark-Up Session: Study Area Base Maps

Introductions

Ya

dkin

Va

lle

y S

tud

y A

rea

SCOPE & SCHEDULE

Survey Responses

How important to you is the goal of creating more bikeways and greenways in your community?Q1

82.71%

11.28%

6.02%

Very important

Somewhat important

Not important

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0%

% Responses

How would you rate overall bicycling conditions in the Yadkin Valley?Q2

2.29%

18.32%

49.62%

25.19%

4.58%

Very good

Good

Fair

Poor

Very poor

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%

% Responses

For what reasons do you bike? Select all that apply.Q4

84.96%

21.05%

68.42%

45.86%

28.57%

5.26%

8.27%

4.51%

Exercise

Transportation

Enjoy nature

Social/family time

Sightseeing

Save money

I do not bike

Other (please specify)

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0%

% Responses

Other responses:

• Training

• Getting older and walking more

• Maintain physical and mental

health

• Adventure

• Stress reliever

• Lighter carbon footprint

What is the furthest distance you would want to ride your bike?Q5

8.40%

10.69%

22.14%

10.69%

48.09%

Less than 3 miles

3-5 miles

5-10 miles

10-15 miles

More than 15 miles

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%

% Responses

What prevents you from bicycling more often? Select all that apply.Q6

4.62%

63.85%

56.15%

60.77%

9.23%

19.23%

15.38%

7.69%

7.69%

10.77%

9.23%

Lack of interest in bicycling

I am uncomfortable bicycling in thestreet with cars

There are no bikeways leading to theplaces that I want to go to

Drivers are too aggressive

Places that I want to go to are too far

I don't have enough time

Driving is more convenient

Disability or health-related reason

Weather isn't conducive

There are too many steep hills

Other (please specify)

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%% Responses

Other responses:

• Need for child-friendly easy

trails

• Loose aggressive dogs

• Drivers are not used to dealing

with bikers especially where

there are no bike lanes.

• Drunk or distracted drivers

• I have no interest in bicycling

anywhere near vehicles or to

places I can get to by car, etc.

• Rough trail beds

• Time

• Loose dogs that chase cyclists

• Lack of bike lanes, and too

many large trucks

What destinations are most important to connect with bikeways? (1=most important and 10=least important)Q7

5.12

4.74

5.15

7.61

6.5

5.39

7.57

5.16

4.15

3.76

K-12 Schools

College or university

Workplaces

Parks within cities and towns

State parks and natural areas

Libraries, recreation centers, or other civic locations

Trails or greenways

Small towns throughout the Yadkin Valley Region

Shopping areas or grocery stores

Vineyards, Wineries, and Agritourism

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Score

21

.95

%

26

.02

%

13

.11

%

10

.57

%

8.9

4%

8.9

4%

4.8

4% 11

.38

%

22

.76

%

47

.97

%

28

.46

%

27

.05

%

22

.76

%

12

.20

% 22

.76

%

11

.29

%

25

.20

%

40

.65

%

30

.08

%

45

.53

%

59

.84

% 66

.67

%

78

.86

%

68

.29

%

83

.87

%

63

.41

%

36

.59

%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Not likely Somewhat likely Very likely

What is the likelihood that the following types of bicycling facilities would influence you to bike more often?

Q8

What change would you most like to see related to bicycling in your community?Q12

24.7%

17.8%

9.6%

8.2%

8.2%

5.5%

5.5%

4.1%

2.7%

1.4%

1.4%

1.4%

1.4%

1.4%

1.4%

0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0%

Bike Lanes

Greenways

Bike Paths

Education (driver & cyclist)

Traffic Enforcement

Bike Trails

Wide Shoulders

Mountain Bike Trails

Road Diets

Bicycle Routes

Bike Parking Facilities

Buffered Bike Lanes

Connected Bike Paths

Maps & Navigation

"Share the Road" Signs

% Frequency

What county do you live in?Q14

38.79%

6.03%

13.79%

15.52%

12.07%

6.90%

6.90%

Surry County

Stokes County

Yadkin County

Forsyth County

Davie County

Iredell County

Other county (please specify)

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%

% Responses

Other represented counties:

• Wilkes County

• Patrick County

• Carroll County, VA

• Rowan Davie line

• Rockingham County

• Guilford County

• Caldwell County

Outreach Events:

• July 23: Village Farmer’s Market, Clemmons

• July 27: Surry Farmer’s Market, Elkin

• September 14: Stokes Stomp, Danbury

• September 28: Carolina Jubilee, Harmony

• October 11: Autumn Leaves Festival, Surry (?)*

• October 12: The Oaks Festival, Mocksville

• October 19: Yadkin Valley Grape Festival, Yadkinville

• Wallace Consulting- Judi Wallace• Seeks specific input from steering committee members

• Full update from Judi Wallace TBA

• Responses (as of August 19, 2019)

• Vision of bicycling in the plan:

• Interconnected & active network of multi-use paths

• Town/county points of interest:

• In-town amenities (i.e. restaurants, retail, places to stay)

• Schools, parks, and community centers

• Concerns/issues about bicycling or this plan:

• Safety

Outreach collaborations:

• Fieldwork• In-person visits to town administrators and

planners

• Stopping by bike shops and other related retail

• Virtual Outreach• Emails or messages to bike-related

community groups

• Seeking input from non-profit service organizations

• Wineries & Vineyards• Velo Girl Rides (Jennifer Billstrom)

• Made contact with some area cyclists

• Great information about routes and popular sites for cyclists.

• Scouting routes the weekends of Sep 14 & 21.

Other outreach efforts:

Questions/Comments Outreach To-Date

Key Opportunities (& Challenges)

• Facility Selection

• Facility Selection

• Facility Selection

Lewisville Loop

Proposed Greenway

Lewisville Clemmons Rd Widening

Wagon Wheel Rd Complete Street

Danbury Loop

Proposed Scott Branch Greenway

Bridge replacement 2022

Connect to MST and Hanging Rock State Park

NC Bike Routes 4 & 10W

Dobson

Proposed greenway loop

Connect to Fisher River Park

Mt Airy

Riverside Park Connection

Inactive railroad line

Elkin & Jonesville

Proposed bridge sidepath

Funded STI project (Elm St widening)

Jonesville Greenway

E & A Rail Trail

Very wide pavement width (Market, Standard, Front streets)

Yadkin River Greenway

Surry County property –MST connector (north/west side of river)

MST main trail on the south/east side of the river

Winston-Salem

Inactive railroad lines

To Clemmons

Little River Greenway

Clemmons & Bermuda Run

Proposed sidepathfrom Clemmons to Tanglewood Park & Yadkin River

Proposed Yadkin River Greenway Ph 1

Future STI access management project (also NC Bike Route 2)

Mocksville

Proposed greenway from Rich park to adjacent neighborhood

N Main St and Salisbury St are relatively wide

Neighborhood street links

Proposed greenway to Middle School

Yadkinville

Proposed greenway (submitted in STI but unfunded)

Existing bike lane

Upcoming STI project to improve Old US 421

Pilot Mountain

Proposed greenway along Pilot Creek

Rural, low traffic volume (hilly) roadway connection

Wide pavement along W. Main from East Surry HS

Pilot Mountain State Park property

Improving Regional Routes

• North Carolina State Bike Route System

• NC 2, NC 4• Proposed NC 10 (Triad to

Charlotte) and NC 12 (Yadkin Valley)

• Carolina Thread Trail

• Surry County Bike Routes

• Forsyth County Bike Routes

• Yadkin River Greenway

• Dan River Greenway

STI Opportunities

Questions/Comments About Key

Opportunities To-Date

SCOPE & SCHEDULE

Mapping Exercise

Jason Reyes, AICP, Senior Planning Associate

984-329-5044 | jasonreyes@altaplanning.com

Stephen Bzomowski, AICP, Senior Planner

984-201-2902 | stephenbzomowski@altaplanning.com

Thank You!