History
The 1970's brought rapid growth to Cary that has lasted well over two decades. Challenged to preserve open space without stifling development, the Cary Town Council in 1975 adopted an ordinance that required the dedication of land for either parks or greenways for the approval of each new subdivision. As a result, Cary has acquired much of the greenway and parkland we enjoy today as well as significant funding for their development.

On February 26, 1976, the Cary Town Council created the first Greenway Commission and initiated Cary's greenway program. The Greenway Commission, consisting of interested Town of Cary residents, was instrumental over the years to orchestrate the many accomplishments of Cary’s successful greenway program.

During the early eighties, the Greenway Commission campaigned to gain public support for the program by hosting greenway walks, and initiating "Greenway week" which became regular promotional events. Much of the popularity Cary's greenway program enjoys today can be attributed to these early efforts.

In 1978, the Town Council adopted the first comprehensive greenway and parks plan. The plan called for the construction of a prototype greenway to evaluate construction materials, neighborhood impact, and aesthetic appeal. In March 1978, Council appropriated $5,000.00 for the Town's first greenway project and the Wake County Parks and Recreation Commission awarded a matching grant. In November 1979, Tarbert-Gatehouse Greenway was completed.

In 1981, the Town implemented a policy advocating the simultaneous acquisition of utility and greenway easements. The first such acquisition took place that year along Black Creek, which culminated in the completion of the 2.5-mile Black Creek Greenway in 1990. Dual use easement acquisition has proven to be the most cost efficient method of acquiring greenway open space outside of dedication. Both of these measures have deferred the Town's need to purchase real estate or easements for greenway construction.

The July, 1982 issue of the U.S. News & World Report praised Cary as one of the ten most attractive places in the country to live, noting that "residents can walk to schools, five shopping centers, 27 churches, or their jobs in local office parks over twisting trails called 'greenways.'" The article actually referred to the private greenways of Kildaire Farms, the first Planned Unit Development in Cary. Not until 1984 and 1985, with the construction of the McCloud Court Trail, the Coatbridge Circle Trail, and the Higgins Trail, would the town usher in its most active years of greenway construction.

During the six-year period from 1987 through the 1993, over 5.74 miles of greenways, or approximately 80% of the current total of 7.2 miles of greenways have been added to Cary's system, at an average rate of slightly less than a mile annually. Approximately 71% of these new trails feature a paved surface. Many link neighborhoods to local shopping centers, and other public spaces.

Construction of the 2.5 mile Black Creek Greenway began in 1988 and completed in 1990. The Black Creek Greenway, one of the most popular trails in Cary's system, is easily accessible to many north Cary communities and provides greenway access to Lake Crabtree county Park, William B. Umstead State Park, and two community parks. Establishing such linkages is one of the primary goals of Cary's greenway program.

During fiscal year 1993, the Town of Cary constructed the 0.8-mile Swift Creek Recycled Greenway, completing a system total of 7.2 miles. The award winning Swift Creek Recycled Greenway, initiated in 1991 and completed in 1994, received national attention as the first of its kind in the country to utilize recycled products as construction materials and for innovative public-private partnership that facilitated its construction. This project provided a unique educational opportunity to understand the impact that post-consumer waste has on the environment and ways that construction with recycled materials can lessen this impact. This greenway has served as an educational resource of interest to visitors, area schools, statewide recycling programs, and national trail and greenway organizations.

The Parkway Greenway was the first trail constructed by the Town west of Bond Park and will link several area neighborhoods to Bond Metro Park and the YMCA. Further west, the White Oak Creek Greenway will provide numerous west Cary neighborhoods with off-road pedestrian access to two proposed community parks as well.



Town Homepage