By Jennifer Lankford
Cary is celebrating a major milestone by completing 100 miles of greenway trails that now connect the Cary community. This achievement marks a time to highlight the history, growth, maintenance, and impact of the nationally recognized Cary Greenway system since its inception in 1979.
Sandi Bailey, Town of Cary Transportation Planner, has been working with greenways for over 20 years. Bailey said the Cary Greenway has grown tremendously, averaging approximately two miles per year.
“A lot happened in the 70s,” Bailey said. “The first greenway committee was established, the first parks and greenways master plan was completed, and Cary’s first greenway was constructed near Annie Jones Park during that time.
Bailey said a key figure in the greenway’s origin was Linda Setliff, a resident who advocated for safer places for the Cary High School track team to run for training. Bailey said the nearby Chapel Hill trail system inspired Setliff, who also served on the first Cary Greenway Committee.
Bailey explained that in the early 2000s, a significant shift happened when Cary began working with developers to build planned greenways on their properties. A parkland dedication, or fee in lieu, is required for new residential developments for future parks and greenway facilities to serve the growing population. Cary’s greenway system has grown significantly by applying these fees to greenways in new developments. Bailey said, “It is a win-win for the neighborhoods being constructed, as it is an immediate amenity on the ground for residents where they can walk their dogs, and kids can ride their bikes. It also helps get greenways constructed faster than would otherwise be possible by managing each greenway as a standalone construction project.”
“In fact, a majority of the greenways in western Cary were built with private development,” Bailey added. “As the most recently developed area of Cary, western Cary benefited from that process and has an extensive greenways network.”
Artistic Striping
As Cary continues to build its greenways, the town strategically uses centerline striping for safety on tighter curves or near underpasses. Cassie Schumacher-Georgopoulos, Town of Cary Transportation Director, added that this striping serves as a friendly reminder for greenway users to stay to the right when approaching those curves to avoid a conflict with someone coming from the opposite direction.
Bailey added that Cary commissioned an artist to create a template featuring hummingbirds and native tree leaves wrapping around the centerline stripe, which adds placemaking and identity along the White Oak and Black Creek Greenways, a primary cross-town greenway corridor. The Triangle artist behind the striping, Lisa Gaither, also painted the murals at the White Oak Creek Greenway railroad underpass near Davis Drive Park.
“Cary intentionally incorporates public art along greenways, with many pieces celebrating local history and culture,” Bailey explained.
Eco-Counters
Eco-counters have been installed on the heavily used Cary Greenway to count users, distinguish direction of travel, differentiate between bikes and pedestrians, and record cyclist speeds for safety analysis. This data can also be used when the town applies for grants.
Bailey explained that Eco-counters do not take photos or collect personally identifiable information; they operate by using heat signals and pavement loops. She added that while Cary has previously used Eco-counters, the newer models offer improved battery-life monitoring. The counters’ ability to record cyclists’ speed is also a beneficial new feature that will assist staff in determining where mitigations may be needed to help maintain safe speeds.
Connection to the East Coast Greenway
Black Creek and White Oak Creek Greenways are considered the “spine” of Cary’s system, spanning 14 to 15 miles across Cary from Umstead Park to the American Tobacco Trail; they are part of the East Coast Greenway. The East Coast Greenway is a bicycle and pedestrian corridor that spans more than 3,000 miles from Maine to Key West, with approximately 70 miles of completed off-road trail in the Triangle area, which is one of the most complete urban off-road segments, Bailey explained.
In Cary, the East Coast Greenway follows Black Creek Greenway, White Oak Creek Greenway, and parts of the American Tobacco Trail. Cary manages about 16 miles of the East Coast Greenway, including roughly four miles of the American Tobacco Trail. Routine maintenance includes weekly mowing and blowing during the growing season, as well as weekly trash removal. Bridge and boardwalk inspections are conducted annually, and pavement condition is inspected every five years. Bailey said based on those inspections, heavier maintenance is addressed on an as-needed basis, and pavement resurfacing is on a rotating schedule.
Schumacher-Georgopoulos explained that the Black Creek Greenway project involves three phases of reconstruction due to utility redirection and significant erosion from flooding. She said that the project is currently in phase three, and efforts are being made to reopen to the public as quickly as possible.
The Black Creek Greenway was relocated further from the stream corridor to reduce flooding impacts, and now offers a more level, direct connection, allowing greenway users to bypass the steep hill at Dynasty Drive.
“It’s an approximate 11 percent grade,” Bailey said, referring to that hill.
Schumacher-Georgopoulos noted that the Cary Parkway pedestrian bridge, which spans over Black Creek Greenway, is also a significant project for the community, enhancing connectivity by filling a sidewalk gap along Cary Parkway and improving connectivity to the greenway below.
“I didn’t move to Cary to work here, I just moved here as a resident,” Schumacher-Georgopoulos said. “Using the greenway system, with the way that it’s connected to the park system, was just incredible. And seeing citizens in love with that amenity overall — it’s really the reason why a lot of people move here,” she added.
Future Greenway Plans and Public Involvement
Plans for the Cary Greenway system include an even more robust network, as evidenced by the system plan. Future projects are likely to include filling greenway gaps; completing the Higgins Greenway to the Cary Downtown Park; constructing the Walnut Creek Greenway (a major regional corridor), which is planned to connect Downtown Cary to Raleigh’s greenway system; and extending connections on the Optimist Farm Greenway in the Middle Creek area. Bond Park is considered the “hub” of Cary’s family system, with multiple regional greenways converging there.
Cary Greenway encourages citizens to get involved in planning for future projects. The Cary Greenway Committee is a citizen subcommittee of the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Advisory Board, responsible for reporting maintenance issues, providing feedback on plans, and engaging the public. “Citizens apply to be on the Greenway Committee,” Bailey explained. The Greenway Committee meets monthly and is very active. They engage with the public on behalf of Cary’s greenway program by staffing booths at festivals such as Spring Daze and Lazy Daze. Committee members walk the greenways year-round and report maintenance issues. They also provide feedback on various planning projects, including the overall system plan.
Dr. Leta Huntsinger, a 26-year Cary resident, said the parks and greenway are what drew her to move to Cary. “Being new to the community, I really wanted to get engaged. I felt like one way to do that was to volunteer and get involved. So, since I was a lifelong runner and an outdoor enthusiast, the Greenway Committee was just a natural fit for me,” Huntsinger explained.
Huntsinger applied, was chosen, served for nine years, and was the Greenway Committee Chairperson for three of those years. “It just ended up being amazing. I helped create one of the park and greenway plans, and I really got to be part of the visioning for that plan,” she explained. “My background is in transportation, and that was the first time we identified Bond Park as the hub of the greenway system.”
She said labeling Bond Park as the hub allowed the committee to view the greenway holistically and build everything around the Bond Park hub by filling in missing segments. “This new plan allowed us to have a more continuous system. People who enjoy biking, for example, and want to go longer distances, have this complete system. And for me, when I look back on my tenure with the Greenway Committee, I think that’s one of the things I was most proud of,” Huntsinger said.
She equated their new approach to the “hub and spokes” system that airlines use. The result, Huntsinger said, was more than just a system of paths and greenways. It became an activity network connecting small and large activity centers in Cary. She is happy that the Cary Greenway is now used for enjoyment, health benefits, and transportation, adding that this is especially important for bikers who do not want to use roadways for transportation due to safety concerns.
She thinks the Cary Greenway is incredible and is proud that it has reached 100 miles of completion. “I personally travel places because of the types of outdoor amenities they have. For example, I will often go on a biking vacation. And I think that Cary is at that point. I think people come to our community because of the outdoor experience they can have on our greenways,” she said.
Huntsinger said she can tell usage on the greenways has increased during her 26 years in Cary and it’s exciting for her to see increased usage when segments of the greenway are connected because it improves people’s lives. Another improvement she appreciates is the comprehensive signage — or wayfinding, as it’s often called — that has been added to guide people to greenways and highlight key destinations on the greenway.
“I wanted to share on a personal note that while the town is celebrating 100 miles of Cary Greenway, I have a goal of walking all 100 miles this year,” Huntsinger said. “It’s been so fun for me because even though I was on the committee for nine years, there are still some segments of greenways around town that I’ve never walked on before because I have to drive or ride my bike there. So, I’ve got my greenway map, and a marker, and I’m just going through and planning each little loop.”
As Huntsinger walks, she takes notes and shares them with Greenway staff members about items that need to be replaced or new developments on the greenway. “We are the eyes and ears of the community,” she said. “[The staff] can’t be out there all the time, so they appreciate it when we see things that need attention or if we have ideas about new signage, for example.”
Chris Herndon is also very involved with the Cary Greenway system, both as an avid user and a civic volunteer. He said the tree density, parks, and greenways in and around Cary guided his move here from the Midwest seven years ago. Herndon’s love for the outdoors also guided him to live in northwest Cary, just east of Highway 55, because there is convenient access to the greenway. “Right behind our house, I can hop on the neighborhood greenway that connects to the other Cary and Morrisville greenways,” he explained. “I’m a five-mile bike ride to the American Tobacco Trail in one direction and a five-mile bike ride to Umstead Park in the other direction.” In addition to riding his bike on the greenway to downtown Durham, downtown Raleigh, or riding many different loops around Cary on the White Oak Creek and Black Creek Greenways, Herndon enjoys walking his dogs on the greenway.
Herndon said his other relationship with the greenway is as a civic volunteer. “I’ve always been civically engaged wherever I’ve lived. So, when we moved here, I didn’t want to only be along for the ride with the great amenities.” Herndon has worked to support and help drive improvements forward for the greenways by serving on the Cary Greenway Committee, both as a member and as chairperson. He continues to volunteer as the liaison between the Cary Parks Advisory Board and the Greenway Committee.
For his day job, Herndon is the North Carolina Director for the Sierra Club. Environmental advocacy is important to him. He previously worked in the sports industry and economic development. “I really see the greenway as an intersection of a lot of things in terms of preserving and providing access to outdoor spaces, supporting economic development, and improving mental and physical health — all improving overall quality of life,” he said.
Looking forward, Herndon would like to see the greenway continue to improve connectivity.
“There are small gaps in different places throughout our greenway system, and that’s what I hear the most in my experience talking to a lot of people in the community. I think that’s the next thing that, for me personally, I would like to see us work on,” he said.
While the existing greenways take users to great destinations, Herndon noted that some spots have a quarter or half-mile gap that could connect greenway users to a school or a store, for example. Particularly in West Cary, Herndon explained, building so many greenways so quickly by working with property developers accelerated greenway development while also leaving those small gaps. The next thing he would like to see happen involves closing those small segments to eliminate barriers and increase connectivity.
Overall, Herndon said what he loves about Cary is that the Town’s resident surveys indicate that greenways consistently rank high as an amenity that people appreciate. He said he is really proud to live in a community that values parks, greenways, and outdoor spaces. “This is a really unique asset compared to other communities, especially when you broaden the scope to see over 250 miles of greenway in the Triangle.” He added that Wake County has 250-plus miles of greenway, and Durham County has 30-plus miles of greenway.
“One hundred miles in Cary is very important, and it is part of an even bigger greenway network. Raleigh and Durham are connected through Cary’s greenway system,” Herndon said. And when it comes to greenways, this makes it even more special because it is part of something bigger.”
Residents can report maintenance issues or concerns through Cary’s 311 system (phone, online, QR codes). Contact information is at the end of this article. Bailey said graffiti, for example, is typically addressed by the Town of Cary’s Public Works Department within 24 hours.
Shumacher-Georgopoulos noted that supporting Cary’s greenway system is a collaborative effort involving multiple town departments, including Parks, Public Works, Information Technology, and the police. Cary’s greenways close at dusk, and Bailey added that regular maintenance also helps keep things safe and welcoming for everyone.
One safety concern Schumacher-Georgopoulos mentioned involves E-mopeds or E-motorcycles on the greenway, something the Cary Greenway committee is studying. These devices require users to be at least 16 years old, obtain a motorcycle endorsement, and wear a DOT-rated motorcycle helmet. She added that these devices go much faster than an E-bike or a regular bike. “We’re working with the council and other partners about how to educate the public before they buy because your 14-year-old shouldn’t be on those devices, for example,” she explained.
Bailey added that it’s hard to tell the difference just by looking at them. She said state statutes define what is within each of those categories by motor size and maximum speed. “Cary’s definition of an electric-assisted bicycle follows the state’s definition, and those devices are allowed on Cary’s greenways. E-mopeds and E-motorcycles are not.” Bailey further explained that Cary’s greenways have a 15-mile-per-hour speed limit, but users are encouraged to travel at a safe speed based on conditions, particularly when trails are busy. Schumacher-Georgopoulos agreed that being considerate to all users is most important, along with recognizing that people use the greenway for different reasons.
Bailey said the slogan during the 2024 Safety Campaign was “Many Journeys, One Path.” Schumacher-Georgopoulos said she believes that message continues to resonate today, adding, “Beyond providing a connected trail system, Cary’s greenways also play an important role in protecting and preserving the natural environment. By following stream corridors, greenways provide residents with access to nature while helping preserve these sensitive areas and protecting the water quality.”
The Cary Greenway just finished updating the system plan, and Bailey said they ask residents to fill out a survey each time the plan is updated. “Greenways have been one of the top — if not the top — requested recreation facilities among residents who have participated in recent system plan surveys,” she said. “Cary citizens really love the greenways. The more we build, the more they want.” Schumacher-Georgopoulos added that Cary is also identifying smaller gaps in the network and ways to prioritize and fill those gaps.
In celebration of 100 miles, Cary is sponsoring a citizen photography contest. Select greenway photos can be viewed at the Bond Park Community Center from October 7, 2026, to December 13, 2026. A small selection of the winners’ photos will be displayed on GoCary buses.
Cary Greenway rules are listed on the carync.gov/greenways website. The staff welcomes anyone with specific questions to visit carync.gov/311, dial 311 anywhere in Cary, (919) 469-4000 outside town limits, or email 311@carync.gov. For more information about the Cary Greenway, contact Carync.gov/greenways.
