Goal of this project is to identify suitable areas and roads for multi-modal path installation in Boone, NC.
Harmony Lanes, a 501c3 non-profit, is seeking community support for our vision to turn Boone into a first class bike and pedestrian friendly community. The Cross Boone Connector (XBC) is our proposal for a safe corridor from the end of the current Boone Greenway next to WalMart, to ASU’s main campus. The exact route is undefined until we see how pieces of this come together. Step one is we will ask for the NCDOT to commit to build a bike/ped/ADA bridge over NC 105 in the area of Faculty St. There is an open comment period for the public to submit proposals to the NCDOT until the end of February for the 2023-2032 planning cycle.
Our vision is to tie the ASU health campus area (Levine College of Health and Watauga Medical Center) to the main campus of ASU, providing a safe corridor for students and citizens to access the hundreds of businesses and services in this corridor. When the XBC is complete it will connect the entire Boone Valley, removing bike and ped traffic from Blowing Rock Rd./321 to safer back roads. You could ride your bike from ASU to shop, dine, visit health care professionals, visit the Watauga County Recreation Center, and access anything else on the Boone Greenway. This will also connect the Middle Fork Greenway to the Northern Peaks Trail when they are completed. The impact of this connectivity on Boone’s sustainability, economy, tourism, and the health of our citizens will be huge.
Next Steps!
- Amend the 2014 Boone Bike/Ped Plan to include and prioritize the XBC.
- Start planning stage, start looking for funding from national, state, private sources.
- Feasibility study for Cross-Boone Connector (XBC)
Thank you for helping us make Boone a first-class bike and pedestrian friendly community!