Bolin Creek Greenway Extension

For the next several months, consultants for the Estes Dr. Extension and Bolin Creek Greenway Extension projects are conducting site surveys on and around properties in the project areas (map). What does this mean?

• They’ll collect data that we’ll use to develop the final project design
• They'll locate existing features like property lines, fences, telephone poles, large trees, and other important features to help them as well
• The specific areas in which the survey crews work doesn’t necessarily indicate the final location or extent of the projects

We appreciate your help in allowing the NV5 Engineers and Consultants to perform this necessary work!

Thanks to everyone who shared their perspectives on the Bolin Creek Greenway Extension. Over the past few months we held multiple opportunities for public participation, including an open house, on-site pop-up, a corridor walk, and a project website with an online community survey. The summary report of the public engagement period can be found here.

Community feedback is one of several factors that go into the decision about how to design and where to locate this project – or any other greenway. We also consider user experience, accessibility, environmental impacts, cost, safety, utilities, construction and maintenance considerations, and overall network connectivity.

Based on consideration of all the above factors, Town staff expect to recommend a preferred alternative to the Town Manager by late April. After that, our engineering and design firm will continue to design the selected route.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Bolin Creek Extension Corridor Walk this past Saturday! It was a beautiful Chapel Hill day! Over 50 community members joined Town Staff and the Consulting Team to walk the approximate routes for all three alternatives and get an on-the-ground feel for the location of the proposed options. Participants also assisted in cleaning up trash along the way!

A map of the options is included in the "Documents" section on the right-hand side of this page.

What’s Next? We expect to choose a route for the Bolin Creek Greenway extension by the end of the month. We’ll share survey results and other updates on this project page.

We’re excited to invite the community to join us for an upcoming Corridor Walk to explore the proposed routes for the Bolin Creek Greenway Extension! This project will extend the existing greenway from Umstead Park to Estes Drive. This walk provides an opportunity for community members to get an on-the-ground feel for the proposed options.

Details:

📅 Date: March 1, 2025
⏰ Time: 11am – 1pm
📍 Meeting Location: Umstead Park Parking Lot (399 Umstead Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27516). Please note parking may be limited so please consider carpooling, walking, biking, or taking transit (N Route).
👟 What to Bring: Weather-appropriate clothes, comfortable shoes, water, and your curiosity.

The walk will cover about a mile and may involve strenuous activity to navigate, roots, rocks, creeks, dense vegetation, and steep slopes. A signed waiver will be required to participate. Staff and consultants will be on hand to answer questions and gather your thoughts.

Given the nature of the event, we may need to limit attendance based on interest received. Registering at the following link and completing the waiver is required. REGISTER HERE

If you have any questions, please contact Bergen Watterson at: bwatterson@townofchapelhill.org or 919-969-5064

See you on the walk!

Thanks to all who joined us at our Open House or found us at our Pop Up in Umstead Park. We had a great turnout, lots of conversations, and captured many great ideas.

For folks who couldn’t make it, you can find all of the same information on this project webpage and we encourage you to fill out the project survey that is open through February 11th!

Ahead of Thursday's Open House (January 23, 2025, 6-8pm, Chapel Hill Public Library, Room B), project factsheets, maps, and technical reports have been published in the "Documents" section.

The community input survey is live too and can be found on the top right tab of this section!

On January 23, 2025 from 6pm-8pm in Chapel Hill Public Library Room B, Town staff and the project consultant will hold a public open house for residents to learn about both projects, ask questions, and share their opinions on the different designs. Staff and consultant will share maps, renderings, and technical details about the different options for each project.