City of Greenville expecting massive ROI' for Greenville trail project.

AuthorMerryman, Krys
PositionSwamp Rabbit Trail, Greenville, South Carolina

By Krys Merryman

The Swamp Rabbit Trail extension master plan was launched by the city of Greenville in November 2019, and the City Council adopted the last development strategy for the trail's 4.5-mile extension last January.

The master plan explores land use and connectivity opportunities within a five-minute walk of the planned Green Line extension, stretching from Cleveland Park to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research alongside Laurens Road.

Essentially, three distinct projects are currently being constructed as part of the trail extension plan: Cleveland Connector ("The Paper Clip"), Laurens Road Bridge and Haywood Bridge.

The bridges are expected to be completed by the end of the year while The Paper Clip, which is named primarily due to the series of switchbacks that will be parallel to Laurens Road, is anticipated to open early next year. According to Calin Owens, city of Greenville mobility coordinator, the Swamp Rabbit Trail extension is estimated to be fully completed by March.

"The extension of the trail is only an expansion of what everyone already loves about it," Owens said. "We know there will be a massive ROI once it's finished based on what we already know."

Owens said the Laurens Road corridor is already built out and "urbanized," and the extension will allow greater access to residents and commuters to their offices, businesses, homes and recreational activities while being an economic driver for the city. The trail counter has estimated more than 1 million people a year are on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, so it's not a stretch of imagination that it will continue to positively impact the Greenville economy, since local businesses and developments have positioned themselves along the trail already.

"People typically on the trail are there to spend money and do something fun," Owens said.

The Swamp Rabbit Trail is a 22-mile greenway system routed between Greenville and Travelers Rest. The trail undoubtedly reaches its goals of providing active transportation...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT