News

City seeks grant to connect Ecusta Trail and Oklawaha Greenway

By Lightning Reports, Published: March 16, 2022

The city of Hendersonville is seeking a federal transportation grant to fund an eastern-most leg of the Ecusta Trail to connect to the Oklawaha Trail at Jackson Park and to the Historic Seventh Avenue District.

The city is inviting the public to comment on the idea during a drop-in from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, at the City Operations Center, at 305 Williams St. The presentation will provide grant project details and allow participants to provide feedback and show their local support for improving bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

The grant proposal, titled "Above The Mud," includes three interconected projects:

• A new greenway along Mud Creek to connect the Oklawaha Greenway trailhead at Jackson Park to the Ecusta Trail at Busy Bend.
• Improve a frequently flooded section of the Oklawaha Greenway
• Streetscape improvements on Seventh Avenue from the railroad tracks to the Oklawaha Greenway.

A virtual participation option will be provided; however, the community is encouraged to attend in-person to best view the project maps, interact with staff, and enjoy refreshments.

The city plans to apply for a grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) fund, which helps communities carry out projects with significant local or regional impact. Additional information on the proposed grant project, including virtual participation details, is available at www.hvlnc.gov/abovethemud.