FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 24, 2018
Planning and Inspections
Contact: Eric Vitale
Telephone: 910-678-7632
E-mail: evitale@co.cumberland.nc.us
Public Feedback Needed For Sandhills Regional Bicycle Plan
FAYETTEVILLE – The Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is seeking feedback from residents to help develop the Sandhills Regional Bicycle Plan. The North Carolina Department of Transportation awarded a $225,000 planning grant to FAMPO to develop the comprehensive bicycle transportation plan, which covers Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Robeson and Scotland counties and parts of Bladen and Sampson counties.
Residents are invited to find out more information about the plan, take the online survey and view an interactive
map at sandhillsbikeplan.com. Input from the public will help planners identify key routes, connections, opportunities and obstacles and prioritize areas for future implementation.
The goal of the Sandhills Regional Bicycle Plan is to provide a framework for the Department of Transportation and local governments to enhance bicycling as a mode of travel for both residents and visitors. Additional goals of the plan include promoting an active, healthy lifestyle, diversifying the regional economy, developing tourism and promoting the region as a destination for visitors.
“We invite residents of the Sandhills Region to provide input on bicycling in the area,” said Eric Vitale, a planner with FAMPO. “Whether or not you are an avid cyclist, your opinion matters, and your input is essential to the success of this plan.”
The timeline calls for developing and reviewing a draft plan this summer and fall and completing the final plan during the winter. Final presentations and implementation would start in Spring 2019. The state does not require Cumberland County to match the $225,000 grant.
The Sandhills Regional Bicycle Plan’s steering committee and stakeholders include FAMPO, Mid-Carolina Rural Transportation Planning Organization, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Military/Regional Land Use Advisory Commission and others.
FAMPO was established in 1975 as a result of the Federal Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1973. FAMPO’s planning area includes Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake, Fort Bragg, urban areas of Cumberland County, as well as parts of Harnett, Hoke and Robeson counties. The office is located on the second floor of the Historic Courthouse, located at 130 Gillespie St., Fayetteville. Find out more at fampo.org.
