I expect most of you saw yesterday’s Savannah Morning News about new multi-use paths going in on Wilmington Island. It’s great news for folks in the islands, especially considering the high speeds on Johnny Mercer Blvd. Here’s a portion already complete:
We are happy that the article focuses on connectivity rather than recreation, though they are not mutually exclusive:
The 550-foot-long, 10-foot-wide sidewalk is part of a multi-use path that will run alongside Johnny Mercer from its intersection with Bryan Woods Road to an existing trail that meanders through the woods at the Y.
“We’re trying to get connectivity all through there,” said Panther, a civil engineer who’s overseeing county projects on the islands.
“The ultimate goal is to get connectivity over to Wilmington Island,” he said of a process that could take up to four years and should “promote healthier lifestyles.”
The majority of the multi-use path will be composed of two inches of asphalt laid over a four-inch-thick rock base. A 1,700-foot-long asphalt section of the path will ramble from the eastern end of the sidewalk – constructed of concrete because it passes over a creek and a marshy area – into and through the woods alongside Johnny Mercer to the boulevard’s intersection with Bryan Woods.
Thank you to Chatham County — we look forward to your continued commitment toward the goal of connectivity, to include the bridges that come on an off the islands as well!
As a footnote, we take issue with the use of the word sidewalk since a 10 foot swath of pavement constitutes a multi-use trail, and also since a law passed in the Georgia General assembly last year prohibits bicycling on sidewalks.
