[* jack *]

(forwarded email: )

All -

I've mentioned the debate about paving part of the ATT before, but you have
a chance to take 30 seconds and make a difference right now! The horse
community has been very organized, and is speaking much louder than the
biking community asking for a gravel surface.

PLEASE email the NCDOT by April 19 and tell them that the Chatham County
section of the American Tobacco Trail must be paved. Send your email to
Kumar Trivedi at katrivedi@dot.state.nc.us

* A sample message is below - just cut and paste if you are in a hurry. *

Why is this so important?
1. If the Chatham County section is not paved, we will lose the ATT as a
regional transportation corridor and connector.
2. The state-wide horse community has mobilized to eliminate paving from
the current dual-surface design, which would significantly reduce use by
bicycles and pedestrians, especially those bicyclists riding road bikes.
3. The NCDOT has received more comments on this project from the horse
community than from any other users, yet on the unpaved section of the ATT
in Wake County, horses make up only 5% of users - 1/20 of the total. If we
do not comment, our interests will not be considered!
3. There are 10,000 dwelling units approved for development in Chatham
County within 2 miles of the ATT. The fully paved Durham section of the
ATT is used by thousands of bicyclists and pedestrians - families, joggers,
bike commuters, recreational bikers, inline skaters, etc. When the Durham
and Chatham County trail sections are completed and connected, ATT use will
increase dramatically, and the majority of these users will connect to the
trail from paved roads, sidewalks, and/or greenways. Not paving the
Chatham County section would ignore this huge transportation and recreation
segment in favor of a tiny minority of users.

So please email the NCDOT today. If ever you need to make your voice as a
bicyclist heard, it is NOW. It does not matter if you do not live in
Chatham County - the ATT is a regional transportation project. Again the
deadline for public comment is April 19 - do not delay!

* ------------------------------
Mr. Trivedi -

Please pave the Chatham County section of the ATT. A gravel trail is
mostly useless as a transportation corridor for a serious bicycle commuter,
and the ATT is a key piece of the growing regional transportation
network. Far more users, including myself, would be better served by a
paved surface than a gravel surface. Please make sure this project serves
the primary goal of NCDOT - transportation.

Thank you,

[The BikeForums Team]

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[sggoodri]

Here is my letter:

Dear NCDOT,

I am writing to express my opinion that if transportation dollars are to be spent on the American Tobacco Trail, at least some portion of the right of way width, along its entire length, should be paved for efficient bicycle transportation. I do not support use of transportation dollars to develop the right of way as an unpaved-only facility to benefit purely recreational equestrian users and runners at the expense of people who travel by bicycle. However, I do support the use of transportation dollars to develop the ATT right of way with parallel paved and unpaved portions if this will better accommodate all users of the corridor.

I do strongly support the use of my local property taxes be used for construction of recreational trail facilities through my local parks and rec departments, but I do not believe it is appropriate to use state bicycle and pedestrian transportation dollars for purposes that sacrifice bicycle transportation efficiency in favor of purely recreational activities.

Thank you for your time and attention,
Steven Goodridge, Ph.D.
Signalscape, Inc.
200 Regency Forest Drive
Suite 310
Cary, NC 27511

[dwightonabike]

I will reply as well, everyone in NC that thinks they might one day use this trail should do the same. I know that riding at Umstead park can be extremely unpleasent if you have the luck of arriving shortly after large groups of equestrians. Aside from dodging piles of crap the whole time, they create so many divots in the gravel that it creates an almost unridable surface. Please keep us updated.

[Saluki]

Down in Rockingham but will send something to further your cause.