Presentations Will Share Saluda Grade Trail Study

The public is invited to two upcoming presentations that will share findings from a year-long, in-depth study of the proposed Saluda Grade Trail. The North Carolina meeting will be held on Aug. 6 at Polk County High School in Columbus, NC at 6:00 PM. The South Carolina meeting will be held on Aug. 13 at the Gramling United Methodist Church in Inman, SC at 6:00 PM.

The study of the Saluda Grade Trail was conducted by the firm TPD, Inc., which will present their findings. Leaders from the coalition of nonprofits spearheading the proposed 31-mile rail trail will also be present. These nonprofits include Conserving Carolina; PAL: Play, Advocate, Live Well; and Upstate Forever. Together, these groups formed the Saluda Grade Trail Conservancy to advance the trail.

These presentations will address:

• Findings from public input – community goals and concerns
• Rail to trail development process
• Existing condition of the trail corridor and bridges
• Trail design and safety recommendations from the engineering team
• Projected regional economic impacts

Teresa Buckwalter, a multimodal transportation planner with TPD, Inc., says, “TPD was very excited to bring together a team of experienced professionals to develop the feasibility study for the iconic Saluda Grade rail line in conjunction with this group of visionary partners. The feasibility study, which acts as a roadmap for implementation before the design phase, will assist the partners and stakeholders to identify challenges and seek funding to make the vision for this regional asset a reality.”

To learn more about the Saluda Grade Trail, sign up for emails, or make a donation to the trail, go to saludagradetrail.org.