Spartanburg Reporter

Spartanburg County issued the following announcement on November 22.

Spartanburg County Government, in partnership with PAL, has been awarded a U.S. Department of Transportation grant of $23.8 million for the Daniel Morgan Trail System. The Daniel Morgan Trail System is a 55+ mile trail network made of existing and proposed trail segments that cross the urban area of Spartanburg County. 

This federal grant will fund almost 15 miles of new multi-use path, primarily along the Fairforest Creek, starting at Mayfair Lofts on the northern end to CC Woodson Recreation Center on the southern. In addition, there is an extension to the Spartanburg Memorial Airport and across highway 295 to R.P. Dawkins Middle School. Implementing this critical portion of The Dan will provide a seamless trail facility that connects our community and re-stitches our neighborhoods together. 

Project Details: 

· Award amount: $23,845,187 

· Awarding agency: U.S. Department of Transportation 

· Grant program: FY21 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) grant 

· Spartanburg’s grant name: Spartanburg County Multi Modal Project – Active Transportation to Bridge Racial Equity, Economy and Sustainability 

· 14.6 miles of 10-foot-wide asphalt multi-use pathway 

· Additional features of the project: a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over Highway 295, approximately four intersection/roadway crossing improvements (Powell Mill Road, US 29/ W.O. Ezell Blvd., John B. White, US 221/ Church Street), approximately five pre-fabricated pedestrian bridges, improvements along US 29 into downtown Spartanburg 

· Includes eight census tracts of persistent poverty 

· All funds must be expended within 7 years 

A few of the destinations along this segment of The Dan include: 

· Mayfair Lofts & Art Studios 

· Jesse Bobo Elementary School 

· Spartanburg Methodist College 

· Downtown Spartanburg 

· Park Hills, Highland, & Southside neighborhoods 

· The City of Spartanburg’s CC Woodson Recreation Center 

· Spartanburg Memorial Airport 

· RP Dawkins Middle School 

· And the Fairforest Creek 

About The Dan: 

The Daniel Morgan Trail System is one of Upstate South Carolina’s most transformative projects, creating an equitable intermodal network for active transportation, and providing sustainable transportation connections to regional job centers, schools, community centers, existing neighborhoods, and new public and private housing developments, the vibrant downtown, and the city's airport. More can be found at palspartanburg.org. 

Quotes: 

Manning Lynch, Chairman, Spartanburg County Council -- "In a time when talented folks can choose to live and work anywhere, quality of life issues become even more important. Our existing trails, particularly the Mary Black Rail Trail, are among the most used parks in Spartanburg County. This grant will allow us to build on that foundation and provide even more of our citizens access to recreation and wellness. This is a great win to add to Spartanburg County’s recent successes." 

Cole Alverson, Spartanburg County Administrator -- "Spartanburg County's Mission is to provide a foundation for a superior quality of life for our residents. This award is essential in helping us achieve that goal. We are excited that, through this grant, we'll be able to better connect our communities to one another; and we're pleased to give our families and friends yet another reason to be proud to call Spartanburg County 'home.'" 

Laura Ringo, Executive Director, PAL: Play. Advocate. Live Well! – “This grant will transform walking, bicycling, and alternative transportation in Spartanburg County for generations to come. This trail segment of The Dan will connect our neighborhoods to each other, to our thriving downtown, to educational centers, and to some of our most beautiful natural resources like the Fairforest Creek.” 

Allen Smith, President & CEO, OneSpartanburg, Inc. – “As Spartanburg continues to lead the state in economic development, active living amenities play a key role in encouraging new investment.  The RAISE grant will significantly improve our recreational assets which will strengthen the work to attract new investment and opportunity for the people of Spartanburg County."

Original source can be found here.