news-record.com

The Greensboro bicentennial official events are over, but the spirit of what Greensboro is and what its citizens have created in its first 200 years live on. We are grateful for the creativity and energy that surrounded the events and activities this spring, and we also seek to address creative and unifying opportunities ahead. The Downtown Greenway, a 4.8-mile loop, has been unanimously adopted by the Bicentennial Commission as its legacy project, and the Greensboro City Council has unanimously endorsed its development.

The Downtown Greenway will connect many neighborhoods, allowing interaction among them and the ability to walk or ride from one to another. In a front-page article May 25, the News & Record described in detail the richness of Greensboro's neighborhoods as a hallmark of this city. Furthermore, as gas prices increase and driving becomes less advantageous, the greenway becomes important as a transportation alternative.

We know that young people are attracted to communities that offer varied recreational opportunities. New growth is crucial to the vitality and vibrancy of our community. In addition, expanding our population will increase our tax base, providing relief for those of us who are carrying the tax load. We must invest in our city's infrastructure in order to make Greensboro a more attractive place to live.

The greenway will appeal to outdoor enthusiasts and people interested in commuting by bicycle or by foot. Health and wellness are of prime concern to all of us.

Many of our local organizations are focused on ways to improve our fitness and to address emerging public concerns such as childhood obesity and other preventable medical conditions. The greenway will become a visible recreational magnet for fun, transportation and health.

Greensboro is beautiful! Our city is distinguished by its tradition of preserving public lands for all of its citizens to enjoy. In addition to connecting neighborhoods, the greenway will be a recreational hub that will connect our growing system of award-winning parks and trails. The greenway will be a reminder for generations to come that we celebrated our bicentennial by sustaining a two-centuries-long tradition of envisioning GREEN.

We are indeed proud that the legacy of Greensboro's bicentennial is the vision of a Downtown Greenway that expresses our values of strong, connected neighborhoods, economic development and progress, and healthy citizens who are able to live and thrive in a beautiful environment.

Cathy Levinson and Robby Hassell are Greensboro Bicentennial Commemoration Committee co-chairmen. This column also was signed by Al Lineberry Jr. and Boo Stauffer, Bicentennial Commission co-chairmen.