Swamp Rabbit Expands May 7

"Weve already seen people of all ages, shapes and sizes using the trail," says Ty Houck, director of greenways, natural and historic resources for the Greenville County Recreation District. "It's been phenomenal, and opening the new section should help people get more interested in it and learn more about it."

The construction of the trail began in 2007, about a decade after the Rails To Trails conservancy notified city and county leaders that the abandoned rail line could be transformed into a community asset. The first two sections opened quickly, though the central four-mile section was delayed mainly due to six train bridges there.

"We’ve been working through the process of permitting the reuse of those," Houck says, which has been the biggest hurdle he has faced while overseeing the project. He says putting in six new bridges would be cost-prohibitive and environmentally unsound, so his team has worked through a complex process to ensure the pre-existing bridges are safe and ready to use.

Brian Graham, greenway and sustainability manager for the City of Greenville, is also excited about the expansion, and has been working to make sure the sections in the city are as safe as possible by May 7. "We're anticipating that the city rail section, at Willard Street and Linky Stone Park, will receive a lot more use, thanks to the expansion,” he says. “I think it will be great that Greenville residents can connect to Furman and Travelers Rest, and it should bring more people downtown to our businesses as well."

The greenway has already been a boon for economic development in Travelers Rest, with the Café @ Williams Hardware opening along the trail and major improvement projects designed to make the city more pedestrian friendly. “The data supports the impact that greenways make,” Houck says.

Greenville Hospital System sees the tram trail as an opportunity to promote a healthier community, encouraging people to get out and walk, run or bike. Rebecca Crown, director of community relations with GHS, says there will be a variety of events May 7 and 8. “We just want to make people aware that the trail is free, that it’s for people of all abilities, and that it has multiple access points,” Crown says. “You can walk a quarter of a mile, or you can go all the way up and back for 26 miles.”

The grand “hoppening” event kicks off with the second annual GHS Swamp Rabbit 5K on Friday, May 7, at 6:30 p.m, followed by a block party in Gateway Park.

On Saturday, May 8 – coinciding with Artisphere - the Rabbit Rally at the Peace Center Amphitheater will feature a drawing for prizes, including a Greenville Drive VIP package and Life Center memberships. Participants can enter the drawing three ways: run the 5K, buy an event t-shirt or try out the trail on Saturday and look for someone wearing rabbit ears. “It’s all about celebrating the completion of the trail from downtown to TR,” Crown says.

Ben Moffett, who lives off Cedar Lane Road just up from the new section of trail, says he is looking forward to its completion, both because it will be fun for his family to use and because it could help with revitalizing the Monaghan Mill area. As part of the Monaghan Mill Historical Society, he says “the trail coming through is something we’re going to capitalize on.”

His group is planning connector parks that offer attractive places to stop along the trail, and is also working with the nearby Lofts of Greenville to add a connector trail linking directly to the Swamp Rabbit. “Residents will be able to walk down the trail right downtown, which will be a huge convenience,” he says. He expects that he’ll be able to bike downtown in about 15 minutes and won’t have to worry about parking.

Robert Vincent, an assistant pastor at Mount Calvary Baptist Church, says his congregation is also preparing for the opening of the trail that meanders right by his church.

“I think it will be very nice to use,” he says, adding that his congregation has pitched in by helping clean up the area and allowing parking on their property. On the trail’s opening day, church members will be offering water and pointing out a historical marker and rock garden they are creating at an area known as Bootleg Corner. "We hope it will be a neat little spot for people," he says. "If people use the trail like the county is hoping, then it’s going to bring a lot of traffic to a part of Greenville that maybe people would usually avoid."

Houck says one of the keys to the success of the Swamp Rabbit project has been assistance from partners, including churches, businesses and community groups. While greenways typically cost upwards of $400,000 per mile, the trail is currently averaging $200,000 per mile thanks to partnerships, including several businesses that are allowing the trail to cross their property at no charge. “We’re engaging the community so that they are involved,” he says.

The completed 13-mile tram trail is something to celebrate, but Houck says the county is not stopping there. By the end of the year, plans call for the trail to continue south all the way to the Lake Conestee Nature Park for a total of 17 miles.