This Would Be Fun

Happened upon this procession down the three block street of our little island in Paris, l'Ile St. Louis, and thought then that Colington Road needs someone to take the big step in such a fun manner.

So, adventuresome bride & groom, get married at Colington United Methodist Church, right there at glorious church curve. And then process to the fire station where you get a ride to Colington Cafe or Blue Crab or any one of the lovely eateries on our beloved road for a grand reception. Or process the entire way, pick up well wishers along the route.

Traffic gets stopped, folks get happy, our point is delivered in a clever way. We need a multi-use path.

Just saying, for the 1000th time.

Much rather have a happy wedding procession stir up a traffic jam than a casualty or, sadly, a fatality. And indeed traffic would be tied up.

It would be interesting to have a head count of bikes, okay wheel count, strollers (yes I have more than once seen a mom, using a high end stroller too, walking baby along the shoulder), walkers, joggers that use this path daily.

We almost always see at least one (and more often several) on that list when we're leaving and coming back onto the island and that is an observation from one car at one point in time.

Bobby Outten tells us that the road is so old that there is no easement. Hence the crazy cost estimate of $40 million. You can build a whole new road for $40. So do that and let the old road be the multi-use path.

Not a Choice

For many people traveling on Colington Road means by foot or by bike. Most of these people are not pleasure strolling or riding, they are going to school, work, the store.

At the very least DOT should be including a multi-use path in all improvement project designs for Colington Road.

No one denies that this is an immense project, but one step at a time is better than no steps.

Keep this idea alive by talking it up and writing about it.

Contact Senator Marc, contact DOT.

Make posters and put them along the roadway. Tell folks to join our Facebook page.

Keep pedaling!

Let's Parade

We need Dem Bones to lead our first ever Coling-Ton'O Fun Parade.

Colington Road resident Deb Kasten singer, artist and actress created her lovelies and brings them to life with just a little help.

 Fall is the target time for our parade to raise awareness for our LONG oVerDue Multi-Use Path!

North Carolina Marionette Theater- Dem Bones

Out of the Mouths of Babies

Note the panic look on Andrew's face in this vintage photo, neither of us has a helmet on! He could be thinking, "I'd feel a lot safer if Colington Road had a multi-use path."

The town of Duck joins the southern and northern beaches via a nice multi-use path that I understand friend Stan White help make a reality. Out of town, the path is adjacent to the road but not connected. In town it takes another form.

Through the town proper the path becomes a marked shoulder on both sides of the road. This is what I mean by being creative and thinking outside the box for our multi-use path. We don't have to throw out the baby with the bath water by suggesting that a multi-use path push close to the road homes and businesses out of the way. We all love the quaintness of our local spots.

Just give us a multi-use path the best way you can. Do not say it cannot be done because of land issues and a crazy $37 million dollar cost. That's an insult to our intelligence. Land issues can be resolved one at a time if need be. An interstate could be built along our 5 mile stretch for $37 million.

Our problem with this stuck in neutral issue is that we have no focused representation at court. Being rural Atlantic Township has its drawbacks when it comes to a voice in government. The commissioners represent us but they also represent the entire county. We are one tiny cog in their machine. Gotta get more vocal folks. And tell them and tell them and tell them.

We. Want. A. Multi-use. Path. Now.

Thank you to everyone that is working to keep this project in the eyes of those that have the power to make the wheels of our bicycles turn on a safe path along Colington Road.

Now Here's a Trail!

The American Tobacco Trail is one to drool over. It is 22+ miles of a well maintained path traversing Durham and beyond.

I have used this trail for running and can verify its popularity. It has heavy traffic almost all the time, just like our dream Colington Road Multi-use path will.

Folks use it for exercise, to get to work, to access shopping stops and to reach eateries just to start the list.

Bike riders, single and family; roller blade users; walkers; runners; joggers; strollers with and without babies all can be spotted on this trail. We just missed a picture of a gaggle of bike riders crossing the road we were driving on (yes, where needed there are pedestrian stop for cars).

The people of Colington and their supports are beyond ready DOT and NC legislators for our own multi-use path. We need your help and action and will do our part to get this project off the planning table and onto a work order.

Think Outside the Box

Dear DOT & Senator Marc,

We are organizing an awareness ride for Memorial Day Monday and will keep you posted on how the plans come together.

Senator Marc, we understand that a Colington citizen talked to you years ago about a multi-use path and you told her that there were too many squatters to feasibly execute this project. We say skip the squatters and strike out across the wetlands if need be. The path does not need to follow the road even step of the way. It just needs to connect Colington to the beach. Long overdue!

We know you advocate having Dare County be green, Senator Marc. Our mulit-use path would greatly increase the greenness of our environmentally conscious county. It is impossible to tell you how many riders and walkers a Colington multi-use path would see but I can tell you that it would be as heavily traveled as the road.

While there are already a goodly number of walkers and bikers that use the road as hazardous as it it, they do because they have no choice. Those of us that have a choice cannot bring ourselves to venture onto a life threatening road. Some say this project will never see fruition until a bad accident happens. Please do not let that be the catalyst for action.

Take this thing in segments. From Baum Bay to the first bridge looks really doable from our point of view. There looks to be plenty of easement without compromising existing homes or businesses. It could be done now. From the first bridge to the second also looks easy. It is more of a stretch. Break it into two parts, to Hilltop Cemetery for one and from there to the bridge for the second segment. From the second bridge to Colington Harbour is the tricky part. So here is where we strike out across the horizon and skip church curve although. Voila! We're finished. See how easy that was.

With your help it can be real!

Wright to Riders

Dear DOT

Dear DOT,

Please move faster than the proverbial turtle to get a safe multi-use path in existence along Colington Road.

Considering the proximity of some established businesses and even homes to the road if a bike shoulder needs to be part of the plan that's fine just so as much multi-use path as possible can be the main focus. Even if the path needs to stop for example at Billy's parking lot and start up again beyond so be it, not the ideal solution but no problem. We're dealing with Colington Road here, a very unique situation!!

Impatiently but calmly waiting,

Colington roadsters

First entry!

I am putting together this blog so folks that are not on Facebook can see what we are all about and add comments to move the cause along. Colington Road is the second most traveled secondary road in the state of North Carolina and is long over due for a safe multi-use path to connect the Colington Islands to the rest of the Outer Banks.

Roanoke Island is connected to the beach via a multi-use path. It is possible to travel to the town of Duck and even farther north using a safe multi-use path. Colington, which happens to be right in the central part of the beach, has been left out too long. We need DOT to make this project a reality.

Colington Road does have a multi-use section that starts at the by-pass and continues to Baum Bay. A wonderful start. Taking this huge project into manageable sections, let's go for continuing the path to the first bridge. It must be a multi-use path. A bike shoulder would only create a false sense of security for an already dangerous situation.

Ideas and suggests very welcome!