A stretch of the Swamp Rabbit Trail between Unity Park and Linky Stone Park is under consideration for widening after Greenville city officials cleared a key regulatory hurdle this month. The Greenville Planning Commission unanimously approved a stormwater variance related to a proposal to expand the trail segment to 16 feet, sending the proposal on to the Greenville City Council for further review.
Officials approved the variance related to the proposal.
The redesign would split the trail into two dedicated 8-foot lanes, one for cyclists and one for pedestrians, addressing congestion on one of the busiest sections of the greenway. The city's plans also call for potential new path lighting and a raised crosswalk at Westfield Street, aimed at improving safety where the trail crosses vehicle traffic.
A Corridor Built for Heavy Traffic
The proposed upgrade reflects the trail's popularity.
The trail's popularity has also prompted discussion of its economic effects.
Part of a Broader Push to Expand the Trail Network
The Unity Park to Linky Stone Park widening is only the latest piece of a wider expansion effort across Greenville's trail system. In July, contractors installed a new pedestrian bridge frame over Verdae Boulevard as part of the trail's Green Line expansion, a project set up to let Greenville County eventually pave a connection toward Millennium Boulevard. The Willard Street Bridge near Unity Park also reopened after work, according to the city.
The city has also floated a multi-use greenway connection to the future Wheels Up Skatepark, anchoring a planned four-mile Airport Loop Trail extension near Greenville Downtown Airport, as detailed in Hoodline's earlier coverage of the skatepark bidding process, which is not expected to open until 2028.
Not Every Extension Wins Support
Trail expansion in Greenville hasn't always gone smoothly. City officials scrapped a planned North Main Street extension of the trail's Orange Line in February after nearby residents objected to potential impacts on driveways, trash collection, and neighborhood character, according to the Post and Courier. That abandoned route would have served an upscale neighborhood of more than 5,000 residents, illustrating that not every proposed segment of the trail moves forward without a fight.
Cyclists using the trail and its street crossings are also now operating under a new state law. The law aims to keep cyclists safer at intersections, according to FOX Carolina News. South Carolina was the first East Coast state to adopt it.
A Trail With Railroad Roots
Today, the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail is part of the city's trail network.
With the Planning Commission's approval now in hand, the widening proposal moves to Greenville City Council review for the Unity Park to Linky Stone Park segment.
