CorneliusBikeMap

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Cornelius Bike Map Details

For questions/comments/concerns/corrections/digital copies please email me at LarterB@gmail.com or tweet at me @BrettLarter. I'd love to hear from you.

This map was motivated by http://www.spiderbikemaps.com/. It is designed to encourage use of bike infrastructure by making the existing conditions easier to understand, as well as create a tool for legislators to use to help them understand the current conditions, gaps in coverage, or prioritizing the next project to support.

The current Cornelius map can be found here: https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1YkqxvOcigoL0vBQ99omxHuNhvyn8b68iCCtqHJM9wRc/edit?usp=sharing. From here you can make a copy of it locally, make edits, make additions, or use the template to create one for your own town.

My Strava heatmap can be found here: https://www.strava.com/athletes/8846226/heatmaps/10433157#13/35.48824/-80.89686. This map shows which roads I have biked on in Cornelius, which gives you a sense of which I consider safe. It also displays some of the ways I get around the main roads, especially the backroads which connect Cornelius Town Center to JV Washam Elementary. It also shows that despite the fact that the Caldwell Station Creek Greenway is not yet on Google Maps, you can indeed take it from Bailey Road Park down to the Lowe's shopping center.

Upcoming infrastructure projects in Cornelius NC
-TAP project to connect Tenders to Alexander Chase. This dedicated bike lane will be crucial in connecting our two main networks which are primarily separated. The original application from Cornelius can be found here: http://www.crtpo.org/PDFs/Agenda_Minutes/2017/Presentations/TCC_2017_03_March_Presentation_04.4.pdf
-McDowell Creek Greenway II. This greenway will continue the existing McDowell Creek greenway to connect Alexander Chase/Legacy Cornelius to the Publix shopping center. This will connect the currently isolated Northwest section of Cornelius into the entire Southwest section, and coupled with the TAP project will connect virtually all of Cornelius. Detailed map can be found here: http://www.cornelius.org/DocumentCenter/View/1840/MCDOWELL-CREEK-GREENWAY--OVERALL-SITE-PLAN-2-2-2017


Existing Cornelius Government Documentation:
-Bike Master Plan: https://www.cornelius.org/466/Bicycle-Master-Plan
-Pedestrian Comprehensive Plan: https://connect.ncdot.gov/municipalities/PlanningGrants/Documents/Cornelius%20Ped%20Plan.pdf
-Current Charlotte Area Transit System bus routes and schedules: http://charlottenc.gov/cats/bus/routes/Pages/default.aspx. Each of the Park & Ride and Town Center are prepared for commuters who wish to make the first/last mile of their trip via bike.


My Vote for Next Infrastructure Projects
I believe that infrastructure dollars should be spent not on the biggest or flashiest projects, but those that would have a direct impact on the quality of life of residents. Instead of a grand plan and spending $3 million on a greenway we hope people will use, we can look at what already exists, where people already live, what businesses already exist and could use more customers, or how to connect disparate nodes to string together a full transportation network.

Some examples of very small investments which would improve connectivity in Cornelius:
1) Complete the sidewalk which connects the FXI Manufacturing Plant to the sidewalk which is already on the West side of Old Statesville Road. The sidewalk already exists to connect downtown Cornelius nearly 1.75 miles straight south along Old Statesville, but for some reason 400 feet of it is just missing.
2) Extend the Bailey Road sidepath south to the Poole Place Subdivision. If this sidepath was extended just another 90 feet, it would be able to reach the Poole Place subdivision safely enough for children to use it, as well as connect to the Caldwall Station Creek Greenway via the existing Poole Place exit. There are many businesses along this sidepath which could benefit from being connected to more pedestrians, especially those a basic 5 minute bike ride away
3) Extend the Bailey Road sidepath north to at least the parking lot, if not Northline Drive. Option A is 100 more feet of sidepath to tie everything in idea #2 to an additional 10 businesses.
4) Connect Heritage Green Neighborhood to Sherrill Avenue. This would be between 400 and 800 feet depending on how/where it's implemented. This would eliminate much of the hassle of going from downtown Cornelius to any of the points south shown on the Caldwell Station Creek Greenway. This is placed on a map on page 63 of the Bike Master Plan.
5) Make the connection between Jetton Park and Ramsey Creek Park easier. Though the idea of an iconic bridge over the water is neat, I would prefer what the Bike Master Plan suggests, a small 50-100 feet path to connect Courtside Landing Drive to Harbor View Drive




To-Do List:
-Gather feedback from other people who choose to travel by bike to see what advice they have for me, or connections they'd like me to include on the map
-Add details on the legs of the journey which are less intuitive
-Add travel time between distant nodes
-Create custom "You Are Here" maps for businesses who would like it
-Attempt widespread adoption through Cornelius PARCs twitter/facebook/local businesses hanging it up
-Create a similar map for each Mooresville, Davidson, and Huntersville
-Create a full system map with fewer specific details to show the whole LKN Region
-Add details at what is available at each node (for example, at Crafty Burgr in the southwest corner, there is Lake Norman Baptist church, Crafty Burgr, Clean Eatz, PNC, Galaway Hooker, a nail salon, 3 corporate offices, a daycare, etc)