County Seeks Additional $828,000 from the FHWA to Fund 1.4 Miles of Trail

Beaufort County submitted an application to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) 2012 Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Program (TCSP) for $828,000 to construct of 1.4 miles of trail. If successful, this will allow the rail trail to extend north to MCAS Beaufort.  Below is a link to the grant application which provides a map and budget.

2012 TSCP Grant Application

Great News! SCDOT Receives $1 million to construct inaugaral section of the Beaufort Rail Trail

The funding is being provided as part of the Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Program from the Federal Highway Administration.  The grant award is $1,043,520 and requires a 20% local match. The total cost of the project will be $1,304,400.  This will allow the construction of 2-3 miles of trail focusing on the most densely populated center section of the trail between Allison Road and SC 170.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Article about the Beaufort Rail Trail

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a non-profit organization based in Washington DC, posted a very good article about the Beaufort Rail Trail.  Click on the following link:

http://community.railstotrails.org/blogs/trailblog/archive/2011/07/12/south-carolina-rail-trail-a-model-of-multi-modal-planning.aspx

Friends of the Rail Trail Organizational Meeting – Monday, August 8th

The Friends of the Rail Trail are having an organizational meeting on Monday August 8, 2011, 6 pm at the office of Frederick + Frederick Architects at 38 Meridian Road, Lady’s Island. Please spread the word and join us.

For those who missed the meeting, click on the following link for meeting minutes.

Public Workshop scheduled for September 2011

A public workshop is proposed in early fall 2011 to develop a Beaufort Rail Trail Master Plan.  The workshop will be held concurrently with the City of Beaufort’s Sectors 2 and 3 charrettes which cover the neighborhoods spanning the Ribaut Road Corridor.  The master plan will address such issues as trail width, paving material, trailheads, connecting pathways and the how the trail integrates with the surrounding neighborhoods, businesses, schools, shops and parks.  This is a tremendous opportunity to help shape the vision for the Beaufort Rail Trail.  Specific dates and times will be announced.

County Seeks $1.6 million from the FHWA to Fund 4.6 Miles of Trail

Beaufort County submitted an application to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Program (TCSP) for $1.6 million to construct of 4.6 miles of trail.  Below is a link to the grant application which provides a map and budget.

TSCP Grant Application

July 15, 2011 – Trestle repair project was not selected for funding

On July 15th, we recieved notice that our trestle repair applications were not selected for funding by the SC Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.  The agency recieved 47 applications requesting over $3.5 million for trail projects and only 17 projects were chosen for funding. Unfortunately, ours was not one of the 17.

On March 23, 2011, Beaufort County and the City of Beaufort applied for a total of $195,000 in two separate applications to the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism to fund the repair and retrofit of two trestles (Tech Trestle and Ealeys Trestle) along the Beaufort Rail Trail. The renovation of the trestles is an important first step towards the adaptive reuse of the former railroad bed as a 20-mile multi-use Beaufort Rail Trail. Below is a link that summarizes the application and proposed improvements provides proposed improvements and maps. Announcement of these grants is scheduled for July 2011.

Recreational Trails Program Presentation 3-17-11

What is the Beaufort Rail Trail?

The Beaufort Rail Trail project will convert a 20-mile stretch of the former Port Royal Railroad into a cycling and pedestrian corridor.  The Beaufort Rail Trail will provide a safe and accessible pedestrian and bicycle route that will not only be a recreational asset, but provide an alternative mode of transportation that will link people to jobs, services, and schools.  The trail will be a great asset for Beaufort County residents and visitors, adding tremendously to the quality of life in our region.