Columbia’s Vista-to-river trail plans could stitch downtown together. Learn more

Columbia leaders are advancing three new greenway projects aimed at stitching together a downtown long divided by wide roads and heavy traffic. When complete, the expanded trail system could eventually link downtown all the way to the Lake Murray Dam.

FULL STORY: Columbia plans nearly $60 million worth of new greenways throughout downtown

Here are key takeaways:

• The city is eyeing three new projects totaling nearly $60 million: a $10 million Vista Greenway Spur to the Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park, a $40 million Waterfront Park Trail and a $7 million Vista Greenway extension to North Main Street and the BullStreet District.
• Columbia Councilman Sam Johnson said in a meeting that the trail system would connect “all four districts of the city” and give residents new ways to “traverse back and forth” and “live healthier lives.”
• The largest project, the $40 million Waterfront Park Trail, is tied to a planned “world-class” riverfront park on a nearly 100-acre site between the Blossom and Gervais street bridges — described by designers as one of the Southeast’s largest urban waterfront opportunities.
• City leaders hope to tap Richland County’s penny tax, which voters in 2024 renewed to collect $4.5 billion for transportation projects over 25 years. How much will come from the penny tax versus other sources remains unclear.
• A separate Broad River Pedestrian Bridge, funded by the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Foundation and Richland County, is already in progress to connect the canal park to the Saluda Riverwalk and Boyd Island.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.