Rutherford Times

Your voice matters! The City of Murfreesboro encourages citizen input in mapping an update of the Greenways, Blueways, and Bikeways Master Plan. The City’s population has grown from 110,000 to 160,000 since the Master Plan was initiated in 2011. Updating the plan will identify recreational and nonmotorized transportation improvements including planning and construction of future greenway, blueway, and bikeway routes. 

 

The Parks and Recreation Department welcomes citizen input via an interactive mapping tool. Click the link below to start drawing and describing desires for your plan 

https://wikimapping.com/Murfreesboro-Greenway-Blueway-and-Bikeway-Master-Plan-Update.html

 

“Murfreesboro is proud of its parks and greenways that are recognized by citizens and visitors as some of the best facilities in the State of Tennessee,” said Mayor Shane McFarland. “As a key feature of the City’s quality of life for advancing health, recreation and aesthetic appreciation, the advantages of expanding safe and well-maintained facilities are visibly clear.”  

 

“Not only do the greenways provide recreation venues for our citizens,” said Community Services Executive Director Angela Jackson, “They create a pedestrian transportation corridor that connects strategic sites throughout our City. We are excited to work with consultants, stakeholders, and interactive map survey respondents to update planning and coordination for our City’s shared recreational and cultural space.”  

 

The Murfreesboro City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement with Kimley-Horn Feb. 2, 2023, for an updated plan that will help City staff in the planning process. 

 

The updated plan is a joint effort of associated City Departments which oversee the planning, design, and maintenance of these facilities and local stakeholders. Greenways and greenway connectors, multi-use paths, river routes of the Blueway system, and bicycle routes are among the features to be reviewed by the updated plan. 

 

In keeping with objectives developed in 2011, the updated plan will consider among other visionary strategies: 

 

• Identifying new greenways and blueways access points 
• Identifying future greenways and blueway routes
• Identifying potential resources, partnerships, and programs aimed at elevating Murfreesboro’s greenways, blueways, and bikeway system  
• Strategies leading to alternative transportation by walking and biking

 

“Our goal is to connect the trail from the Siegel Soccer Park and ultimately the North Murfreesboro Greenway all the way to Barfield Crescent Park with connections to the Gateway, Stones River National Battlefield and Historic Bottoms area,” said Public Infrastructure Executive Director Chris Griffith. “Essentially, Murfreesboro residents will walk, bike, and run the trails connecting strategic parks, neighborhoods, and destinations.” 

 

The Greenway has been built in multiple phases since 1996 and currently includes 17.5 miles of asphalt trails for walking, biking, and running in the Greenway system. The trailhead and trails provide easy access to the Stones River for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing, as well as playgrounds, picnic areas, restrooms, and historic sites. 

 

Phase 2 of the North Murfreesboro Greenway at Central Valley Trailhead, the newest section of the Murfreesboro Greenway, was unveiled by partners of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation in February. The three-mile extension, including a loop, features an asphalt walking trail that parallels the long-established horse trail on Corps property. Watch video https://youtu.be/BzRDG96ZnbI. Phase 1 of the North Murfreesboro Greenway, a 1.34-mile section starting at Walter Hill Park and constructed by the Corps, opened in 2016. 

 

In 2020, the Barfield Crescent Trailhead completed the southern terminus, an almost 3-mile section following the West Fork of the Stones River and tributaries, hardwood forest, and cedar glade-like environments. This section connects neighborhoods with easy access to the Greenway.

 

The first 4.5 miles of greenway opened with help from former U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon from Thompson Lane to Fortress Rosecrans in 1996. Projects have continued through the years. The City’s initial 25-year Greenway Master Plan included a network of potential connections throughout the City. 

 

For more information on the Greenway, contact the Murfreesboro Greenway office at (615) 893-2141, or visit www.murfreesborotn.gov/parks.

Original source can be found here