American Tobacco Trail

The American Tobacco Trail facing north near Fayetteville Road

Navigation

Earth: United States: North Carolina: Durham: American Tobacco Trail

Connections

• North: through downtown Durham to South Ellerbee Creek Trail
• South: currently ends about half(?) a mile north of the north end of the New Hope Valley Railway

Sections

going from north to south

• Downtown section: south from Trinity Ave., through downtown Durham on sidewalks and back-streets, and connecting to the South Durham section
• south Durham section (6.5+ miles): south from underneath the Durham Freeway (NC-147) bridge to just north of I-40
• I-40 and associated connections (how to get between the current official trail ends)
• south of I-40: south from Massey Chapel Road

Plans are underway to build a bike/pedestrian bridge over I-40 to connect with the #South of I-40 section; in the meantime, there is a quite workable detour for safely crossing I-40.

About

The American Tobacco Trail (ATT) is bike-and-pedestrian pathway running from the south edge of downtown Durham, NC and forming an essential part of the planned East Coast Greenway.

• ATT Category: images of the ATT

Nomenclature

There seems to be some disagreement as to whether "American Tobacco Trail" refers to the entire planned 22 miles of north-south trail in the area, or just the section south of Durham (referred to as the "South Durham section" of the ATT, when ATT is presumed to mean the whole thing). HTYP prefers to designate the "American Tobacco Trail" as referring only to the section of trail south of Durham, as this matches signage on the trail as well as most maps.

Future Plans

The ATT is an essential part of the East Coast Greenway, a connected series of bike/pedestrian paths which will eventually the entire length of the United States east coast from Maine to Florida. "East Coast Greenway" signage is already in place along the South Durham section and possibly other completed portions of the ATT.

Businesses

Useful businesses located near the trail:

• East Coast Chinese Food: inexpensive family-run Chinese food made to order, located (of all places) inside the Kroger in the shopping center at the end of the ATT. Very good, especially for the budget-minded. Lunch specials are cash-only, but there is an ATM about 20 feet away. They are informal and don't seem to have any problem serving sweaty, greasy bikers hot off the trail. Downside: the shopping center, despite their location right next to the ATT, does not seem to have a bike rack. We chained our bikes to the same chain used to secure a shaded picnic table outside Kroger, where they were kept under passive/unofficial observation by Kroger employees on break or waiting for their rides. --Woozle 17:16, 1 June 2007 (EDT)
• Tobacco Trail Bicycle Rentals: at Solite Park just off the ATT where it intersects with Fayetteville Road

Links

Reference

• Wikipedia
• official ATT page at the Triangle Rails to Trails Conservancy web site
• American Tobacco Trail Project - Phase E Pedestrian Bridge Over I-40: "This project includes the completion of the American Tobacco Trail from NC 54 to the Chatham County Line and will include a bridge across I-40 west of the I-40/Fayetteville Road interchange. The trail will be paved and will include several signals at roadway crossings along the route."

Blogs & Commentary

• nicomachus.net ATT Archives: photos and text, with a few reader comments

Articles

• 2007-08-03:
  • The American Tobacco Trail: "Where it is and where it's going"
  • A week of ATT: "To celebrate the publication of our ATT map, we've featured the American Tobacco Trail daily in the pages of The News & Observer or on the Get Out! Get Fit! blog this week."
• 2007-08-02:
  • Find what you need on ATT
  • Spine of the greenway: "The American Tobacco Trail is on its way to connecting the Triangle"
  • American Tobacco Trail: brief article with photo essay
• 2004-02-20 It's not easy getting green: greenway systems in Cary and Chapel Hill, and their plans for eventual hook-up with the ATT

News

• 2008-07-29 East Coast Greenway decides on Triangle route
• 2008-04-28 American Tobacco Trail design update set for Tuesday night
• 2006-09-07 Catch up on rail-line trail
• 2006-09-06 Durham bridge will be removed: it has apparently been decided to remove the "crumbling, unsafe" Apex Street bridge (closed to automobile traffic in 2001 because of safety concerns) over the ATT and replace it with a pedestrian ramp down the eastern side, thus giving the residents of "historically black, low-income" St. Theresa's neighborhood easier foot-access to both the trail and Forest Hills Park. (The bridge is on the ATT stretch between Enterprise and Otis streets.)