Tollgate Greenway cuts the stick
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Huntsville's newest greenway is officially open for business.
Why it matters: Tollgate Greenway opened a paved, accessible, off-the-road path up Monte Sano Mountain along a route that's a top pick for cyclists and hikers alike.
What they're saying: "Huntsville doesn't have a ski slope or a beach," Noel Estopinal told Axios at Monday's event, when asked about the importance of quality-of-life infrastructure like greenways.
- "We do have beautiful mountains, wonderful mountain biking trails, scenery and some of the largest biodiversity in the United States."
- Estopinal, credited with spearheading the effort to establish the greenway, coordinated with the Land Trust of North Alabama, the city and several other property owners to make it happen.
- "We could be looking at apartments here, as opposed to a greenway," he said.
Catch up quick: Work started last September on the $1.7-million project, which snakes up the side of Monte Sano along the old Toll Gate Road that dates back to the 1800s.
- The 1.2-mile route stretches from the Land Trust's Bankhead Parkway parking lot to the hairpin turn at Bankhead Parkway and Fearn Street.
Zoom in: That eight months of construction is just the surface, and it really took about four years to go from "conception to reception," Estopinal said.
- "The city, to their credit, stepped up and filled the (funding) gap, and built it, and built it quickly and well," he told Axios.
- The Land Trust of North Alabama was able to raise $500,000 from 233 individual donors toward the effort, said Marie Bostick, LTNA executive director.
💭 Derek's thought bubble: When I walked it a couple weeks ago, I said there were no expansive views from the greenway, but I've since been assured there are some decent views in winter, when the leaves are off the trees.
- See you out there!
More from Axios: Sneak peek: Tollgate Greenway