Pender County Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan

The Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO) has conducted a study of bicycle and pedestrian needs in Pender County. The final result of this study is a plan that identifies recommendations for bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the study area, as well as specific policies and programs to implement these recommendations.

Funding for this study was provided by the WMPO. As such, this study focuses on the urbanized portion of Pender County that is included within the WMPO.

The following shows the bicycle and pedestrian network recommendations for the study area. These recommendations are considerate of the fiscal constraint associated with constructing and maintaining a network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, the general rural character of many roadways in the study area, the right-of-way constraints associated with several roadways, and the rate of population growth across the study area. 

The following shows the high priority bicycle and pedestrian projects for the study area. Understanding that there are limited financial resources, these are projects that the Steering Committee felt have the highest desire and need and would result in the greatest impact.

A greenway, or shared use path, provides a travel area separate from motorized traffic for bicyclists, pedestrians, wheelchair users, skaters, joggers, and other users. Greenways offer network connectivity opportunities beyond the roadway network, as they are often located along streams, in utility corridors and parks.

A sidepath is a bi-directional shared use path adjacent to and parallel to a roadway. Sidepaths offer a low-stress experience for bicycle and pedestrians along network routes with high-speed or high-volume traffic.

A separated bicycle lane is a facility for exclusive use by bicyclists that is located within or directly adjacent to the roadway and is physically separated from motor vehicle traffic by a buffered space with a vertical separation element. Separated bicycle lanes can be designed to accommodate one-way and bi-directional travel.

A buffered bicycle lane designates a travel space for bicyclists within the roadway corridor through use of pavement markings, optional signage, and a buffer space separating the bicycle lane from the adjacent travel lane.

A bicycle lane designates a travel space for bicyclists within the roadway corridor through use of pavement markings and optional signage to provide accommodations in the absence of more separated facilities.

A sidewalk is a bidirectional path that provides a dedicated travel area for pedestrians in the transportation network. Sidewalks are physically separated from the roadway by a curb or unpaved buffer space.

The are several locations along US 17 where improved bicycle and pedestrian crossings are desired to provide safer and more comfortable access to commercial areas and schools. Improvements could include:

• High visibility crosswalks
• Improved ADA accessibility
• Median pedestrian islands
• Curb extensions
• Lighting, and improved bicycle and pedestrian signalization such as
• Countdown timers for bicycle and pedestrian signalization
• Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons
• High-Intensity Activated (HAWK) crosswalk

Existing demographics and conditions were analyzed for the study area to determine the demographic makeup and population characteristics. This data helped determine the areas of highest need for bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Public engagement activities conducted for the project in 2022-2023 revealed bicycle and pedestrian conditions, including where users currently or would like to be able to walk and bike, where challenges exist to doing such, and ideas for improving bicycle and pedestrian conditions. 619 survey responses were collected as of March 9, 2023. The following provides a summary of public engagement responses:

• 74% interested, but concerned with biking and 69% interested, but concerned with walking
• <30 participants walk or bike to commute to work or school
• 31 participants bike daily and 180 participants walk daily
• If the network was improved, 198 individuals would bike daily and 286 participants would walk daily
• Safe biking and walking routes was ranked as most important to encourage more biking and walking

Current biking and walking habits revealed that only 6% of participants bike daily and 32% of participants walk daily. If the network were improved, 35% of participants indicated they would bike daily and 51% of participants indicated they would walk daily.

The following policy recommendations were developed for Pender County to improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure within the County and to help implement the recommended bicycle and pedestrian network projects.