WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Kim Hunt loves walking, so much so that she started a club called Walking and Hiking in the Piedmont.
“I was looking for an activity that I could do on weekends that was relaxing and fun and kind of could connect the community,” Hunt said. “People could just become more connected, less isolated.”
What You Need to Know
- The NCDOT gives out grants to cities each year through its Municipal Bike and Pedestrian Plans program
- Last year, 13 municipalities won a total of $561,250
- Winston-Salem chose not to apply for the grant because it gets funding from other places
- Kim Hunt started a club called Walking and Hiking in the Piedmont and hopes to get more trails to walk on the trails
It brings a sense of peace and community for her.
“People often remark that they’ll get in a conversation with someone and before they know it, the walk is over and they’ve walked four to five miles and don’t even know it because it went by so fast,” Hunt said.
The club really does love walking. The only problem is that a city like Winston-Salem doesn’t necessarily have a lot of walkable areas.
“I think people would like to have more extensions of older trails because they only go a mile or two, and they stop,” Hunt said.
“Winston does have places to walk,” Jason Hauser said. “But you have to really look for them and know where to go.”
Hauser is also an avid member of the club, and he might be on to something.
The NCDOT reported that in 2020, Winston-Salem had the 5th highest number of pedestrian crashes in the state. That’s only behind Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Durham.
Walkability was a subject that came up when the group met up.
“We have the potential for it here,” Hauser said. “But there’s not a whole lot of stuff that’s been set up.”
There is money up for grabs for the issue. The NCDOT has a bicycle and pedestrian planning grant available for each city in the state. It can go to things like new trails, more space for people in the cities and other infrastructure.
“Oh, it would be fantastic,” Hauser said. “It’s exactly what Forsyth County needs, an integrated trail system.”
Winston-Salem chose not to apply this year because it has funding from the Metropolitan Planning Organization for its own Pedestrian Master Plan. But the city has helped other nearby towns like Mount Airy to get the grants like it did in 2021.
The extra funding can make it a little easier for groups like the walking club to grow.
“I consider myself a co-dependent exerciser,” Hunt said. “So, unless I have someone to join me or I’m expected to be there, I tend to not be very self-motivated.”
But together, it’s a little bit easier.
The application deadline for the grant program is May 9.
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