Click here for the January 2023 draft plan
What is Walk Wilmington?
Wilmington is updating its Citywide pedestrian plan, called Walk Wilmington. The previous plan, adopted in 2009, has guided the City through funding, design, and construction of more than 200 pedestrian projects, including the Gary Shell Cross City Trail and numerous projects to build out the city's sidewalk network. The updated plan will serve as a guide for prioritizing safe, healthy, and equitable pedestrian infrastructure improvements and policies in Wilmington.
Planning Process and Timeline
The planning process includes input from the public, participation and direction from project stakeholders, and public hearing presentations to the City Council. The timeframe for these and other steps are outlined below:
Project Background
Walk Wilmington is an update to the City's 2009 pedestrian plan of the same name. Over the last 12 years, the 2009 plan has guided the City through funding, design, and construction of more than 200 projects, including the Gary Shell Cross City Trail. The city also implemented educational programs, like the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (WMPO) "Be a Looker" campaign with the Wilmington Fire Department, and revised its development policies to include bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
Recognizing a need to update the 2009 plan, the City of Wilmington requested and received funding from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Updating the plan provides an opportunity to build on past successes while aligning the plan with current issues, including: increases in crashes involving pedestrians, a desire for a greater focus on equity, and continued community support for pedestrian improvements. The updated plan will guide the prioritization of safe, healthy, and equitable pedestrian infrastructure improvements and policies in Wilmington.
Recognizing a need to update the 2009 plan, the City of Wilmington requested and received funding from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Updating the plan provides an opportunity to build on past successes while aligning the plan with current issues, including: increases in crashes involving pedestrians, a desire for a greater focus on equity, and continued community support for pedestrian improvements. The updated plan will guide the prioritization of safe, healthy, and equitable pedestrian infrastructure improvements and policies in Wilmington.
Steering Committee and Project Partners
The plan is guided by a Steering Committee representing a range of perspectives, and will draw upon a group of partners for input throughout the process, including, but not limited to:
- City of Wilmington (including representatives from Community Services, Long Range Planning, Engineering, Police Department, Fire Department, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)
- North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Division 3
- NCDOT Integrated Mobility Division (IMD)
- Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO)
- WMPO Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
- WMPO Go Coast
- WAVE Transit/CFPTA
- UNC Wilmington
- Wilmington Downtown, Inc.
- Good Shepherd Center
- Disability Resource Center
- New Hanover County Schools
- New Hanover County Senior Center
- Novant (Hospital)
- Interfaith Community
- Wilmington, NC Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Cape Fear Collective
- Local Developers
- Citizen Representatives
