COLUMBUS – Several residents attended a public input session this week regarding a regional bike plan draft, with five bicycle plans cited in Polk County.

The meeting was held on Monday, Jan. 22 at the Womack building.

The draft regional bicycle plan was prepared by the Isothermal Planning & Development Commission (IPDC) and the N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT) and covers Cleveland, McDowell, Polk and Rutherford counties in western North Carolina.

The five projects in Polk County in the plan include the Saluda Grade Rail Trail from the Henderson County border to the South Carolina border in Landrum; a bike trail from downtown Saluda to the Green River Game Lands from downtown to Green River Cove Road; lanes on NC 108 from downtown Columbus to downtown Tryon; downtown Tryon to the Southern Highlands Bike Route from NC 108/US 176 to New Market Street and a bike route on NC 9 from Mill Spring to US 74.

IPDC was awarded a planning grant from the DOT to develop a regional comprehensive bicycle transportation plan with the purpose being to identify opportunities and constraints for bicycling in the Isothermal region and to establish recommendations for improvement.

To view the full draft plan or to complete a survey about the plan, visit http://www.isothermalbikeplan.com/.