Greenway safety under the microscope after mass shooting

Leaders are talking about safety concerns surrounding the Raleigh greenway system after two people were gunned down as part of a mass system.
Posted 10/21/2022, 10:28:58 PM Updated 10/22/2022, 12:58:08 AM

NEWS COVERAGE YOU CAN COUNT ON.

>> MORE THAN A WEEK NOW AFTER

THE MASS SHOOTING IN

HEADINGHAM, RALEIGH LEADERS

ARE URGING PEOPLE TO RETURN TO

THE GREENWAY. BUT YOU CAN

UNDERSTAND SOME ANXIETY OR

RELUCTANCE TO OF THE 5 VICTIMS

WERE SHOT AND KILLED ON THE

NEUSE RIVER TRAIL TONIGHT.

WRAL'S JOE FISHER IS TAKING

QUESTIONS ABOUT GREENWAY SAFETY

STRAIGHT TO CITY LEADERS.

MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE USE

THE GREENWAY SYSTEM IN RALEIGH

EVERY YEAR. THIS STRETCH NEAR

HEADINGHAM IS A BUSY ONE.

>> AND WHILE THE RECENT TRAGEDY

HAS AFFECTED SOME PEOPLE SENSE

OF SECURITY, THE CITY SAYS THE

BENEFITS OF THE GREENWAY FAR

OUTWEIGH ANY SAFETY CONCERNS.

THE 117 MILES OF GREENWAY ARE A

PART OF RALEIGH'S IDENTITY.

MY LOVE GETTING OUT, ESPECIALLY

THIS TIME OF YEAR AND SADLY

NOW LINKED TO THE MASS SHOOTING

AFTER MARY MARSHALL ENSUE CARD

AT WERE GUNNED DOWN ON THE

TRAIL. THE FIRST TIME I READ

THROUGH THE HEADINGHAM SECTION

6 AND UNITED'S TOOK A MOMENT

AND PRAY. DESIGN HAS A RIGHT

JUST FOR THE ALL THE FAMILIES

INVOLVED CYCLIST MARKLAY IS NOT

LETTING THE TRAGEDY SCARE HIM

AWAY FROM WHAT HE LOVES.

IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWHERE

EITHER. IS BEVERLY CLARK BEING

IN NATURE IS PART OF THE

SOLUTION.

>> IT IS PART HOW WE FEEL IS A

COMMUNITY. CLARK IS AN AVID

CYCLIST AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE

CITY'S GREENWAY ADVISORY BOARD,

OUR CHILDREN AND OUR ENTIRE

COMMUNITY.

>> NEED MORE GREEN TIME.

AND LAST SCREEN TIME.

>> OFFICE LAST YEAR, MORE THAN

2.3 MILLION PEOPLE USE THE

GREENWAYS IN RALEIGH SO FAR

THIS YEAR, NEARLY 1.3 MILLION

AND MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE

HAVE USED THE STRETCH OF TRAIL

THAT RUNS THROUGH HEADINGHAM.

OUR PARKS ARE SAFE IN OUR

GREENWAYS FOR SAY STEVEN

BENTLEY IS RALEIGH'S PARKS AND

REC DIRECTOR. WHAT WOULD YOU

SAY IS THE GREATEST CONCERN AS

FAR AS CRIME GOES ON THE

GREENWAY CURRENTLY IT VEHICLES

BEING BROKEN INTO. BUT MORE

SERIOUS CRIMES DO HAPPEN.

JUST LAST MONTH, POLICE FOUND

21 YEAR-OLD RODNEY CLARK.

>> DEAD ON THE CRABTREE CREEK

TRAIL AND 2 YEARS AGO, POLICE

SAY CYCLISTS CHAUNCEY DEPEW

WAS STABBED AND BEATEN ON THE

WALNUT CREEK TRAIL. TIP USE

DEATH PROMPTED RPD THIS YEAR

TO LAUNCH A NEW PARKS IN

GREENWAY UNIT INCLUDING 7

OFFICERS PATROLLING ON BIKES,

HORSES AND ATV'S. THE NUMBER

ONE SAFETY ISSUES. WE HAVE OUR

CONFLICTS BETWEEN BICYCLISTS

AND PEDESTRIANS BECAUSE THE

NUMBER OF USERS, SO EITHER.

>> A BIKE A CYCLIST IS GOING

TOO FAST FOR RIGHT OR A JOGGER

GETS IN THE LINE WITH

BICYCLISTS. WHILE THE NOOSE

RIVER TRAIL IS A BIT QUIETER.

NORMALLY A DAY LIKE TODAY, YOU

MIGHT.

>> SEE TRIPLE THE NUMBERS.

I SAW.

>> IT REMAINS A PLACE OF

REFUGE, A PLACE TO PROCESS ALL

THAT'S BEEN LOST. JUST NEED TO

TAKE A BREATH.

>> AND

LET CHAIR HART CALEB LITTLE

BIT. FIRST, WHEREVER YOU GO.