Johnston County commissioners heard a detailed presentation Dec. 1 on a proposed countywide comprehensive trails and greenways master plan, which consultants said would guide trail and greenway investments, intersection treatments and project prioritization over multiple decades.

Joel Strickland and Zach Hollick of McAdams outlined the plan’s vision to create a safe, connected active‑transportation network that would link parks, downtowns and schools and connect to regional trails such as the East Coast Greenway and Mountains to Sea Trail. The consultants said the plan was created with extensive public engagement: a survey with 656 participants yielding roughly 12,000 responses and more than 1,000 individual comments, and three public meetings where the steering committee and community stakeholders identified priority corridors.

The presentation listed prioritized projects (priority projects 1–11) with rationale (safety, connectivity, community input, environmental constraints) and included guidance on intersection crossings and treatments. Cost estimates provided in the plan were expressed as future‑year dollars tied to assumed construction windows (projects 1–3 assumed 2030; other groups assumed 2035, 2040, 2045 and 2050); consultants noted the slide set includes escalation assumptions.

When asked for a top‑line total, a commissioner said they had “did a quick add up” to about $410,000,000 over 25 years; the consultants reiterated they had not produced a single consolidated total on the spot but confirmed that later‑priority projects carried greater escalation and that land‑acquisition costs were not included in the construction estimates. The consultants said acquisition and easements would be handled largely through willing‑owner agreements and the plan does not assume eminent domain.

Parks staff and consultants asked the board to take the plan under advisement and consider adoption on Jan. 5 so it could be incorporated into the county’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) as an appendix and be used to pursue NCDOT and grant funding. Commissioners emphasized that plan adoption is necessary to unlock state DOT funding opportunities and to make the county competitive for grants.

What’s next: The board will consider the plan for adoption on Jan. 5 and staff will continue outreach with municipalities and partners; cost details, land‑acquisition implications and project phasing will be part of future budget and grant work.