Greenville Hospital System Swamp Rabbit Tram Trail
PROGRESS REPORTS

---

Swamp Rabbit February 08 Progress Report

Initiated strategic marketing plan for Swamp Rabbit that will create the look and feel of the trail.
It was echoed at the TRENDS Institute that greenways are most requested community recreation amenity.
Clemson Landscape Design Studio made great progress on the conceptual designs for the transit interfaces / road crossings
SC DOT and County encroachment permits for road crossing markings submitted.
James Sheppard sent some excellent historic information on the train that rode the rail
Location map for placement of rocks to prohibit motorized vehicles completed
Worked with GO magazine about article about the trail and Roadzyme
Parking lot on Duncan Chapel graded and gravel delivered
County encroachment permit approved
Met with the 3 police jurisdictions in order to be pro-active about trail safety
Met with Diana Gracely, Travelers Rest City Manager, and Head of Public Works to coordinate a site improvement on the Swamp Rabbit
Met with SE Consulting on the development of a business plan to be utilized to apply for grants.
Applied for a Greenville Women’s Giving grant and a Newman’s Own Grant
Coordinated with Leadership Greenville Alumni on a trail clean-up work day March 15th
Spoke at Carolina Foothills Garden Club
Met with Electrical Engineer about needs on the Swamp Rabbit
Met with Fire Departments on Swamp Rabbit to address their needs
Roadzyme, road material product, demonstration site at the south end of Furman Lake on trail
People Continue to Purchase Trail Sections through the Greenways Partner Program

---

Donations let residents own a piece of Swamp Rabbit Trail.
By Mike Foley

As unusual Christmas gifts go, buying a piece of the Greenville Hospital System's Swamp Rabbit Trail may rank near the top.

But for just $25 you can "own" 25 feet of the 9.2-mile Greenville County section of the trail from Travelers Rest to the city limits at Willard Street.

Ty Houck, the county's greenways coordinator, said he thought of the idea to help people take ownership of the trail that's still being built on a former railroad bed.

"It gives people another reason to get out and enjoy the trail," Houck said. "I think it's neat."

For each $25 tax-deductible donation, the donor becomes a Greenway Partner and receives honorary ownership of any section of the Swamp Rabbit Trail they want. Recipients will also receive a commemorative plaque, recognizing ownership and listing the GPS coordinates of their section(s) of trail.

The Swamp Rabbit has attracted a number of corporate sponsors, including GHS which donated $1 million -- $100,000 per year for 10 years -- to support promotion of the trail. Major funding for construction of the trail and maintenance of it comes from a county hospitality tax. Up to $2 million from the tax will pay for construction as well as $25,000 annually for upkeep.

But more money is needed to make the Swamp Rabbit, and other proposed greenways throughout the county, a reality, Houck said. If all of the 9.2 miles of the Swamp Rabbit are sold in 25-foot sections, $48,576 would be raised.

"People can take ownership of this," Houck said. "It's like, 'Hey, look what I did.' "

Among those people is Brooke Reed a Greenville resident who plans on buying 50 to 100 feet as a Christmas present for her husband, Julian, and their two children. Her husband is an avid runner and bicyclist, and he works at Furman University, she said. So she wants to buy a section near the college.

"We have two kids and one on the way," she said. "To me it's similar to Adopt-A-Highway, it gives us a reason to get out on the trail."

Reed said she plans for her family to make outings to their section of trail to pick up litter and get exercise.