A decade ago, there were perhaps 50 miles of greenway in the Triangle. Small stretches of mostly 1- and 2-mile paths that offered recreation for the immediate neighborhood, but not much more. Certainly nothing to throw the bikes on the roof rack and drive across town for, let alone rely on as a secondary transportation network for commuting to work or getting groceries.

Today, the Triangle has nearly 200 miles of greenway — a number poised to increase by another 25 percent over the next couple of years — and the region’s greenways are used for a multitude of purposes: as training venues for runners and cyclists, for Sunday afternoon family getaways, for getting to work by cycling commuters, for running errands, for stress-reducing strolls.

It’s not just the Triangle where greenways are growing North Carolina. The Charlotte region has launched the Carolina Thread Trail, designed to link 2.3 million people living in a 15-county region with interconnected greenways. An expansive network is developing in the Triad, which currently has 80 miles of trail, and even the smallest coastal communities, from Manteo (with an 8.8-mile greenway) to Whiteville (1 mile) are building greenways. North Carolinians eager to get in, and stay in, shape are increasingly turning toward greenways in their quest.

That’s why you logged on this morning to find a drastically revamped GetGoingNC.com. Today, you’ll find a site that’s not only more visually appealing, but includes a new section devoted to greenways in North Carolina. We open today with 18 greenways from across the state. For nine smaller stretches (generally those with less than five miles of continuous trail) we’ve included basic information and links to where you can find more specific details (including maps and specific trailhead directions). For the longer trails, you’ll find:

• Introductory overview describing the trail, where it is, it’s general personality.
• Slideshow providing a visual overview.
• Interactive Google Map that shows highlights along the trail and lets you zero in on trailhead access points.
• Detailed description of the trail, broken down by mileage, to help with navigation.
• Recent posts on GetGoingNC.com regarding this trail.

Over the next two and a half months we’ll continue to add greenways. Our goal is to have every greenway in North Carolina covered by the start of fall — when cooler weather drives more of us out onto the trail. We should note, too, that the horizontal scanning of the revitalized GetGoingNC site makes using the greenway section on your smartphone especially handy.

Take a few minutes to look through the site. Tell us what works for you, tell us what doesn’t. While we have a lengthy list of greenways that we’ll be adding, don’t hesitate to let us know about a greenway you’d like to see added. There’s always a chance we haven’t heard about it. Even if it is already on our list, who knows, your comments may cause us to get to it a little sooner.

Our goal is to make using the greenways of North Carolina easier to find, easier to use. Let us know if we’re achieving that goal.