From Plan to Pavement: What You’ll See in 2026

On a typical morning in our community, it’s already happening. 

Children are walking to school with a parent along Berkeley Dr.
College students are riding a scooter or bike to camp us along Hwy 93.
People are walking for exercise and a breath of fresh air on Pendleton’s Hall Trail.

These people-powered trips aren’t a dream.
They’re part of our lives right now.

But they’re stitched together by gaps.
A sidewalk that ends too soon.
A crosswalk that doesn’t feel safe.
A path that almost connects, but not quite.

The 15×30 campaign is about closing those gaps.

And this year, in 2026, you’re going to start seeing that happen. Here’s what it will look like on the ground.

Coming Soon for the Green Crescent Trail

2026 will be a busy year for new Green Crescent Trail projects. Thanks to the hard work of municipal partners and community members for many years, you’re going to see one new connection after another. 

Here are a few projects you can expect to start soon:

Berkeley Drive Sidepath in Clemson

In April, 2026 the City of Clemson is collecting bids from contractors to build the new sidepath. That means it should be finished sometime this year. 

In addition to a sidepath on Berkeley Dr, a loop trail and 18-car parking area will be built in the Berkeley Meadows property at the corner of Issaqueena Trail and Berkeley Dr.

Hwy 93 Sidepath in Downtown Central

The South Carolina Department of Transportation has collected bids from contractors to build this sidepath, and construction is supposed to begin this summer. 

When finished, it will begin near the red Caboose and Bolick Field in Downtown Central and end at Tarrant Street near SWU and the future Central Fire Station property. 

College Ave Streetscape Improvements

As of early April 2026, the work to make downtown Clemson safer, more vibrant, and more walkable has already begun. This project will widen sidewalks, plant new trees, and identify the road as a slow-speed, shared zone for bicycles and cars.

In the near future, additional city projects on College Ave will install separated, multiuse paths and other pedestrian improvements. This improved College Ave will connect to and become part of the greater Green Crescent Trail network. 

These three projects are just a few examples. 

Each one may look like a small piece on its own. But together, they start to do something different. They begin turning isolated segments into something that actually works as a network.

That’s when the Green Crescent Trail becomes something you can use in your daily life, not just something you visit occasionally.

Where You Fit In

The progress you’re starting to see didn’t happen by accident.

Every one of these projects exists because people in this community paid attention, spoke up, and stayed involved over time.

And that part doesn’t change.

If anything, it becomes more important as momentum builds.

Here are a few simple ways you can help:

Stay informed.
When projects are proposed, designed, or up for feedback, knowing what’s happening is the first step.

Speak up when it matters.
Public input, emails, and meetings may feel small, but they shape priorities and timelines more than most people realize.

Use the trail.
Every time someone walks, bikes, or rolls on these routes, it reinforces that this infrastructure matters and should continue to grow.

Support the work financially.
Donations of any size to Friends of the Green Crescent non-profit help turn ideas into reality. They support advocacy, volunteer maintenance, signage, mapping, and the coordination required to keep projects moving forward.

Share the vision.
Talk about it with neighbors, friends, and colleagues. The more people understand what’s being built, the stronger the support becomes.

Get Involved: Upcoming Events

One of the best ways to stay connected to this work is simply to show up.

Throughout the year, Friends of the Green Crescent hosts events that bring people together around the trail and the broader vision of a more connected community.

These include:

• Community walks and rides
• Public meetings and updates on upcoming projects
• Volunteer days and trail improvements
• Special events that highlight different parts of the network

These aren’t just events. They’re how ideas turn into action, and how people begin to see the system come together in real life.

We’ll continue sharing details on our email list and website about upcoming opportunities to get involved. If you’ve been looking for a way to plug in, this is a great place to start.

A Network Taking Shape

The next few years will bring visible change to the Green Crescent Trail.

New paths.
Safer crossings.
Connections that didn’t exist before.

But the real change is what those pieces create together.

A system that works.
A community that’s easier to move through.
A place where walking and biking feel like natural parts of daily life.

That’s the direction we’re heading.

The gaps are starting to close.