This is not good news for local cyclists. It means Amberly and Bedford and the likes will just keep on taking some of our favorite roads and clogging them with impatient drivers. We're going to have to go out further and further for rural riding. At least Orange County seems to be trying hard to stay off these kinds of lists.

Having lived in some of those other fastest growing cities and now living in Bedford I am happy to report that local riders do not need to worry. There are several areas to choice from to ride and most have very light traffic. While in Dallas you can go on a 100 mile ride and never get into the country side. They are also losing a mile a year to development. So each year you will have to ride/drive 1 mile further to get to a good riding spot. You also encounter much more traffic. At least around Raleigh there are soooo many locations to start a ride and even more areas to ride to. We have it very nice here in N. Carolina. Besides most of us need to work and growth usually means employment with also mean enjoying a sport that we all love - cycling.

Sorry if I offended anyone by naming neighborhoods, just using some obvious examples of big developments that were/are controversial. (So was mine, back in the mid-80s, when Woodcroft was miles from downtown Durham and I-40 didn't exist yet.)

I strongly disagree that 'we do not need to worry.' You're right that we have some great riding, but we're losing it to sprawl at a jaw-dropping rate. Our growth has been unreal, and I've only lived here for 10 years.

Amberly now sits in what was fantastic rural riding just 5 years ago. The busy boulevard where a neighborhood's begging for a traffic light was, until 3 years ago, a gravel farm road. I often saw turkeys in the meadow there on my weeknight training rides. That meadow's now a Harris Teeter.

I'm not against growth. I'd just rather see sane, responsible growth. Maybe I should move to Orange County. Much of my riding's done there anyway.

I don't think anyone was offended - at least I wasn't. If you live in a thriving community it probably has seen a lot of changes over the last 20-25 yrs. Many of us cyclist have our current jobs because of progress. I do agree with a well thought out plan for progress but I do not belong to any city councils (I have been to 2 Raleigh City Council meeting concerning the proposed bike routes/laws - and even spoke at 1 of the meetings. I consider that meaningful since I moved here 8 months ago). Cyclists complain about cars/ rural development and car drivers complain about cyclist. Each side has legit reasons and some of the reasons are a figment of their imagination. I still say cyclist in this area have many many years of great cycling in many areas and routes. Even with future developments in rural areas and in the number of cars on the road - there will be many choices of areas and routes. Try to find a good route in New York City or be relegated to riding 1 route over and over for 20 yrs. We have it nice here and there is room for all of us. One of the up sides of area development is jobs. Many of us currently have jobs from the recent development in the communities. With jobs we are able to enjoy a sport that helps us in many ways. I plan on living in Bedford and enjoy what Raleigh has to offer and the lovely cycling areas and people.