CARRBORO, NC – On Friday, May 23, the Town of Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department welcomes community members to celebrate park improvements at ribbon cutting events set for 9 a.m. at Baldwin Park, and at 2 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Park
New Playground at Baldwin Park, 400 Broad St.
Come celebrate the new playground at Baldwin Park!
The new playground design features a main play structure catering to children ages 2-5 and 6-12 years old, with inclusive elements incorporated to enhance accessibility for all users. These upgrades will provide a more engaging, safe, and inclusive environment for families in the community.
Community engagement played a key role in shaping the playground improvement project. The Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department hosted an engagement event specifically for residents within a 10-minute walkshed of the park. Additionally, a survey was conducted to assess park usage and community preferences. Findings revealed that 70% of respondents favored playground improvements over other amenities.
Pump Track at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 1120 Hillsborough Road
The Town contracted with Nature Trails, a trail design and construction firm, for the renovation work at the pump track. Improvements have resulted in a slightly different track layout and better drainage. Nature Trails designed and built two pump tracks to cater to beginner and intermediate riders.
A pump track is a purpose-built track for cycling. It has a circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed to be ridden completely by riders "pumping" — generating momentum by up and down body movements, instead of pedaling or pushing.
The new track layout includes taller features to improve user confidence and skills while still being accessible and friendly for all ages and skills. The track has been simplified in some ways while new fun elements have been incorporated as well.
Reconstruction of the 16,000-square-foot track used a base of 1,500 cubic yards of recycled asphalt milling sourced from the Town of Carrboro Public Works Department. Improvements feature a rain garden with about 80 native pollinator plants in the drain areas. Thoughtful placement of drains inside raingarden allow for stormwater runoff. Public Works was able to recycle soil they removed from elsewhere in town, so the materials used in this step were also recycled.
Please remember that although this track can be used to ride anything with wheels, its first intent is for bikes. We encourage all residents who would like to try it out to share the space while enjoying the improved outdoor facility.
More Information
Contact the Carrboro Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources Department at 919-918-7364 or RecParks@carrboronc.gov
