If you could pick where Kitty Hawk's next stretch of sidewalk, path or safer crossing goes, where would you put it? The town is asking that question now, and the window to answer is short.
Kitty Hawk is writing its first townwide Pedestrian & Bicycle Plan. Work started on June 3, 2026. Town staff expect the plan to be finished and adopted by December 2026. Meanwhile, a separate multi-use path along US 158 that has been in development since 2011 reached 25% preliminary design in August, when NCDOT asked the town for feedback. Both projects are moving at once, and October is when residents can still change the draft.
Six Months From Survey to Adoption
The plan is moving quickly by local government standards. It has an estimated cost of $60,000 and is supported by NCDOT. Three Oaks Engineering is working on it with a steering committee and town staff, according to Town Manager Melody Clopton's report at the August 3 council meeting.
The first round of public input was a survey that closed July 10. By the July 6 council meeting it already had more than 300 responses, so the town raised its goal to 500. That 300 figure was a midpoint count, and the town has not published a final total. The survey was open to residents, visitors and anyone else interested, so those responses include more than year-round households.
That first round is done. The town says it shaped a draft network of proposed bicycle and pedestrian projects, network improvements and policy recommendations. As of early October, the project page has no draft map or street-by-street list. To see the specific proposals, go to the open house. Once Phase 2 ends, the project team will revise the recommendations, release a final draft for public review, and send it to Town Council for adoption.
Thursday, October 8, at 101 Veterans Memorial Drive
The open house is at Kitty Hawk Town Hall on Thursday, October 8, starting at 4:30 p.m. The project page lists the end time as 6:30 p.m. The town's event listing says 6:00 p.m. If you're coming after work, arriving before 6:00 covers both. The town asks attendees to "tell us what we got right, identify what's missing, and help prioritize the future of walking, biking, and rolling in Kitty Hawk."
There is also a second option. The project team will have a booth outside right before the town's free outdoor screening of Casper, which runs 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Town Hall parking lot. Families who came for the movie can stop at the booth on the way in.
Two days later, the same building hosts the town's free fall cleanup. It runs Saturday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to noon, starting at Town Hall, with supplies and lunch provided. The grounds also hold the Town Hall Trail, a 1-mile natural-surface loop around the building for walking, jogging, biking and horses registered with the town. The town called it new when it offered a guided tour on April 13 as part of its anniversary celebration.
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thu., Oct. 8, 4:30 p.m. | Pedestrian & Bicycle Plan open house | Town Hall, 101 Veterans Memorial Drive |
| Thu., Oct. 8, 6:30–8:30 p.m. | Free movie night, Casper, with plan booth beforehand | Town Hall parking lot |
| Sat., Oct. 10, 10 a.m.–noon | Fall town-wide cleanup | Meets at Town Hall |
| Thu., Oct. 29 | Kitty Hawk Bath House closes for the season | Beach Road |
| By December 2026 | Expected plan adoption | Town Council |
The Highway Path That Started in 2011
The townwide plan isn't the only project on the table. The longer-running one is the multi-use path along US 158, and the council already weighed in on it this summer.
On August 3, Public Works Director Willie Midgett presented the 25% preliminary design. NCDOT's engineer wanted the town's view on two routes past the Aycock Brown Welcome Center. According to the minutes, the options were:
- Option 1: Keep the path along the highway and curve it around the Welcome Center the same way the road does.
- Option 2: Run the path into and through the Welcome Center grounds on the existing sidewalk around the building, then rejoin the highway in front of the police department.
- A hybrid: Planning Director Rob Testerman sketched a third route at the meeting. It cuts further into the Welcome Center grounds along the existing service road and keeps path users further from the highway.
Council members said a route through the Welcome Center would avoid several dangerous spots where cyclists and pedestrians would otherwise cross the highway's merge and acceleration lanes. They also pointed out that the Welcome Center is well lit and has restrooms and parking for people who want to park and exercise on the path. Councilman Tillett raised a concern that first-time users might not realize the path runs through the Welcome Center and back out, and staff said signs would be added. The council preferred the hybrid and told staff to tell NCDOT so before the August 5 deadline. Clopton added that engineers on the Gateway Beautification Project said either route would work with that project.
Staff also noted that 25% design is an early stage and that residents will get more chances to comment. A shorter project with a firmer date is also coming. A sidewalk on the west side of US 158 from Cypress Knee Trail to the Kill Devil Hills town line is in design. Clopton told the Outer Banks Voice in June that construction is expected to start in 2027.
What the Draft Starts From
A plan like this mostly connects pieces that already exist. Kitty Hawk's current pieces are concentrated along The Woods Road and the oceanfront.
- David Paul Pruitt Multi-Use Path: About 2 miles from West Kitty Hawk Road and The Woods Road north to US 158, plus roughly 0.5 mile more to the Shoreside shopping center. It is open to all non-motorized traffic.
- Twiford Street connection: Runs 0.8 miles west through Kitty Hawk Village.
- Sandy Run Park: At 4343 The Woods Road, with access to the Kitty Hawk Woods Maritime Forest. A bridge leads to a half-mile nature loop with two gazebos, kayak access, an observation tower and a catch-and-release fishing pier.
- Beach crosswalk lighting: Installed in spring 2025 at 12 beach crosswalks from the Byrd Street access south to the Kitty Hawk Bath House, paid for with a $40,000 Tourism Impact Grant from the Dare County Tourism Board.
Clopton described the response to the crosswalk lights in the Voice's June report:
"They have received positive comments from the public and they enhance overall safety especially at dusk."
Seen together, the pieces show the gap the plan is meant to close. Ben Saltzman, chair of the Outer Banks Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Coalition, described the region as "a patchwork of multi-use paths and safe routes, with long stretches lacking sidewalks or physical barriers separating pedestrians, cyclists, and cars." Kitty Hawk has a well-built corridor on The Woods Road, a lit stretch of beach crossings, and the US 158 path still in early design. The townwide plan is where the town decides how those pieces connect and which links come first.
Fitting It Into the Week
If you want to walk the corridor before the open house, Thursday works. Black Flag Galley, a scratch kitchen opened this summer by longtime locals Fran and Lance Marler, is at 3701 N. Croatan Highway. It serves bowls, salads, seafood and handhelds for dine-in or takeout. Its website lists hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. That means a late lunch on October 8 still leaves time to get to Town Hall by 4:30.
After the open house, the next public step is the final draft for public review, followed by a Town Council vote. The planning timeline lists Phase 3 for winter 2026 and leaves the final phase as TBD. The council agenda is where to watch for the adoption vote.
Many of our clients ask how close a home is to The Woods Road path or a lit beach crossing before they make an offer. We follow these town decisions so we can answer that accurately. If you want to talk through how Kitty Hawk's planned paths and sidewalks affect a home you own or one you're considering, Brink Team Homes can help. Contact us to get started today.
