Listen to the Radio

A couple of items on the radio (or podcast - oh the future) recently dealt with bike issues.

The first is from WAMU where Kathleen O'Neil reports on the Inaugural Bike Valet. They're expecting 1000 cyclists, if it doesn't rain. If it does rain, there will still be bike racks but no valet.

Second, Marc Fisher has Montgomery County Councilmember George Leventhal and Chevy Chase Mayor Kathy Strom on Raw Fisher Radio to discuss the Purple Line. At around 16:50 Marc talks about how one of the original planners of the trail was filled with regret because the trail is now creating a political movement to preserve it instead of using the ROW for transit as it was originally planned. Now I'm a big supporter of trails, some cyclists have told me I am too much of a supporter, and I think rails-to-trails is a great program whihc is why I think it is important we not kill the goose that laid the golden egg here.

Asking for interim use of a future transitway as a trail and then using the trail to try and prevent the transitway does the program great harm. Arguing that rails and trails can not operate side by side does the program great harm. One purpose of the program is "railbanking," setting aside a corridor not needed now because it may be needed in the future. Trail advocates must be willing to step aside when a community wants to withdraw their deposit for transit (or even freight). Ask for a parallel trail where possible, but not stand in the way of the primary purpose.

"Save the Trail" movements in such circumstances as this sets back the rails to trails movement nationwide. Such a problem has popped up in Seattle where King County is purchasing a 42-mile Eastside rail corridor. A transit advocacy group Eastside Transit Now! has argued against using the corridor as an interim trail.

“What has not been emphasized is the fact that once a railroad gets dismantled and the right of way paved into a trail, it becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible, both politically and financially, to reinstall the rails for transit use and/or for other railroad purposes.”

The actions of those in Montgomery County strengthen this perception. [It should be noted that in both cases Rail with Trail is a viable option]. If someone wants to build a transit line on the Mt. Vernon trail, that would be different, but in this case we need to show some foresight. IMO.

Photo of Eastside Rail by Rob Butcher

Comments

[silverspringtrails]

The "Save the Trail" effort damages more than just railbanking. When they argue that a trail will be "devastated", "unsafe", and "unattractive" unless it is entirely in a full park setting, they are arguing that trails are only useful for recreational purposes in parks. Efforts to build political support for trails like the MetBranch Trail or ICC trail are damaged by this very limited and self serving vision of what trails can do. Even the W&OD trail would fail under their limited vision, because it is under power transmission lines instead of under trees and adjacent to roads in places.