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Rail
Trail Information
Since
1970, railroad companies have abandoned more than 763 miles of
railway in South Carolina (see list).
During the same period, trail-related activities became
extraordinarily popular, consistently ranking among the ten most
popular outdoor recreation activities. And as the cost of trail
building and maintenance continued to swell, it didn’t take long
for trail advocates to establish a connection.
Why
not convert these 100-foot wide stretches of abandoned railroad
reds into safe and attractive greenways for trail enthusiasts?
That’s the gist of the national rail-trails movement.
While
nobody advocates abandonment, many citizens have become interested
in putting these corridors to good use. Historians like the idea
because it preserves an important part of our nation’s past,
while conservationists favor protecting important natural areas.
For senior citizens and the physically challenged, rail-trails
provide levels surfaces that are easy to maneuver. And since
railroads often link towns and frequently parallel today’s
highways, accessibility is another bonus.
But
this conversion has been a long time coming. In the 1920s,
America’s 260,000 miles of track was the most extensive railroad
network in the world. Today, only 140,000 railroad miles remain in
use. After almost 40 years of slow-but-steady progress, rail-trail
advocates have managed to convert over 10,000 miles of rail-trails
in across the country. There are some 1,000 rail-trails open to
the public. The national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy estimates 100
million Americans used rail-trails in 1999. That included
rail-trail opportunities as diverse as a short trail in a city
park or a wilderness tract traversing more than 50 miles!
Enthusiasm
for rail-trail conversions is gaining steam. Railroad companies
continue to centralize their operations and have plans to abandon
an additional 40,000 miles of rail corridors across the nation
over the next decade. Despite stumbling blocks that include a
complex railway abandonment process, limited opportunities for
local input, and occasional resistance from landowners, the
movement seems to have momentum on its side.
Outdoor
Recreation: Rail-trails provide places for bicycling, walking,
bird watching, picnicking, rollerblading, jogging, and, in many
places, horseback riding.
Quality
of Life: Rail-trails improve overall quality of life in
communities by making the area a more attractive place to live and
work and by increasing the value of adjacent residential and
commercial properties.
Alternative
Transportation: Rail-trails provide energy-alternate
transportation routes for walking and bicycling to school, work,
and shopping.
Education:
Rail-trails can serve as vital outdoor environmental laboratories
and cultural interpretation areas for area schools and
universities.
Economic
Vitality: Rail-trails can bring new economic vitality to a
community by bringing in new industry and tourism, encouraging new
trail-related business development and enhancing community growth.
Corridor
Preservation: Rail-trails help to make use of valuable rail
corridors that are being preserved for future other transportation
options, such as commuter rails.
Community
Cohesion: Rail-trails are safe places where children and
adults can gather for festivals, picnics, and informal socializing
and, thus, build a sense of community.
What
Can You Do?
Support
local efforts to create rail-trails. Let local officials know you
back this important endeavor. Learn as much as you can about
rails-to-trails conversions.
Join
the Rails-To-Trails
Conservancy, 1100 Seventeenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036,
202-331-9696, Fax: 202-331-9680. RTC is a national non-profit
organization that provides public education, technical assistance,
and advocacy.
Seek
advice and help from the Rivers,
Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) of the
National Park Service. RTCA, Atlanta Federal Center, 1924 Bldg.,
100 Alabama St., SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-562-3282. RTCA
supports a community-based approach to rail-trail development by
encouraging cooperation between local public and private groups.
RTCA does not own, build, or manage rail-trail corridors; instead,
they provide you with the information and expertise to get the job
done.
In
South Carolina, the most successful rail-trail conversions have
occurred when individuals and communities work cooperatively with
local landowners, slowly acquiring small segments of abandoned
rail beds. The process, while sometimes slow and complex, can
yield rewarding results and benefit many people for many years to
come.
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