Posted on 05/09/2019 5:23:46 AM PDT by SJackson
Riding bicycles is key to health
The major health problem facing many people is obesity
Investing in paths for people to walk bike stroller skateboard or scooter are good for the community and good for people’s health
Far too much of life is now spent sitting in front have an iPhone or a computer and not doing things out of doors which benefits health
Your roads must be in a lot worse shape than ours. Other than perhaps bridges getting old, taken as a whole, general road maintenance seems no worse, or better, than the last 45 years or so. (As far back as I was doing much driving.) It’s always been “mediocre”. And there are always some forest roads and such that Fedzilla or Statezilla is slow to get to,
OTOH, here, we see road projects like a big, interstate style interchange on a (fairly busy, I will grant you) state highway to a local road that goes to... almost nothing. It’s between areas of light activity, in a general area losing population, with said local road ending, to the north, at a small area of rental units (condos & small homes, maybe 40 units) after passing by a handful of homes and small businesses), and to the south, a similar pass through of a few homes and small businesses, then entering a wildlife refuge and ending in a lake. Every time my wife and I pass by there, we marvel at the “interchange to nowhere”. I sort of understand the argument of “build it and development will follow”, and staying ahead of traffic needs, but this one is at least 10-15 years before that much “need” would even be in sight, unless we go on a 10% per year regional or State GDP tear... (Also NOT in sight — libs heavily in charge, here.)
So, why was it built? “Pork”, I am sure!
No, rowing is key to health. I want a nation wide rowing system developed and maintained by transportation dollars. No, skiing is key to health. I demand year round ski slopes be maintained out of transportation dollars. Just because YOU like to ride bicycles doesn’t mean tax dollars that ALL of us pay should be diverted to YOUR hobby at the expense of maintaining the infrastructure that we ALL use. If you’ll support sharing the bicycle investments with rowing, skiing, etc., etc. healthy investments I’ll accept that you are serious.
Actually, it is our town roads that are somewhat neglected. the state and interstate roads are not in bad shape (lot of repair and new construction)
LOL, I think it is getting to the point “A trillion here...”
Crap. Sounds like the Weimar Republic.
well this may not be good for me!! My annual trip to asia flying out of Chicago is about $500 cheaper than flying out of Detroit. Currently Amtrak price one way from Detroit to Chicago is $35... $70 rnd trip. If this plan goes thru, I predict my train cheat will probably quadruple in price! :/
I actually like the idea as a walker
One near Damascus VA is a great one
Indeed I did. Thanks.
L
The state of Washington wanted to convert a rail line to a trail until the land owner pointed out that eminent domain contract stated that if the rail line was abandoned as a rail line, the property would revert back to the land owner.
I’m a member of the Conservancy but I say right up front in my Rails to Trails profile that I believe the Sierra Club and some other “preservation” groups have a net negative effect upon the environment.
I regularly inline skate and skateboard land paddle on the Fall Line Trace in Columbus, Georgia which is across the river from my Alabama home. I also bicycle on other rail trails.
I wonder if any of that is local roads’ funds being tapped for underfunded pensions? You literally can’t turn around without finding not 1 more, but 10 more local gov’t employee pension plans in deep doo-doo.
Then again, I still see no major decline in local roads — some areas are poor, yes, but that’s always been the case. The alley behind my place is bad, but, then again, it too has been up and down over the years. The population along it has declined by at ~50% too — kinda hard for the city to make it high priority, I suppose.
Granted that this is just my own personal observation, and may not be typical. Near here is a county actually growing a bit, and while there is quite a bit of new road construction at all levels, some of the small county roads seem worse than usual.
Sigh. I would have to be pretty dense to not consider that, especially in this state...
That’s the Virginia Creeper Trail.
Abingdon to Damascus to Whitetop. A to D is a good walker. D to W is 3% grade most of the way up.
Scout troops start at Whitetop and never pedal on the way down to Damascus.
Yep. Here too. Talk about the gorilla in the room! :-(
“...all the small things that have stakeholders who think their small thing is no big deal.”
It’s death by a thousand (billion) cuts. One of these days the country’s gonna hit that hard wall, and I hate to say it...there will be no real effort to stop it because the politicians will be too busy blaming the “other” side. Any effort at reform will just lead to more pork barrel. I think we are past the point of financial redemption.
I think when that happens those people are going to abscond with wealth and disappear somewhere.
Oh well. What are ya gonna do?
#9 John Wayne trail. You had to battle indians and cut throats and bike robbers along the trail.
Another great rail trail in Durham NC if you are faster than the muggers https://www.wral.com/residents-question-safety-of-american-tobacco-trail-after-series-of-crimes-/16778473/
And I care, WHY?
We used to have a home at the top near Grandfather
I walked that trail near Abingdon quite a bit
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.