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members network
We’d like to hear from you.Write to “Members
Network,” Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2121
Ward Ct., NW, 5th Floor,Washington, DC 20037.
Or e-mail:
Letters
may be edited for publication.
The Mark Twain
Experience
I very much enjoyed the article “Rolling
on the River.” I am an avid cyclist and
use the [Shelby Farms] Greenline all the
time. The article spoke of the Big River
Crossing, the bike lane/cantilevered bridge
next to the Harahan Bridge. Not only will
the Big River Crossing let bikers and walk-
ers off on the other side of the river, but
the Mississippi River Corridor is working
with the counties’ levee districts to take all
the cattle gates and property gates off the
levee on the western side of the Mississippi
so that, in the near future, you can moun-
tain bike all the way fromMemphis to
New Orleans on top of the levee, making
for a bicycle version of the Mark Twain/
Huck Finn Mississippi River experience.
This has never ever been done before along
the Mississippi.
James S. Gilliland
Memphis,Tenn.
Thanks, James! We continue to be impressed
by the ways trails in Memphis are creating
new connections—and new adventures—for
residents and visitors.
But If You Want to Bike …
The Fall 2014 magazine had a wonderful
story on visiting the Chessie Nature Trail
and the surrounding area of Lexington,
Virginia. It was written from the stand-
point of a walker, but there are a couple
of pointers for bikers using the trail. There
are a number of fences and gates that are
not easy to get a bike over. Additionally,
the eastern half of the trail runs through a
cattle pasture with lots of items on the trail
to try to avoid with your bike tires. The
review section of
TrailLink.com
has more
information on these issues.
Bob Youker
Rockville,Md.
Thank you for your comments! RTC always
encourages users of all types to do their
research to ensure their experience is safe
and fun!
Proof Is in the Trail
I just read the new issue of the magazine
with letters and an article commenting
about crime coming along a proposed trail
being the heart of people’s objections.
Several decades ago, when the Burke-
Gilman Trail was proposed near my house
in Seattle, people worried about crime
coming along the trail. Then it was noticed
that a disused, overgrown trackway invited
mischief anyway, like kids sneaking there
to smoke or, even more dangerous, to set
off fireworks. The fire department was
called in about twice a year.
The trail was built and paved, and it is
well used. Now volunteer labor is remov-
ing alien vegetation and planting natives
along the edges to create a ribbon of
urban forest.
Margaret Holton
Seattle,Wash.
As always, we’re pleased to have another
example of the incredible benefits trails bring
to their local communities.
Trail Travelers by RV
We look forward to each issue of the
magazine and really like the articles in
the new app,
Trail Traveler
. My hus-
band and I spend our summers traveling
America and Canada and “collecting”
rail-trails. These publications are our
inspiration.
We wish, however, that you would add
local RV-compatible campgrounds in your
“Where to Stay” suggestions at the end of
the destination articles.
We live full time in a 40-foot motor
home, carrying our bikes on back and
towing our Jeep. We are always hunting
for RV campgrounds that accept big rigs
and are near the trails. This is not always
easy to do, which is why we’d love to
see you add this item. Perhaps doing so
would encourage local communities to
include us RV travelers when they plan
access to their trails.
Jan Lincoln
Sioux Falls,S.D.
Survey Says
Many thanks for the survey results in Keith
Laughlin’s column [Spring/Summer 2015]
that show voters of all political persuasions
favor higher funding for new bike trails
and “Complete Streets” design concepts
intended to make biking and walking in
urban and suburban areas much safer.
Spending $27 out of every $100 in trans-
portation funds for them sure sounds bet-
ter than $1.50 or $2!
Many people will object to higher
funding for non-highway transportation
systems as long as Congress refuses to raise
fuel taxes high enough to pay for urgently
needed upgrades to roads and bridges.
It would take “only” 60 cents per gallon
more to restore the highway trust fund
enough to fix ALL of the bridges and roads
considered deficient in the most recent
national civil engineering report. With fuel
prices much lower now than a year ago, we
are missing a golden opportunity to solve
this funding shortfall and make it easier to
sell higher funding for biking and pedestri-
ans from other fund sources.
Michael Burrill
Cincinnati,Ohio
Thanks, Michael! Interested readers can
access extensive details about RTC’s
recent national transportation poll
at
railstotrails.org/poll
.
Sharing the Trail
Special shout-out to Clifford
Miles of Mountain Lakes, New
Jersey, for sending us this great
photo from last year’s Pedal for
Preservation on the Columbia
Trail (Chester, New Jersey),
sponsored by the New Jersey
Land Conservancy.
