Rod Barfield speaks in favor of Rail Trails: "Bike trails have been known to revive shrinking rural economies by luring tourists and potential homebuyers. A Stuart-to-Martinsville rail trail would be a huge but inexpensive investment in the future of Pat
MUSINGS COMMUNITY CONNECTORS
By Rod Barfield
Congressman Rick Boucher recently announced in Stuart that our neighbors, Bassett and Martinsville, have begun initial phases of a “rail trail,� bicycle trails that build on the roadbeds of historic railroads. In this case, the trails follow the old Danville and Western railroad beds, affectionately known hereabouts as the “Dick and Willie.� He forecast a day in the future when such a trail might stretch from Stuart to Danville.
Such a trail is not out of the question. Years ago, biking enthusiasts began negotiating easements with landowners for about forty miles of railroad bed that carried the old “Creeper� train from Abingdon through Damascus and up Whitetop Mountain.
The volunteers engaged the towns of Abingdon and Damascus for rightaways and even involved the National Park Service. The result has been an unqualified success
What these determined citizens ended up with is one of the most picturesque and photographed “rail trails� in the region. The bike and walking trail crosses several train trestles and a roaring mountain river as its climbs its way to Whitetop Mountain. It is a showcase of stark, rocky outcroppings, acres of laurel and rhododendron, and far-reaching mountain vistas. The trail is kept up by volunteers of the two towns and by donations.
Bike trails have been known to revive shrinking rural economies by luring tourists and potential homebuyers. Damascus may be the most dramatic example in the state where such a trail turned a dying mountain community into an oasis of outdoor exercise and adventure. Bike rental shops sprouted, B & Bs opened, a couple of restaurants came,
a do-it-yourself laundry was needed. The new industry brought new investments, which made new businesses that created new jobs—all of which created new attitudes about the town and its future.
Bike trails are an investment in the future. They are a relatively inexpensive way to self-guided entertainment and lend themselves to healthy exercise. Anyone can participate for the price of a bicycle. A trail connection between Stuart and its sister towns to the east would foster contact with our neighbors at a very basic level, much as the old Dick and Willie once connected communities. And, it would be a source of pride for the county.
A Stuart-to-Danville or even a Stuart-to-Martinsville rail trail is just one part of a larger vision to capitalize on the natural beauty of Patrick County while preserving its hills and woodlands. Bikers and hikers are largely conservationists who tend to favor preservation of nature and habitat. Rail trails appeal to them because they represent a soft economy that does not require cutting over, mining or building.
Patrick County needs to move forward, to offer community services and open itself to community involvement that inspires community pride. It needs investment that builds a future for the young people of this area, investment that gives them a chance to remain here or to go off for an education and then have something to return to.
A Stuart-to-Martinsville rail trail would be a huge but inexpensive investment in the future of Patrick County.
