Rails AND Trails
There’s a common misperception of Rails vs. Trails that I’ll admit that I also fell for. Carver Lumber is the only company that uses the Keller Branch for rail service. The Keller Branch runs from downtown, through the Heights, along Knoxville, and out to Pioneer Park. Why shouldn’t we rip out the old tracks and turn them into a nice bike trail to create a continuous path?
I wondered that myself until I started reading the accounts of Carver Lumber’s troubles on CJ Summer’s blog, but what convinced me was this single post (can’t link to it exactly, but scroll down to “A RESPONSE TO THE JSEB’S LATEST TRAIL FANTASY” posted on 8/8/06) by David P. Jordan.
Businesses have been dropping the rail service and moving out because of the long known threat that it would be closing. No new businesses have been using rail service on this line because of the threat of closure.
This is a no-brainer.
Rail service should be restored and a trail CAN be placed alongside the tracks, albeit with a fence. Some of the trail may need to go on residential streets in the Heights. So what? Check out the trail going north from downtown. The sign says to cross Adams. In Dunlap and Princeville the trail hits the streets also.
What really threw me is when I asked my father what he knew about Carver Lumber and the Keller Branch. He usually knows all the dirt in Pioneer Park so I thought I’d get a good story, but he knew nothing more than what was in the paper on this issue, and had no idea of Carver Lumber’s troubles. If a ‘connected’ person doesn’t know the full story, how does the average Joe hear about it? They don’t. Most people in town get the news from the Journal Star, and we all know their opinion on this issue.
I want rails AND trails. It should not be an either/or.
October 19th, 2006 at 12:45 am
Your one sentence says it all, P.I….very few people know what’s going on with it. Sell the darn thing to PIRY for $500,000+, let them build the trail, get proper service to Carver and call it a day. Next thing anyone will know is “WOW, how did we get this nice trail here”.
My parents live fairly close to the Fon du Lac trail in EP. I used to walk it a lot. I don’t recall too many fences, though. Don’t know if that is a necessity or not. What I did (and have) noticed is that there are some property owners along that trail that have actually landscaped their property along the trail.
October 19th, 2006 at 8:00 am
NEWS FLASH!!!!
Is was just announced that trail uber-advocate Kevin Reynen has volunteered to personally tow rail cars from the UP junction to and from Carver.
[snicker]
October 22nd, 2006 at 4:06 pm
Thanks, PeoriaIllinoisan. It’s good to know my blogging is making a difference.