Recreational Rail to Trail Project Has Momentum

The Northeast Tennessee region stands to gain greatly with a pending decision Thursday night for the city of Johnson City to purchase an unused rail line linking the city with Elizabethton, TN. This wise investment in civic infrastructure will provide a safe, accessible recreational and transportation opportunity for bicyclists, pedestrians, citizens of all ages and ability levels, and a great mix of socio-economic groups. It will allow those who wish to choose alternative modes of transportation to get to work, go shopping for groceries, spend time with the family in a park, walk to school, and take a peaceful stroll through the countryside. By looking at our communities as opportunities for going about life with networks that interconnect key resources and people we are moving from civic planning that once centered on "How fast can we move traffic from point A to point B" to "Planning that integrates a Complete Streets vision in the lives of a community". Johnson City has taken a bold step forward in considering investing $600,000 in a key linkage in its plan for an interconnected system of greenways and trails and, done wisely, will reap great benefits in a healthier population and find that this kind of economic development shows tremendous return on the investment. Read more on how one community is building for a better world HERE.