Positives of paved recreation trail outweigh negatives

ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.

I have weighed in before on applying for a grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to help fund a non-motorized recreation trail along the the historic Interurban. My opinion has not changed.

I understand objections to the project from people who believe it’s a “road to nowhere,” it’s a boondoggle and misuse of taxpayer dollars, and the trail could be a safety problem because it goes past an elementary school. However, I believe all these fears are unfounded.

Councilwoman Tracy Bivins has been an unwavering opponent of a paved non-motorized trail, and with all due respect, it should be noted it would pass near her back yard. Therefore, she could be accused of practicing “not in my back yard” (NIMBY).

I continue to support the idea of a paved trail for bicyclers and walkers, of which I am one. I walk with my dog and sometimes my wife all over town. Some places aren’t particularly safe, like Elm Street’s heavy truck traffic without sidewalks.

The State of Michigan is offering financial support with a grant to help build a trail that first, would promote healthier local people by offering a place for them to walk or ride bicycles instead of driving cars, and second, also could be an attraction to help entice more people to come to downtown Wayland, thereby serving as an aid to economic development.

I don’t agree with the contentions that it’s a “trail to nowhere”  The only way Wayland Township or Leighton Township will ever get on board to extend it is to have it built. If it isn’t built, the trail will never happen.

Fears that teen thugs will use a paved trail to party down at odd hours and make residents miserable also are unfounded. Other paved trails have borne out the assertion that the people who use them are tree huggers, families, joggers, bicycle enthusiasts and eventually perhaps potential customers for Wayland’s goods and services.

As it stands now, what’s left of the old Interurban now is a dirt or gravel artery that is more likely to entice teen-agers and troublemakers than would a narrow paved roadway. The fact that it would be open only to non-motorized traffic makes it an even safer proposition.

I support the grant application simply because the rewards are great at low cost. The city could stand to gain money that’s available “out there” for improving the quality of life in the community, much like the Rabbit River trail and the recent improvements at the City Park.

If the grant comes through, the trail would be paid for by the state, by the Downtown Development Authority and money already set aside.

The positives of a walking or bicycling trail outweigh unfounded fears.