Comments on: $2 Billion for Bicycling in Stimulus Package? http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/01/14/2-billion-for-bicycling-in-stimulus-package/ Covering Los Angeles's livable streets movement Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:23:58 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Craig Della Penna http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/01/14/2-billion-for-bicycling-in-stimulus-package/comment-page-1/#comment-3821 Craig Della Penna Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:54:51 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1610#comment-3821 My house sits eight feet--8'-- away from the oldest municipally built rail trail in New England. Twenty five years ago, it was at first thought of as a just a bike path --or a mere rec path. Today, so many kids use it bike to school that the city plows it in the winter. They plow it because biking or walking to school is a transportation use--thus worthy of being plowed. This path has made the transformation from Rec to Transportation--as do most paths around here, after a while. In fact, there are over 200 rail trail projects within 100 miles of my community of Northampton, MA. The RRs in southern New England were overbuilt by a factor of 3. The Airline RoW falls into this category. None of this network will be needed for passenger rail projects. The trolley networks can be rebuilt easily and have more value for short distance travel than any of the former steam RR network. Today this network of former steam RR corridors around here connects to where people live, work and play. We are developing the densest network of non motorized off road paths in the U.S. Simply amazing things are underway here. Additionally, I'm a realtor with a speical niche. I specialize in the sale of houses next to or near to rail trails and greenways and a few months ago, my practice was featured in the Wall Street Journal. In 2008, I was the top agent at one of the largest firms in Western Mass. The wheels haven't fallen off RE around here--if you have a niche. My house sits eight feet--8'-- away from the oldest municipally built rail trail in New England. Twenty five years ago, it was at first thought of as a just a bike path --or a mere rec path.

Today, so many kids use it bike to school that the city plows it in the winter. They plow it because biking or walking to school is a transportation use--thus worthy of being plowed. This path has made the transformation from Rec to Transportation--as do most paths around here, after a while.

In fact, there are over 200 rail trail projects within 100 miles of my community of Northampton, MA. The RRs in southern New England were overbuilt by a factor of 3. The Airline RoW falls into this category.

None of this network will be needed for passenger rail projects. The trolley networks can be rebuilt easily and have more value for short distance travel than any of the former steam RR network.

Today this network of former steam RR corridors around here connects to where people live, work and play. We are developing the densest network of non motorized off road paths in the U.S. Simply amazing things are underway here.

Additionally, I'm a realtor with a speical niche. I specialize in the sale of houses next to or near to rail trails and greenways and a few months ago, my practice was featured in the Wall Street Journal. In 2008, I was the top agent at one of the largest firms in Western Mass. The wheels haven't fallen off RE around here--if you have a niche.

]]> By: Spokker http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/01/14/2-billion-for-bicycling-in-stimulus-package/comment-page-1/#comment-3820 Spokker Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:48:05 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1610#comment-3820 I don't see why you can't put a bike path next to the right of way. We have to choose between trains and bikes now or something? I don't see why you can't put a bike path next to the right of way. We have to choose between trains and bikes now or something?

]]> By: Mattapoisett In LA http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/01/14/2-billion-for-bicycling-in-stimulus-package/comment-page-1/#comment-3819 Mattapoisett In LA Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:19:30 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1610#comment-3819 I'm of 2 minds of rails to trails. on the one hand Railroad ROWs are the perfect places to create Bike Paths. but on the other hand I would like to see a resurgence of the Rail networks of yore. My Family owns a business in an Old Woolen Mill in MA. this is right next to the Abandoned ROW of the Old Boston to New York Air Line which was designed and built as a straight line between Boston and NYC unlike the costal rout that Amtrak runs today. My father said before it stopped running in the 1950s the trip time from Franklin MA to NYC was 3 1/2 hours. The Accela can barely do that today. Now most of it is being converted to Bike trails but wouldn't it be nice if that route was still rail and put a high speed set on it you could be in NYC in no time More info on the Boston NYC Air Line can be found here: http://pages.cthome.net/mbartel/ARRhistory.htm I'm of 2 minds of rails to trails. on the one hand Railroad ROWs are the perfect places to create Bike Paths. but on the other hand I would like to see a resurgence of the Rail networks of yore. My Family owns a business in an Old Woolen Mill in MA. this is right next to the Abandoned ROW of the Old Boston to New York Air Line which was designed and built as a straight line between Boston and NYC unlike the costal rout that Amtrak runs today. My father said before it stopped running in the 1950s the trip time from Franklin MA to NYC was 3 1/2 hours. The Accela can barely do that today. Now most of it is being converted to Bike trails but wouldn't it be nice if that route was still rail and put a high speed set on it you could be in NYC in no time

More info on the Boston NYC Air Line can be found here:
http://pages.cthome.net/mbartel/ARRhistory.htm

]]> By: bikinginla http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/01/14/2-billion-for-bicycling-in-stimulus-package/comment-page-1/#comment-3817 bikinginla Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:50:24 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1610#comment-3817 Don't forget, conservatives tried to derail the New Deal, too. Yet many "beautification" projects completed under the WPA banner, as well as conservation, trail and restoration work done by the Civilian Conservation Corp, are among the nation's best-loved and longest-lasting reminders of the good that can be done with federal spending. As the results of the last two elections clearly indicate, this generation of G.O.P. leadership has already demonstrated they're politically tone-deaf. They can continue to operate as obstructionists, and risk spending the next 50 years out of power -- just as conservatives did after opposing FDR -- or they can seek the political middle ground, and stand a chance of re-establishing themselves as a viable political option. Don't forget, conservatives tried to derail the New Deal, too. Yet many "beautification" projects completed under the WPA banner, as well as conservation, trail and restoration work done by the Civilian Conservation Corp, are among the nation's best-loved and longest-lasting reminders of the good that can be done with federal spending.

As the results of the last two elections clearly indicate, this generation of G.O.P. leadership has already demonstrated they're politically tone-deaf. They can continue to operate as obstructionists, and risk spending the next 50 years out of power -- just as conservatives did after opposing FDR -- or they can seek the political middle ground, and stand a chance of re-establishing themselves as a viable political option.

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