christ0ph

I live in a suburban community that is sort of ground zero for an ideological conflict between development and livability.. Its now often badly planned development "to increase the tax base" that is resulting in large areas (oftentimes, the nicest hiking areas) no longer being accessible or traversable.

When I was a child, one could ride from one end of town to the other on informal but functional foot and bike trails, often very short ones, simply connecting cul-d-sacs..but now a great many of them are gone. Some have been sold - a clear act of insanity, to adjacent homeowners..

Others have turned into impenetrable thickets..

The effect has been to isolate many neighborhoods in a very walking and bike unfriendly manner, making it impossible to go from point A to point B without going on paved streets the entire way, in many cases doubling the distance and forcing riders to go up unnecessary hills and along highways.

In many cases the land the paths used to traverse remains public property, although its blocked from use in some way..

There are also flat potential trail routes along a stream, and adjacent to railroad tracks that could be nice bike trails. People often walk their dogs along the train tracks, but the path should be better.

This community could go from being remarkably unwakable and unrideable to being quite walkable/rideable without a lot of expense.

How do people go about getting bike lanes built when the local government pays lip service to cycling and environmental friendliness but at the same time, isn't.

Wake

$3/gallon gas tax.

downtube42

In my city, the local hospital is behind a "healthy communities" initiative that is helping drive some positive things going on. I think they have it set up as a non-profit, and it writes grants and administers grant projects. You might see if there's anything like that organization in your community.

Hippiebrian

Sounds like these old paths and trails were actually on private property, and when someone else bought they removed them. If that's the case, unfortunately you'd be s.o.l.

If is was originally city property, write your representatives, get some petitions started.

Dchiefransom

The train company most likely doesn't want trails on the easement. People scream enough at the railroads when someone is trespassing on the easement and gets hit by a train.