Originally Posted by
indyfabz
I forgot that it was supposed to air starting last night until I saw a post on FB. Ended up streaming it on my desktop computer.
In some cases, opposition comes from an irrational fear of crime. The same is true with some public transportation projects. What usually ends up happening is that such projects increase property values instead of crime. They can also increase local economic activity, resulting in increased tax revenues. (So much for trails not being money makers.). I’ve seen the local economic benefits from trails like the Mickelson in SD and the very popular GAP in PA and MD. Without the latter, you’re not going to get many visitors to somewhere like Rockwood, PA. Someone in W. Boston, PA had the foresight to buy for adjoining properties, fix them up, and turn them into B&Bs. They hit the market several years ago for $800K, which is a lot for that area. Even the house that was used for Buffalo Bill’s house in The Silence of the Lambs has been turned into a rental after being in the market for years. (It’s very close to the GAP). The online gift shop sells Skinsuit So Soft Lotion.
You nailed the homeowners primary concern - inviting crime into their neighborhoods, which are not borne out by other converted trails. They were also afraid of the unwashed, using their properties as bathrooms, not to mention lack of privacy. King county installed bathrooms and port-o-potties, litter cans and barriers delineating the trail and property boundaries. AND the home owners assessed values did increase and crime has not increased either.