More rails-to-trails announced!

SemperFidelis wrote:This is slightly dated, but when I lived in Bethlehem and the old Reading line was being coverted into a rail trail (just before the casino was built), the Mayor recieved all sorts of complaints at town meetings and at the local Democratic club for building what would certainly become "The Drug Dealer Expressway" due to the localities it passed through.

I have heard similar complaints from small minded, predjudiced people when it comes to trail construction and the opening of new transit lines. "Those people" from "those bad areas" apparently are waiting for healthly lifestyle supporting bike trails and cost effective, environmentally friendly light rail lines to commit thier crimes. Of course, these things are never about predjudice, but "facts" and "demographics". Those of us calling out bigotry where we see it in these arguments are just "being PC"...since calling someone "PC" is an easy way to deflect attention away from predjudice.

Yes, it happens against trails, too. Probably not as often as against new transit projects but ask your average homeowner if they want a few hundred strangers wandering down a trail that is adjacent to thier backyard and I would imagine a good number of them would have reservations.

Edit- the old Reading line was also derisively referred to as "The Grey Way".

Well, occasionally those concerns do have some foundation. http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2016 ... n_che.html

Not the type of stellar citizens I would want in my backyard.

OK, also dated but there was significant pushback against the Perkiomen Trail when it was first proposed. As I understood its history, one of the major reasons it was originally hardpack and gravel rather than blacktop was an effort to compromise with (placate?) opponents by limiting the number of riders who would use it. Of course, since then almost every time a section undergoes major repair it's blacktopped anyway

SemperFidelis wrote: ... I have heard similar complaints from small minded, prejudiced [predjudiced] people when it comes to trail construction and the opening of new transit lines. "Those people" from "those bad areas" apparently are waiting for healthy lifestyle supporting bike trails and cost effective, environmentally friendly light rail lines to commit their [thier] crimes. Of course, these things are never about prejudice [predjudice], but "facts" and "demographics". Those of us calling out bigotry where we see it in these arguments are just "being PC"...since calling someone "PC" is an easy way to deflect attention away from prejudice. ...

I've been on the receiving end of those attacks multiple times. At a recent political meeting a millennial type stood up to demand that the Norristown-Manayunk line be shut down because it was nothing but a "conduit for heroin users", then told me to shut up when I challenged her. Another time a guy was insistent that criminals regularly take the Paoli line to rob rich Main Line mansions. I baited him by saying oh yeah, every morning I go past seedy types buying tickets so they can steal TVs and silverware. Response? "See?! I'm not the only person who knows that loads of criminals use public transit!"

Biggest reason across the board as already described is the belief that the trail will be a conduit of undesirables. Incidents of users being targeted on the Schuylkill River Trail in the city gives ammo to opponents anywhere in the region. Another reason in distant second are residents who fear privacy and potential trespassing issues. The proposed rail trail on the Newtown branch has about 20 vocal opponents in Northampton that claim this. Don't know if this particular group would qualify and meet the vague standard of a "well organized " opposition as requested by SS's hissy fit, but they have caught the attention of those involved and the media - even though they are way outnumbered by proponents.