Sequatchie Valley
Rail Trail Association

Sequatchie Valley Rail-Trail

“Not so long ago, America’s railroad corridors were being abandoned at a record pace and becoming a blight on communities and a haven for vandalism and other crime. Today, the rail-trail movement is turning these corridors into real community assets that can mean beautification, economic development, and even reduced crime. I am proud to say that we are now at the point that the national network of reil-trails is roughly equivalent to a full quarter of the length of the U.S. interstate system.”
RTC President David Burwell, who helped open America’s 1,000th rail-trail.

Next Meeting of the
Sequatchie Valley
Rail-Trail Association

Tuesday, Feb 15, 2000,
6:30 CST, 7:30 EST
At the Jasper Public Library
In Jasper, Tennessee

Directions to the library:
From Chattanooga on I-24, take exit 155 to 28 north. Go 1.7 miles, exit and turn left on Hwy 41 north. Go .8 miles to the 2nd traffic light and turn right-still on Hwy 41. The library is on the left next to the bank.

What is a Rail Trail?

Rail-trails are multi-purpose public paths created from abandoned railroad corridors. Ideal for many uses, such as bicycling, walking, running, in-line skating, wheelchair recreation; they are extremely popular as recreation and transportation corridors.

Rail-trails often provide a significant stimulus to local economies in urban as well as rural areas. Studies have shown that trail users have generated as much as $1.25 million annually for the towns through which a trail passes.

Communities and States across the country have preserved their abandoned rail corridors and taken advantage of them as linear parks. Over 1,000 “rail-trails” have been or are in the process of being developed in places as diverse as suburban Savannah, Georgia; rural southern Virginia and central Iowa: and urban Seattle and San Francisco. Several communities in Tennessee, such as Ashland City and Erin, have even developed rail-trails and joined the growing number of American communities using trails as tools for community enhancement.

Benefits of a Sequatchie Valley Rail-trail

  • Outdoor Recreation - Rail-trails provide a place for bicycling, walking, birdwatching, picnicking, rollerblading, and jogging.
  • Quality of Life - Rail-trails improve overall “quality of life” in a community by making the area a more attractive place to live and work and by increasing the value of adjacent residential and commercial properties. They actually keep vandalism and other crime from taking over these areas, because of the amount of traffic using the trail.
  • Alternate Transportation - Rail-trails provide energy-saving alternate transportation routes for walking and bicycling to school, work and shopping.
  • Education - Rail-trails can serve as vital outdoor environmental laboratories and cultural interpretation areas for area schools and universities. They can enlighten students as to local historical areas and what used to be and why we should protect these areas.
  • Economic Vitality - Rail-trails can bring new economic vitality to a community by bringing in new industry and tourism, encouraging new trail-related business development and enhancing community growth.
  • Community Cohesion - Rail-trails are safe places where children and adults can gather for festivals, picnics, and informal socializing, and thus, build a sense of community.

How can you help support the Rail-Trail Project?

Sequatchie Valley Rail-Trail Association has been organized to support the development of a local rail-trail, as well as educate the local communities as to the benefit of such a trail. The proposed corridor will run 28 miles from northern Sequatchie County south into Marion County. Our hopes are to preserve and share the history and beauty of the Sequatchie Valley.

The objectives include:

  • Increasing community awareness of the tremendous benefits of a local rail-trail
  • Obtaining enthusiastic public and business support
  • Increasing committee membership and involvement
  • Addressing question and concerns of adjacent landowners, and
  • Developing an action plan

Let’s encourage more outdoor recreational opportunities in our valley and become leaders in healthy outdoor enjoyment in the Sequatchie Valley.

For more information on local organization, contact:
Katie Dunn 423/949-4965 kadunn@bledsoe.net
Jane Indyk 423/949-4034
Bob Rock 423/877-9948

For more information on the RAILS TO TRAILS CONSERVANCY click here.

New trail recently opened http://pinebeltpacers.homepage.com/lltrace.htm

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