Steve Mensing, Editor
♦ I greatly enjoy walking , riding bikes, and hiking. I also use an elliptical and do bodyweight exercises. All are excellent forms of exercise. I currently dwell in Madison, Wisconsin one of the foremost bicycling cities in the United States. I’m told there’s actually more bicycles here than cars in Madison. We have nature trails galore, walking paths, and well-engineered bike lanes.
Here’s some thoughts about Rowan and its municipalities:
• Walking, biking, running, and hiking already have large quantity of venues throughout Rowan County and its municipal areas. If we look around Rowan County and many of its municipalities we have mile after mile of preexisting sidewalks, tracks, public parks, footpaths, and nature trails. Check out an N.C. DOT bicycle map. In many cases there’s not a whole lot of connecting to be done to complete a Thread Trail. However in Salisbury there’s a dire need for sidewalks in neighborhoods outside of “8 block” and many communities exist who could use playgrounds.
• It’s an observable fact that in Rowan County not a whole lot of people engage in bicycling, walking, running, or hiking. Sadly of all the places I’ve ever lived I’ve never seen so few bicycles on the road as I’ve seen in Salisbury and Rowan County. In some areas of the United States days go by before a lone hiker, jogger, or bicyclist travels a nature trail . More likely someone will mall walk or use an existing sidewalk, track, or park path. How many persons actually travel along the Carolina Thread Trail from Concord, N.C. to the University of North Carolina in Charlotte?
• When grant money runs out somebody has to pay for the upkeep of a thread trail. The taxpayer has to pay for mowing, fence repair, vandalism, and cleaning up human and animal waste on a seldom used trail. I’ve hiked in many natural areas in the U.S.A. and some people don’t pick up after themselves.
If a municipality can no longer grab turf via forcible annexation, what’s really to stop one from grabbing some landowner’s dirt through eminent domain? In the past Gastonia forcibly took over farmland for the thread trail. Citizens need more than a promise especially from some elected officials. “Oh we’ll never “borrow” money from water and sewer.”
http://landlaw-nc.com/eminent_domain_faqs.htm
• Accidents do happen–this is a fact of life. People get injured, die, get very ill, and they often turn to attorneys. The local taxpayer may be ultimately liable for these accidents. In the event of serious bodily harm or death on a trail, the victim or their survivors may have a cause of action for premises liability, if they can prove that the owner of the land, and/or the holder of the easement over the trail, was negligent in providing for safety of those using the trail.
• Small businesses are told they will profit from thread trail travelers, but alas only a small number bicyclists are active in Rowan. We’re talking Rowan County and not Seattle or Madison.
• Health Risks? Unlike paths and sidewalks in more urban areas, certain health risks are involved along thread trails. Ticks, rabid animals, disease baring mosquitos and poisonous snakes are found in wilderness areas and even inside metropolitan areas.
• Who pays for the disposal of human waste?
• Criminals are known to prey on walkers, bicycle riders, and hikers on nature trails. Predators often stalk walkers and runners along thread trails in and around urban areas for muggings, rapes, and stickups. Hiker’s bodies show up from time to time in wilderness areas around the United States. It is far safer to exercise in the more civilized parts of counties and metropolitan areas. Often security is required. Somebody has to pay for it.
• The taxpayer foots the bill for security along thread trails. Walkers and runner are easy targets on lonely trails.
• With even a slim influx of hikers and campers the probability rises that a brush or forest fire may be ignited especially during times of drought.
• Changes in wilderness areas can lead to a change in the ecology. A ten yard wide asphalt paved path can alter an area. Changing a natural habitat can set off a cascade of undesirable events.
READINGS CONCERNING THREAD TRAILS
Common misconceptions about eminent domain: http://sogpubs.unc.edu/electronicversions/pg/pgwin09/article4.pdf
What is eminent domain and how can it affect people: http://landlaw-nc.com/eminent_domain_faqs.html
Washington residents meet to solve issues of crime on trails: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/residents-near-bike-trail-honor-victims-of-violence/2013/06/17/72e30e2c-d506-11e2-8cbe-1bcbee06f8f8_story.html
County Commissioners vote to reject Carolina Thread Trail (May 18th, 2009):
http://rowancountync.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=44
