Why Not Here?

Every time I visit family in The Land Far, Far Away (otherwise known as Mid-Missouri,) I hit the KATY Trail. ("KATY" was originally the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad.) Either on foot or by bike, the KATY is a jewel in the crown of the country's Rails-to-Trails program.

Established in 1986, it runs 200 miles, bisecting the state. Some nearby towns have also built tributary trails, connecting to the KATY and further enhancing accessibility.

Along the KATY Trail are numerous small Missouri towns that have reaped the benefits of a trail running through them. My grandparent's hometown, tiny Hartsburg, MO (population 508) is one of them.

Set on the Missouri river, Hartsburg's livelihood originally depended on river traffic and, after that diminished, on the KATY Railroad. When the trains stopped running, Hartsburg's economy stopped with them, leaving a few homes, the pool hall and not much else.

With the conversion of the KATY tracks to the KATY Trail, walkers, cyclists and money started flowing through Hartsburg and other small, similarly strapped towns.

My grandfather's house, close enough to the tracks that passing trains once rattled the windows, is now the site of the local winery and perfectly positioned for a stop along the trail. His garden patch is now part of the annual Pumpkin Festival. Other once abandoned homes now house cycle rental and repair shops, restaurants, gift and antiques stores, a bed and breakfast and a Chamber of Commerce. There is even a construction company in a town that a few years ago may well have been gone with the next flood.

I'm always so happy to get back home to the Susquehanna Valley, but I do wish I could bring the KATY Trail with me.

So, why not here? Why not a version of the KATY connecting the towns in Otsego County? Trails can be built with or without railroad beds. Unlike a trail in Missouri, our Susquehanna Trail (or whatever it is named) would be available year-round, thanks to our snow. What a boon it would be for walkers, cyclists, runners, snow-shoers and cross-country skiers, and to the kinds of business they encourage. Residents and visitors alike could healthily and safely discover Otsego County and the wonderful, historical, small towns that are now bypassed. The potential for events and the benefit to local businesses is stimulating.

Our finest asset is our county's beautifully rolling topography, our lakes, creeks, the Susquehanna River and our many fine small towns. A multi-use trail for non-motorized traffic celebrates our environment without exploiting it, provides a badly needed venue for physical activity and could provide a stimulus to varied homegrown industries.

Brenda Berstler is the founder of the Walking Example Group (WE-GO) a non-profit organization encouraging walking and walkable communities. Visit their website at www.we-go.org.