Don't miss chance to fund rail trail
By:
Friday, October 31, 2008
Voter approval of the proposal to increase tax support of the Champaign County Forest Preserve is crucial to maintaining and improving the quality of life in our communities. Since moving to Champaign six years ago, the thing I miss most is having access to off-road biking trails, which are available in so many other parts of the country, mostly along old rail corridors.
The former rail line from Urbana to Danville offers a priceless opportunity to improve quality of life through public outdoor recreation in this county. A biking-hiking-equestrian trail on the corridor would not only be a boon to public health by enticing people to get outdoors for some good exercise, it would also link the communities of along the corridor with an alternative to vehicle transportation. People could actually commute by bicycle from St. Joseph to jobs in the cities. If the forest preserve district does not have the resources to purchase and maintain this corridor it will be lost forever and our communities will be impoverished. It would be tragic shortsightedness on the part of Champaign County citizens to vote against this rare opportunity.
DIRK MOL
Champaign