Project Ambushed: TAKE ACTION
We had a BIG surprise this week (not in a good way) that threatens the future of the Shenandoah Rail Trail. A new proposal was presented at the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) meeting on December 9, leaving all of us shocked and frustrated.
What’s happening?
At that meeting, the CTB was presented with a proposal to:
Transfer the Shenandoah Rail Trail project and all its funding to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA), who would then “grant” the money for a “rail-with-trail” concept to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.
This would represent a significant shift from the stand-alone 49-mile destination Shenandoah Rail Trail that Valley communities have been working toward for the past five years.
And it is contrary to studies by VDOT and DCR, which have already found that:
✔ Rail-to-trail conversion is feasible.
✔ There is overwhelming support for the concept.
✔ The right-of-way is wide enough for a multi-use trail.
More recently, VDOT’s Rail-With-Trail assessment looked at restoring rail service alongside a trail. Their cost estimates indicate that attempting to rebuild the railroad and add a trail alongside it would cost roughly four times more than building a standalone trail.
ACTION NEEDED: SPEAK UP FOR THE TRAIL
Please take a moment to send a message to the CTB and VPRA boards and tell them you:
➡ Oppose transferring the Shenandoah Rail Trail project and funding at this time.
➡ Support a stand-alone Shenandoah Rail Trail as the most realistic, cost-effective option for our communities.
Or, if you'd rather send a note directly from your email, here are the address for CTB members and the VPRA to copy/paste:
Shep.Miller@governor.virginia.gov, Ray.Smoot@ctb.virginia.gov, Frederick.Stant@ctb.virginia.gov, Tom.Fowlkes@ctb.virginia.gov, Wayne.Coleman@ctb.virginia.gov, Darrell.Byers@ctb.virginia.gov, Randy.Laird@ctb.virginia.gov, Thomas.Lawson@ctb.virginia.gov, Laura.Sellers@ctb.virginia.gov, Joel.Davis@ctb.virginia.gov, Linda.Green@ctb.virginia.gov, DJ.Gribbin@ctb.virginia.gov, Becky.Dunlop@ctb.virginia.gov, John.GoodJr@ctb.virginia.gov, JR.Minchew@ctb.virginia.gov, Tiffany.Robinson@drpt.virginia.gov, Stephen.Brich@vdot.virginia.gov, contactus@vpra.virginia.gov
Why we’re concerned:
‼️ This new proposal appears to conflict with VDOT’s own findings that rail-with-trail would be prohibitively expensive and complicated, making it much more difficult to successfully develop the full 49-mile trail.
‼️ The proposal has not undergone the extensive study and public review that the Shenandoah Rail Trail has experienced over the past five years.
‼️ VDOT had not yet completed the Phase 3 assessment, which promised another round of public engagement.
Community leaders are already voicing similar concerns, including Delegate Tony Wilt who released a statement yesterday in which he said,
“Most concerning is that the proposal seems to require that the existing rail infrastructure remain in place, effectively forcing a rail-with-trail scenario that, as previously outlined based on the study, poses steep hurdles to success. This provision alone may function as a poison pill and could prevent any trail infrastructure from ever being developed.”
