Rails-to-Trails and Litter

Loss of railroads from the nation's landscape may be disheartening, but the proliferation of pedestrian pathways replacing the historic iron horse avenues is a creative use of thousands of unused or abandoned railroad passages. A number of these walking, biking trails traverse the United States. According to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy site, this was a natural phenomenon. After the old rails were removed, a ready-made pathway existed. Eventually, local communities started converting the dirt paths into paved trails. According the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, there are currently 20,409 miles of trails in the United States and 276 miles within the state of Indiana.

The availability of the trails provides a variety of benefits for communities and people within those communities.Our son lives very close to a trail, and we live only a few miles from a number of trails. His family uses this neighborhood trail for fun, exercise, and recreation. Although our trips down the local trails are infrequent, my husband and I occasionally enjoy pleasant walks on the scenic pathways. 

However, now and then our enjoyment is sometimes dampened by litter. There is one type of refuse that makes me angry. An stray piece of paper, a plastic bag, or even an aluminum can may be unsightly but that can be picked up and disposed of easily. Broken glass presents a different problem. The shards are not only unaesthetic but pose a danger to sojourners on the trail. The other day my husband and I picked several handfuls of broken glass on the local C&O trail. I wish those who choose to drink beer and litter on the trails would drink their beer from a can. Of course, better yet would be not to litter along the scenic pathway. One can hope that all who travel the trails will do so with fellow travelers in mind. Until that time, we plan to carry a sack for the litter.