Sitting in the County Commission chambers on Monday watching a group of truly visionary commissioners light up the voting screen with the green “yes” votes required to make our greenway dreams a reality was thrilling. And a unanimous vote–icing on the big, beautiful cake. The vote was about more than making smart use of an abandoned rail bed. It was a historic moment for Memphis, establishing a green thoroughfare across the city, connecting people to parks, parks to parks, and people to people.
Can you imagine a greenway and trail running the seven miles from Midtown Memphis to Shelby Farms Park, connecting the core of city to the green heart of the region? It will be a reality by the end of the year. Shelby Farms Park Conservancy will manage and operate the trail, and we’re pumped. We have lots of work to do to make sure the community has a safe, attractive, fun and accessible greenway, and we’ll be seeking public input very soon to make sure we’re on track.
If you have questions, drop me a line at jandrews@shelbyfarmspark.org.
I think this is great! I used to bike to work and do weekend rides on the W&OD railroad trail near Washington DC. It was a safe place to ride and I think this will really add a lot to the area.
Me too. I CANNOT WAIT for this thing to be open. I already close my eyes and see us all whisking along. It will be such a great way to exercise, and as a Midtowner, it’ll give me a great connection to Shelby Farms Park.
Please check out the following video from GatesOfMemphis for an awesome view of the Greenline:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vje_2WVkYg
(Sorry I don’t know how to embed the video!)