There appears to be a renewed focus on the idea of expanding some of the recreational trails available in our region, with the idea of connecting more of our communities and expanding into other states.
Mike Paprocki, executive director of the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission, spoke with the Hancock County Commission Thursday afternoon about two possible projects which could take existing trails, or even create new trails, and connect them with existing recreational infrastructure in other parts of West Virginia, as well as Ohio and Pennsylvania.
An additional emphasis came Thursday night during a workshop session held by Weirton Council.
For the last couple of years, the Weirton Board of Parks and Recreation has been working on a plan to pave the local portion of the Panhandle Trail. The board has been awarded with a state grant (although that money isn't quite in hand, yet) and has received contributions from various local government sources as well as putting some of its own money into the pot.
During the workshop, it was suggested city council use some of its American Rescue Plan funds to complete the paving project.
We have several such trails in our area, whether it be the Panhandle Trail leading from Weirton into western Pennsylvania, or the Pioneer Trail which links with the Wellsburg Yankee Trail and the Wheeling Heritage Trail traveling along the Ohio River and Route 2. Those were developed on old rail lines.
A trail also exists in Steubenville, winding through areas of the city's downtown and then traveling near the river. Other paths have been proposed to traverse additional areas of the city.
It's nothing new, really, as there have been ongoing discussions and pushes toward connectivity as part of groups pushing for a much larger network of recreational trails.
The problem has always been figuring out how and where to make those connections.
The Great American Rail Trail has been proposed to connect 12 states with these recreational trails. The coalition working on the project have focused on communities in Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington.
Locally, the major obstacle continues to be the natural terrain and boundaries, as officials and volunteers try to figure out ways to stretch the Panhandle Trail from its current terminus to eventually cross the Ohio River. That's where having a united front among local cities and counties comes in handy. Funding and resources are needed in order to conduct planning projects to see whether it is possible to make such a connection here.
It may end up that these plans won't be practical, in which case we at least know for certain what the limitations might be. If there is a way to move forward, though, I would hope we understand the benefits this could have for the Upper Ohio Valley.
I live near the Panhandle Trail, so I see some of the traffic it gets during the year. I've known of people who have ridden the trail from McDonald and Burgettstown to Weirton and back. For several years, there was a group from Weirton who would go on a multi-day ride, starting on the Panhandle Trail and working their way onto other connecting trails, on an effort to raise money for a local Christian school.
We could become a stop on a nation-wide recreational trail system, which would mean visitors in need of hotel rooms, food, and even bicycle-related services.
I don't know whether these ideas will go anywhere, but it is worth pursuing so we know for certain.
(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter @CHowellWDT)