Newton Trails

Sigh...  Deep breath...  Long pause...

Sorry, I still haven't found a better way to control my anger when trail opponents refer to efforts to create safe places to walk and bike as "elitist."  These are some of the wealthiest men and women in Newton County, but somehow they have twisted the truth so that even some elected officials say walking and biking are frivolous pursuits of the "elite."  Never mind that $4-a-gallon gas and unemployment have made owning and driving a car out of reach for many, trail opponents believe any travel other than by automobile is a luxury they don't want to see funded.

Imagine the surprise when I tell Jimmy over on Thompson Avenue his biking along Floyd Street sidewalks with groceries bags in hand makes him part of Covington's upper crust!  The same is true, then, for my neighbor who walks several miles each way to work since her husband lost his construction job last year.

As a board member at Washington Street Community Center (WSCC), I've seen first hand the limited transportation and recreation choices available to children and adults in our most disadvantaged neighborhoods.  Over several years, our local cycling club donated more than 50 bikes and over 100 helmets to the children at WSCC.  With the help of the Covington Police Department, we taught kids safety and encouraged them to have fun.  Unfortunately, there is little safety or fun to be found biking in Washington Street traffic.  The kids have no place to bike.

I tried to make that point some time back to a Covington City Councilwoman who insisted trails were of no benefit to her constituents.  "My people would not be welcome there," she said.  Flabbergasted, I asked her where she wanted me to send the children to walk, bike, or play?  She said parents were more concerned with putting food on the table.  Even though she acknowledged that transportation grants to acquire the railroad and build a trail could not be used to feed our citizens, she said "Appearance is Reality."  She'd bought it hook, line, and sinker...  Trails are for elitists.

While the "just say NO" crowd in Newton County continues to vilify anyone trying better poor neighborhoods, there are communities where advocates, government, business leaders, and public health officials get it.  They understand place matters.  And, they use walking and biking trails to connect healthier places to healthier people.  Just watch this video of the Met Branch Trail in Washington, DC, and see if you can spot the "elitists"?

Study after study proves place matters.  Residents of poorer neighborhoods have more health issues and shorter life expectancies than those living in areas with higher socioeconomic factors.  That's the reality, appearances be damned.  And, it's time for leaders who will accept that reality and confront the appearances that keep it hidden from view.

Trails break down barriers and provide greater access to healthy habits and healthier places.  You don't have to travel to DC to see it.  Viisit the Arabia Mountain Trail in Lithonia some weekend.  Try to count the families -- red, yellow, black, and white from every economic level -- out getting healthy together.  You'll quickly lose count.

"Priorities First," say the trail opponents.  What, pray tell, could be a higher priority than the health, safety, and welfare of all our citizens!?  Yeah, I know.  That's elitist thinking again...

Sigh...  Deep breath...  Long pause...