The rail trail is great for youth, and the environment.
The recent town hall meeting of candidates was excellent. Issues raised included public transport, youth disenfranchisement, and the horror of electric bikes, all pointed to a neat integrated solution within the rail trail.
Electric bikes are a boon for transportation. We know that don’t we? Sure, regulation may be required as the uptake of bikes and scooters scoots ahead of public safety, but when I see young people getting around the shire without the need for parents or public transport, that signals so many positives: access, equity, affordability, environment, etc.
Professionally, it is painful to observe most people not understanding the cost of public transport, especially in regional areas with insufficient numbers of people to make it viable (even with government subsidies).
Finally, most councillors have realised that the rail trail is indeed the best option, and that we will never get a train, in the next decade, back on that track (at least without massive public/private investment).
So, what we have now in front of us is a fabulous opportunity to provide a super-efficient transport corridor connecting key shire towns, which when combined with the increasingly affordable electric bikes, delivers a form of private transport that’s arguably better than a solar train or an occasional bus.
The Tweed rail trail also demonstrates all we need to know about the boon to sustainable tourism.
It is time for the roads to share the space with all active transport options and we stop being a car-centric community. Let’s get moving.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
