No reason trail could not be placed over sewer line

To The Daily Sun,

I read with curiosity an article in The Laconia Daily Sun in which the mayor of Laconia contended that the WOW trail would never be extended to the Weirs unless the rail line were removed. He was reported to have said it would be too costly to build a trail alongside the tracks. Why, one wonders?

There is a buried sewer line already in place along the tracks. The soil is already roughly graded; constructing a paved path above the sewer line shouldn’t present any insurmountable obstacles. The right of way already exists. The same condition already exists all the way to Meredith, in fact, and could be a tremendous boon to the region’s tourist economy.

See a similar bike path that was constructed in Stowe, Vermont, for a comparison study of economic benefit. That trail is a tourist draw in itself which benefits the local economy and many businesses.

It’s interesting that, when the regional sewer line was constructed along the railroad tracks from The Weirs to Laconia in the late 1970s or early 1980s, similar suggestions were made by forward-looking individuals recommending that a path be constructed above the sewer line. The line was under construction, being graded and backfilled, and the possibilities seemed rather obvious. Such a path would give people in the community increased opportunity to enjoy the region’s natural amenities as well as provide healthful recreation, to which it should be added, an asset and draw to the tourist industry.

I grew up adjacent to this route and walked along the rail lines, which parallel the lake for miles, many times. It is truly beautiful and something people ought to have access to.

Back then, when the sewer line was under construction and these suggestions were made, the primary objection made, if memory serves, was that a chain link fence or similar barriers would need be constructed between the path and the rail line for safety purposes. This was deemed to be prohibitively expensive. I suppose that reasoning would have led one to conclude that we couldn’t safely have sidewalks along our many streets.

Similarly, some today would seem to suggest we could not have such sidewalks adjacent to private property without requiring the city to provide a fence. Each generation seems somehow to find its own excuses and rationale, but I would suggest this matter be given another look. There is no reason why rail and sidewalk, or path, if you prefer to call it, can’t be compatible.

Surely it is time, long overdue, that our communities embrace an optimistic point of view that looks forward to a bright future instead of continually searching for reasons why we can never change, never build anything new that would improve our lives and economy. A recreation path that extends not only from Franklin to The Weirs but all the way to Meredith would be a shining accomplishment, an amenity that showcases the community and its setting.

Bruce Callahan

Thornton