Recently, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) learned of a potential up-coming railroad corridor abandonment in your area. On or about October 23, 2009, East Tennessee Railway Company filed an Environmental Re-port in anticipation of the abandonment of 10 miles of track in Tennes-see, from Johnson City in Washington County to the City of Elizabethton in Carter County. Please note that the railroad has not yet filed this corridor for abandonment but indicates that it will do so on or after Nov 12, 2009. The report can be found at:http://tinyurl.com/ylb2csp. A map of the rail corridor location can be found in this report.
We are providing you with this information so you may take advantage of the potential opportunity to develop a real regional asset — a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses. Soon after the railroad files the corridor for aban-donment, you will be notified via email from RTC’s Early Warning System, including information on the next steps that can be taken to help turn this corridor into a trail. To receive future Early Warning System notices for railroad abandonments in your state, or if someone you know should receive the notice for this abandonment, sign up at
If you believe this corridor is suitable for trail use, we strongly urge you, or an appropriate local, regional or state agency or organization, to take action soon after the abandonment filing. You will be able to file a “boiler-plate” letter (found at RTC_FactSheet_Railbanking with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and the abandoning railroad using STB docket number AB-1031 (sub-no. 0x). Filing this letter will not commit you (or the agency which files) to acquire this corridor; it will merely give you time to develop a rail-trail proposal and undertake negotiations with the railroad. It is important that you take prompt action once the abandonment is filed. You should also know the STB recently imposed a $200 filing fee for all railbanking requests. Entities filing a railbanking request may request a fee waiver or reduction, and
government agencies will receive an automatic fee waiver.
In addition, RTC’s Web site may provide valuable tools as you plan for a rail-trail, including how-to manuals, a Trail-Building Toolbox, our Publica-tions Library and the Trails & Greenways Listserv for trail advocates and professionals. You can explore these trail-building resources at Trail Building.
If you take advantage of this information and other resources soon after the abandonment notice you will be well on your way to creating a successful rail-trail in your community. For more information, or if you are interested in converting this corridor into a trail, please contact the national office of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy by visiting www.railstotrails.org/whoweare/contact/index.html.
Happy trails, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Dan Reese,
- Vice-Chair: Southern Appalachian
Greenways Alliance
- Chair - Tweetsie Historical Trail Assoc
- Member - TDEC-Council on Green-
ways and Trails
- 1st TN RPO-Bike/Ped Coordinator
Johnson City Contact List.
(All in Johnson City, TN 37604)
Mayor- Jane Myron
c/o Jane's Lunch Box
1109 W. Market Street
Ph: (423) 434-2665 Fax: 434-0406
JANESLUNCHBOX@AOL.COM
Vice Mayor - Jeff Banyas
220 Shadowwood Drive
Ph: (423) 283-0954 Fax: 928-0265 jeffdds4@aol.com
Commissioner - Phil Carriger
6 Fox Run
Ph: (423) 282-8373
pcarriger@charter.net
Commissioner - Stephen Darden c/o Hunter, Smith & Davis, Attys
100 Med Tech Parkway, Suite 110
Ph: (423) 283-6300 Fax: 283-6301
sdarden@hsdlaw.com
Commissioner - Marcy Walker
1602 Millbrook Drive
Ph: (423) 612-1396 Fax: 915-0082
mewalker@cvtsurg.com
