Times Editorial : Fight, fight, fight
Posted on Saturday, July 19, 2008
Mayor Coody touts the city's trail system as one of his top accomplishments during his first two terms in office. As he develops his campaign in his quest for a third term, it seems to us that he needs to go beyond the rhetorical flourishes about the expansion of our beautiful trails system and advocate a funding increase for this important resource. Since his administration is now in the early stages of developing next year's budget, this would be a good time to speak up.
Last year the city budget for trails was hit hard - it dropped from $ 1. 3 million all the way down to $ 500, 000. At that rate, it is going to take a long, long time for the city to actually build all those scenic trails public officials and citizens alike enjoy bragging about.
Of course, the burden does not just land on the mayor's shoulders. He proposes a budget; ultimately the City Council must approve it. And that is where a lot of cuts are made. Happily, Ward 2 Alderman Kyle Cook, chairman of the city's Trails Task Force, is ready to "fight like hell"on behalf of winning full funding of the trails program.
Cook said at a recent Sidewalks and Trails Task Force meeting that he gave up the $ 800, 000 in the trail budget last year, but he isn't about to let that happen again. We hope the city will find itself in a much improved financial state when it comes to this year's budget rounds. We also hope Cook, and people like him who are deeply supportive of the city's beautification efforts, carry the day.
A key principle behind Fayetteville's trail construction program is to bring about approximately five miles worth of new trails annually - at least according to the city's Web site, that is. It is true that several miles of beautiful trails already exist, and we are grateful for them, every inch in fact. But the goal of trail supporters is to create a whopping 129 miles worth of trails connecting green space to neighborhoods all across the city. Reaching that admirable goal requires more construction, and more check writing, than anything the public has witnessed up to this point.
If you believe in this goal, if you believe in trails, if you believe in alternative transportation, if you believe in getting people out of their cars and into the great outdoors, if you believe in the bicycle and not the automobile, if you believe that Fayetteville has the opportunity to lead the state in something significant by way of its trails - now is the time to pick up the telephone, call your council representatives, and make your thoughts known. Don't be afraid. Call Mayor Coody and tell him you believe the city's trails add up to a vision that is worth shooting for.
Making way for new trails will help Fayetteville stand out among cities in Northwest Arkansas and across the state and region. More trails means more options for residents trying to get around town. The city is already sprinkled with a number of trails. It's true. But the plain truth is that it is difficult to get from point A to point B when those trails either don't connect or come anywhere close to the places we call home.
With gas prices not about to drop any time soon, trails can also play an important role is our efforts to lower our dependency on oil. Trails also provide safe routes for bicyclists, walkers and runners. Trails also return us to nature, humble us, and act as a lasting credit to those souls thoughtful enough to ensure their birth and construction in the first place.
Do you get the feeling we are supportive of the city's trails program ?
Much about these fine thoughts will fall short of becoming reality (at least in the near future ) without more funding on the part of city government. Headaches born of trying to bring city finances in under budget (again ) will always be with us. The opportunity to create quality green space that can be used by us and future generations for years to come won't be.
So let's do something about it.
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