Re-use old railways, turn them into Trails!
The SMART idea I have chosen will help people in three areas: local self-transportation, sustainable environmental land use, and health and recreation. This will all come from re-using the old unused railway lines that go through the city of North Bay Ontario and turning that area into four season multi-use unpaved trails. They can be used for walking, biking, snowshoeing, xcountry skiing, etc. They could also link to pre-existing routes like the TransCanada Trail and the Kate Pace Way. As it stands it is hard to get to the waterfront of Lake Nipissing, the Steve Omischl Sports Field Complex, and outlying communities like Callander and Corbeil by bicycle. The routes often involve cycling on the road or highway and this is difficult, out of the way, and dangerous. The land has already been cleared of rails and is ready to be re-purposed. My concern is that if we dont save the land for "green" purposes it will turn into residential or commercial property and we will never get that space back! North Bay needs more recreational and nature pathways and areas! Its SMART to use what you have in a new and better way that meets the needs of the present and future residents and tourists.