Without safe, convenient and enjoyable places to exercise it is impossible to create healthy communities full of healthy, happy citizens. It s all pretty much the same thing. Communities that make sense, that hold together, that have a feeling of continuity, are the communities that make the connection between all these values by creating trail and greenway systems. Like canaries in the mineshaft, trails and greenways are becoming indicators of community health. But it isn t easy.
Trails don t just happen.
You have to fight for them. This is not news to the people in this room. Unfortunately, as we all know, trails and greenways have opponents. However, we all know, from long experience, that the greatest opponent to trail and greenway development is fear. It has been said that the definition of a cynic is not so much a person who is embittered by the past as it is a person who is prematurely disappointed in the future.