I intend for this post to be more about a great new greenway being considered in South Richmond, but I'd be remiss in not noting that 9th District City Councilman Doug Conner has emerged in our new political landscape as a regular mover-and-shaker. In the last month, Conner's name has come up in conversation and in print as an advocate for and leader around several key issues -- a regional technical school, the city's admissions tax on tickets to cultural events, and now an effort to connect Reedy Creek, Forest Hill Park and the James River Park to a new trail running deeper into Southside.
The Times-Dispatch's Michael Martz has details:
An abandoned and overgrown rail line in South Richmond may get new life as an urban trail.
The rail spur extends nearly 2½ miles from Cofer Road to Westover Hills Boulevard, where boosters hope trail users eventually will be able to connect to a possible trail along Reedy Creek to Forest Hill Park and the James River Park System.
"The big picture is wherever possible to connect parks to parks," said John R. Pope Jr., director of the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities.
The proposed South Side "greenway" is part of a broader regional initiative to link recreational trails, said City Councilman Douglas G. Conner Jr., who is leading the effort to buy the abandoned rail spur from CSX Transportation Corp.
"We're trying to get all of our regional trails together," said Conner, a South Richmond businessman who represents the 9th District.
It's no done deal yet, as the article explains, but it's a great initiative.
