Politics

Ferguson says trail 'right tool for the job' on economy

By Coty Ferguson, Published: January 12, 2016

Here is Coty Ferguson's statement on the Ecusta Trail. He is a Republican candidate for the 113th House seat.

I have spent a great deal of time engaging voters since announcing my candidacy for the State House, and one question comes up every time, “How do you feel about the Ecusta Trail?” It is a complicated question because at its core it isn’t a question about a bike trail. The real question is, “What will the future of WNC look like?” The manufacturers that once employed people by the thousands are long gone. People are skeptical that a bike trail is the answer to our economic woes, and they have good reason.
It is hard to see how a trail produces jobs, there is no product and no employees. Yet, just a few years ago Travelers Rest was on life support; the Swamp Rabbit Trail breathed life into the community. It became a tourism draw and small businesses grew up to take advantage of increased traffic in the area. Travelers Rest knew that they had to do more than build a bike path, they had to invest in a future that would not look at all like the past.
A permanent year-round farmers market was built, Furman University was annexed, and incentives were provided to encourage investment. This multi-faceted approach is what we need for our communities. So when people ask, “How is a bike trail going to create jobs?” We should respond that it is merely a piece to the puzzle. The positive impact on communities just like ours rails-to-trails projects have had is undeniable. Which begs the question, why haven’t we done this already?
There are a couple of reasons, property rights and industry requiring rail in the future. Rail banking solves both of these issues. Watco, the rail line owner, maintains the property rights and grants usage rights for the trail; in doing so they also reserve the right to resume usage of the line should heavy industry return to the area. Like many folks, I was skeptical, I felt that once a trail was in place rail would never be able to return. In fact, there is a precedent for the resumption of rail activity.
Since 1982 when rail banking was first permitted, nine trails have reverted to rail lines. What is more encouraging is the large number of rails-with-trails projects, which serve as both an active rail line and trail. A study of rails-with-trails by the Rails-to-trails Conservancy found that there are 161 rails-with-trails operating in 41 states. This is in addition to the nearly active 2,000 rail trails in the United States.
The only remaining question is, “Can we afford it?” I think that a better question is, “Can we afford not to?” The Henderson County Commissioners, the Hendersonville and Brevard City Councils, as well as the towns along the route have endorsed this project. They know that the project comes with a multi-million-dollar price tag, but view the Ecusta Trail as an investment. There are federal and state funds available for rails-to-trails projects, there are also funds available from non-profit groups such as Friends of the Ecusta Trail and the Rails-to-trails Conservancy. New members of our community Oskar Blues,
Sierra Nevada, and New Belgium all have a history of donating to these types of projects. Estimates have valued the steel from the rail line at $1.5 million, money which would greatly assist in the building of a trail. There are a wide variety of funding streams available if this is the direction we want to go.
The future of manufacturing in the United States will not look like it once did, already, it is much smaller and increasingly specialized; Transylvania County does not have the infrastructure to support heavy industry if it were available. Water and sewage lines need upgraded, capacity must increase, and roads need major work. These issues are show stoppers when recruiting new industry. The economy of the future will be highly diversified. We must continue to leverage our biggest resource, the outdoors, while embracing small scale manufacturing, brewing, and small business.
What will our economy look like in the future? There is no doubt in my mind that it will include the Ecusta Trail. Bike shops and other small businesses will appear along the trail. Bike manufacturers will be drawn to the Cycling Capital of the South. Technology firms, who often place a strong emphasis on quality of life for employees, will be drawn to our highly walkable communities and strong schools. The Ecusta Trail is not a silver bullet, but it is a tool in the tool box, and in this case, it is the right tool for the job. As your State Representative I’ll fight to put more tools in our kit, until then, let’s use the tools we have.