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Bigger and Better
"Three friends and I hadn't chosen this route by happenstance. The bumpy, 335-mile-long ride draws cyclists from around the world because it is almost entirely car-free, weaving through terrain that forms a tour of American history."
This quote comes from a NY Times travel article about an adventure on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail and the C&O Canal Towpath, a 20-year multi-use trail project completed in 2013 connecting Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. A tour company deposited this group in Pittsburgh, and seven days, six motels and B&Bs, multiple convenience stores and restaurants, one bike rental shop, 300 miles, and hundreds of years of history later, they pedaled up to the Great Falls Visitor Center. And now I'm reading about it in The New York Times.
Soon, our project will inevitably show up on the pages of national publications as it begins to draw tourists. We have the same hooks: Car-free? Check. Terrain that traverses centuries of American history? Check! Let's not forget that our trail is paved, which calls to an even wider audience than the GAP trail because it's smooth. The other components of the author's experience -- tour companies, bike rental facilities, overnight lodging, restaurants, and convenience stores -- are all ripening business opportunities from Richmond to Williamsburg.
Now what? Do we stop at 52 miles? What if we take just a second to celebrate mission accomplished*, then figure out how to turn our 52-mile-long adventure into a 335-mile experience? Why not begin researching a separated trail along the Colonial Parkway, connecting trail users to Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown? What about to the west -- Henrico County, Goochland, and maybe even Charlottesville? Now that we're about to turn on the spigot of visitors and money coming to the region on the Virginia Capital Trail, let's dream of bigger and better.
It took the GAP trail 20 years to emerge. We're only ten years past the first groundbreaking of the Virginia Capital Trail. Let's be even more productive with the next ten years. What do you think?
Beth Weisbrod
Executive Director
Virginia Capital Trail Foundation
*Save the Date: October 2-3, 2015 for the Grand Opening of the Trail! More details next month.
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Las Bicicletas
Las Bicicletas, art that celebrates the freedom to ride, is a collection of 40 sculptures by Mexican artist Gilberto Aceves Navarro. They're on display around Williamsburg until October, when they leave for Chicago. Go, get inspired!
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| Las Bicicletas sculptures in front of the William & Mary bookstore (Photo: Allen Turnbill)
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Making the Trail Great
The VCTF is in the process of implementing a trail amenity master plan. This includes benches, rain shelters, fixit stations, and bike racks at locations all along the trail. Check out this fixit station at Great Shiplock Park, provided through the generosity of Hardywood Park Craft Brewery. If you'd like to have your name attached to an amenity along the Virginia Capital Trail, send us an email at: info@virginiacapitaltrail.org.
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| | Repair tools and a pump at Shiplock Park |
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Construction Progress
City of Richmond: Everything is still moving forward in time for a Summer 2015 completion. Rocketts Landing is paved, Lehigh is soon to be, and Dock Street will have its temporary alignment in place by July.
| Heading into downtown Richmond |
Varina: Construction is still on target for a September 2015 completion.
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| | New Market Road at Osborne Turnpike, looking west |
Varina Park Phase: Continued progress! September 2015 completion.
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| | Alignment through Four Mile Creek Trailhead |
New Market Heights: A lot of new asphalt on this phase, and more looks ready to go. It's scheduled to be completed by September 2015.
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