Thanks for signing the petition

[HB Trail]

Hello,

The petition has been online for less than 48 hours and we already have 90 signatures.
Have copied below the comments collected from an articulate and passionate group of people.
This is great place to live and we all know that a Rail - Trail would make it better.

The first phase of this effort is fairly quiet and behind the scenes. We plan to approach each of the local government units and ask them to pass a resolution in support of the Hendersonville to Brevard Rail-to-Trail Greenway. The idea behind the petition is to identify as many potential supporters as possible so that when the effort becomes newsworthy we will have a grassroots group in place. In the near future we will encourage you to write letters to the editor and contact your local elected officials. The timing on this is in question because of uncertainty about how quickly Norfolk-Southern will take action. We are working to figure that out now.

So, Thanks again for signing and for encouraging your friends to sign.
We would love to have a few hundred more signatures.

This is a link to the petition:
http://hbtrail.org/

To learn more about the Friends of the
Hendersonville to Brevard Greenway and join the group.
http://groups.google.com/group/HBTrail?hl=en


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Comments:
Public greenway projects provide recreational access and economic benefit to our community.
Safe environmentally friendly transportation by bicycles should be an option.
In general: I feel that a greenway enhances our communities and make them more desirable places to live.  A flat, safe bicycle ride to Brevard would sure be nice.
Great idea
We need more opportunities to get excercise and this is a natural, plus it will link two communities and raise property values along it.
More preservation of our area for us and the tourists that come to our area. I have also read about parts of Virginia doing this and it has created more outdoor activity and tourists that love the great outdoors. Our area is growing so fast we need to do more to preserve the beauty of it and eliminate or at least cut down on auto traffic.
I have been working on physical activity in my work at Partnership For Health for the past 6 years and also serve on the Apple Country Greenway Commission.  The Greenway would be a major attraction to Henderson & Transylvania counties.  I've done several out of state greenways and know what an asset they are to any community.
I bicycle for fun and health and would love an off road place to ride and the connection to Pisga Forest.
It's the perfect use for the right of way that has been abandoned. It can promote fitness, encourage discovery of new areas for tourists and maybe even help local businesses.  It has worked extremely well in other areas of the country.
Why not take something and put it to good use. I am sure much of this work could be done with volunteer labor.  Name a major road in Hendersonville that you would dare try to ride a bike on.
Trail would be a tremendous addition to the local economy. It would attact tourist dollars, provide a low cost non-polluting mode of transportation and a great recreational benefit. It could also provide a way for some of our school students to get to school without the pollution and congestion of buses and cars.
In the community we came from in Ohio, rails to trails was very popular and we used several of them on a regular basis. I think we have so few safe places to ride our bikes in this area, it would be a real attraction to many people who now hesitate to ride their bikes. Anything that encourages outdoor exercise is a real benefit to our community and would strongly urge the state to acquire the Norfolk and Southern discontinued rail corridor for the purpose of creating a trail for bicycling, pedestrians, and non-motorized vehicles.
Rail beds are can be ideal paths through beautiful landscapes, that should be enjoyed by all, and not wasted.  Studies show again and again, that there is no substitute for exercise, to improve your general mental and physical health.  We should grab any opportunity we have to extend the exercise options for our community.  I am a local physician, an avid runner, and strongly support this program.
This would be a tremendous resource for the area.  The Virginia Creeper trail has been a major source of economic growth for southwest Virginia.  A trail connecting Brevard and Hendersonville would have a similar effect for both communities in bringing new, clean jobs to our region.
we would love to have a place to walk, run, bike that is free from car traffic and would take us somewhere.  it is hard to find places to bike with young children.  we always seek out the greenway/bikeways in other cities/towns and love them!!!  what a great addition to our community! 
I lived in Portland, Oregon before moving to Hendersonville. It was a wonderful bike friendly city. They had miles of trails that were converted rails to trails. I used these a recreation with my children and to commute to and from work. Once you open up bike lanes and trails it is fantastic to see how many people you can get out using a resource which is great for health, happiness and the enviroment!!
It would be a great resource to our community and our young family with 4 boys. We would use it to access the beautiful areas in our community.
Greenways are a great way to get people of all ages outdoors for fitness and recreation.  They connect people to people, people to the environment, and community to community.
This would enhance the local opportunities for fitness and I expect it would improve tourism/business prospects in both communities as well. How could it be bad?!
This would enrich our community in many ways including public health, economic development, tourism, sense of community and recreation.
Fun, Family, Fitness. Economic impact, tourism dollars, increased property values.
Living in Mills River, we would definitely take bike trips to Brevard and Hendersonville using this path.  The roads around here are much too dangerous.
Recreation for retirees as well as families with kids - perfect fit for both communities
Good for people's health.  It encourages healthy family activities, will bring tourist dollars
Rail to Trail would make positive use of the land not being used now and benefit every resident.  It will add recreational and exercise opportunities for individuals and families. It would serve as a safe way to travel to and from each city as well as the spots in between. It also could provide new business opportunities along the path and improve the existing ones. We need to keep as many greenways as we can.
I have lived in other communities with more developed rails to trails and know first hand how much they benefit the communities that support them.
I believe that we need to think of more things like this that can be used to connect us with our community.
It will preserve green space and offer a recreational alternative for the community and visitors. 
Rails to Trails programmes are tremendous assets in communities where they are implemented.  I believe one for the Brevard/Henderson corridor would be a well used trail, and one that would likely be used by both tourists and residents.
To keep our area green
The proposed rail linking Brevard and Hendersonville will be a real tourist attraction. The communities of Laurel Park, Horse Shoe, Etowah and Penrose are all along the route and provides a safe alternative to US 64 for commuters. Imagine living in Etowah and biking to work in Hendersonville or Brevard along a graded trail without the fear of getting hit by a car.
What a great use of an existing route.  It would be great to have a safe area to bike.
I am a big believer in outdoor exercise and recreation.  I think it promotes sound mental health and helps create happier healthier people who are more likely to make positive contributions to there community.  Any kind of parks, trails, soccer fields, or other areas where people can outdoor recreate is smart. 
After visiting the beautiful Virginia Creeper Trail, i'm convinced that an entire cottage industry could be developed here. The rail between Hvl and Brevard is scenic and mostly level and would benefit the communites economically, scocoally and recreatioally.  The Creeper Trail supports two towns almost entirely by itself.  Think about what an additon like this would add to making Hendersonville as a family destination.  Heck, start it on 7th Ave and revitalazation would happen privately and enthusiastically!
The need for a healthier set of choices in our world is important and this is a very simple way to provide them. It is our responsibility as adults to provide such opportunities for our youth.
Great recreational opportunity.  Commute from home in Mills River to work in Hendersonville safely via bike.
We depend way too much on the automobile. I'm tired of sitting!
Its a fantastic idea and I'd love to see more greenways around here!  It would get people outside, exercising, enjoying our beautiful lands and off the roads.  Thanks for all you are doing!
This is a crucial step towards making this area a more attractive, healthy, and prosperous place to live. My home county in New England put it a rails-to-trails system about 15 years ago and it has been a huge success politically, socially, economically, and environmentally. Even those who initially opposed it (including the property owners alongside the greenway) now love it--a true win/win situation that I am confident would also happen here!
This would be a great way to get out with the family and exercise in a safe environment.  We bike now, but it is scary with kids to bike on the roads in these communities. 
There are many bikers on our narrow and curvy roads, but this would invite more people to get out and exercise and enjoy our beautiful area in a safe place.
Great way to be outside.  It would be a great opportunity to better recreation in general.
I think it would be an excellent opportunity for recreation for families.  WE would use it for roller-blading, running, biking, and would LOVE it! It would also draw people into our community!
In this time of increasing gas prices, this would be great green development for our county and would promote green tourism and heritage tourism in Brevard.
The first step in health care, is taking care of ourselves.  We need to encourage young and old to exercise by providing safe places to run and ride. 
Every one of these I have ever seen has been marvelous. We deserve marvelous here.
I am for promoting safe exercise for children, adults, and pets. 
We need to encourage people to use alternate means of transportation as well as provide sufficient parks for recreational use- this would serve both as well as encourage more people to come to both Hendersonville and Brevard, therefore helping local businesses.
I lived in Morgantown, West Virginia when they developed their unused rails to trails.  It instantly increased outdoor activity among families and enhanced businesses along the trail whether it was outdoor restaurants or stores that catered to bikers/walkers.  There are no bike trails & sidewalks in Hendersonville.  We must travel 20- 30 minutes to get to safe areas to bike and hike.  We have a sedentary population.  i think it makes a statement of how important it is for exercise and outdoor activity.
Having spent time on the Virginia Creeper and New River Trails I know what wonderful assets these facilities are for a community. The proposed trail would be wonderful for our area and I fully support all efforts.
This will be a tremendous economic stimulus for Brevard and Hendersonville.  It will also serve as a way for me to bike to work as well as provide my family tremendous enjoyment.
Can't bike on Hwy 64.
Would bike-commute to town if we could.
We've said for years that the old RR to Ecusta would be a great rail to trail project.
Please do it!
Riding bikes with cars is becoming more and more dangerous. Giving us a location to ride without cars will open up avenues such as commuting, recreation, getting to businesses that we otherwise might not go to.
I have biked the Virginia Creeper Trail and have seen people of all ages enjoying the trail.   We supported local businesses during our stay.
I live just off Hwy 64W (Sunset Drive) and have long wanted a bike path connecting our communities.  Every time I see those rusty rails I think of how much fun it would be to bike and walk along it.  I've been on Rails-to-Trails in other areas.  It works great.  I think it would actually cut down on car traffic with people in this area riding bikes to work and school.
I am from rural southern Illinois and the rails to trails have allowed for the small communities to benefit from the increase in tourism and survive the lack of state funding.
With the trail it is conceivable that many can commute by bike to work.  With an uncertain future for fossil fuel, we need an infrastructure that supports alternative transportation.  This conversion can be most cost effective in that effort.
It would be such fun to be able to ride a bike safely along the railroad track.  The roads around here are too dangerous for bikes.  I think most people would really love something like this.  It would be good for our health too, being outside exercising in the nice fresh air and sunshine.  Please do it!
This trail would be such a wonderful addition to this area.
it would turn this area even more beautiful than it is and  get the traffic down which we really need to work on to keep it the quaint tourist town that it is.
rail to trail brings in tourists we won't get otherwise
We need safe paths for people to use for recreation and exercise!!!!
Recreation and family use for the community.
By expanding and increasing greenways in the area, we are promoting physical fitness, natural awareness, and outdoor space for all to enjoy.
I lived in a community previously that had a Rail to Trail.  I saw how it benefited the community not only for it's own citizens' recreational use, but also by bringing tourists there.
As a cyclist for over 3 decades now, I would love to have a local place to ride w/o traffic @ times. Plus, it would be a good place to introduce new cyclist's to riding, who are afraid to try now because of dangerous conditions in traffic. Plus, there are lot's of other activities that would be safer on a designated area such as this. I would need it to be a paved project for most of my needs. But, anything is better then just a dead railbed:)!