Plans for the proposed Shenandoah Rail Trail took a step forward last week, but there’s still “miles to go” until its completion, according to one of its biggest advocates.
Supporters of the proposed Shenandoah Valley Rail Trail, a 48.5-mile unused Norfolk Southern corridor recreational trail, are patiently awaiting approval of the state budget from the Virginia General Assembly.
This article first appeared in the Virginia Mercury.
When Del. Tony Wilt, R-Rockingham, introduced a budget amendment funding a study on creating a new 43-mile long rail trail in the Shenandoah Valley, the odds of the proposal making it into the final budget for the governor to sign looked slim.
After Wilt’s amendment was stricken from the House version of the budget, the idea appeared doomed.
However, thanks to the efforts of his regional ally, Sen. Emmet Hanger, R-Augusta, the measure made it into the Senate’s budget to be adopted by the two bodies’ conference committee in October. Now, a longshot proposal with broad popularity is set to take its first official step towards becoming a reality.