The Railroad right-of-way in Cherokee County between Murphy and Andrews has been without scheduled train service for nearly 50 years.
Local government has been trying, unsuccessfully for decades, to reestablish train service to this dead end section of track.
The track and trestles, because of the lack of maintenance, has deteriorated to the point where it will take millions of dollars to restore it to a usable track. Our local government does not have the resources to restore these tracks. Our local government cannot provide any current economic justification to the state or federal government for restoring these tracks.
Therefore, the signers of this petition respectfully request that the NCDOT, Cherokee County, Town of Murphy NC, Town of Andrews NC all endorse converting the railroad right-of-way to a multi-use pedestrian/bicycle/hiking trail, commonly referred to as a “Rails to Trails” project. These Rails to Trails projects enhance the community, provide new economic opportunities and preserve the historic and environmental assets of our community.
Sign the petition and learn more at: Change.org
