September 29, 2011Dear Sir,Converted railway trails are a big thing in the US for recreational purposes and there is a large non-profit organisation which pushes this (see the Rails-to-Trails website www.railstotrails.org). Many Americans use these converted trails for hiking, biking, running, rollerblading, etc, and they automatically know what a railway trail means — no cars, a quiet country lane, and beautiful scenery, in short, a popular attraction to complement a vacation destination.There is a great interest in such activities in the US and the Railway Trail could be a major player in rounding out Bermuda's image, but it has been largely neglected in this regard. Relatively few Bermudians have seen much of the Railway Trail and even fewer have seen its most beautiful sections which contain some of the most striking views in Bermuda. Only very modest improvements would allow the railway trail to be advertised as major tourist attraction. I have run and biked the entire length of the trail many times in both directions and I'd like to suggest the required modifications.There is a beautiful section between the St George's end and the oil docks, and then between the oil docks and the Martello Tower. But there is no access across the oil docks and this totally disrupts the experience, to say nothing of being inconvenient in a major way to have to work one's way around the oil docks and back to the trail. How was this section of the trail allowed to be cut off? The pipelines surely should have been, and still could be, buried.Once one reaches the Martello Tower, the only way to continue across Ferry Reach is to circle back past the airport and across the Causeway, obviously not a pleasant and even a dangerous trek. The trail is broken by water at Ferry Reach, at Bailey's Bay (opposite Fractious Street) and at Flatts Inlet. The alternate routes at both of the latter sites are on main roads, dangerous for the hiker/biker and disruptive to traffic. After that the trail is reasonable all the way to just past Barker's Hill at the Ocean View Golf Course. The oil docks break in the trail and the water breaks make this half of the trail very much less of a pleasant experience. Also, part of the trail in Bailey's Bay at the end of the Winton Hill Lane section has been cut off by private property, probably inappropriately?The answer to these trail impediments is firstly that the oil docks need to relinquish control of the trail on their property, or provide open access across their section of the trail. Secondly, the water sections could be traversed by providing a boat to ferry people across the gaps. The sequence of the gaps is such that the same boat could ferry people across Ferry Reach, then meet them again sequentially at the other gaps, similarly if the travellers are moving in the opposite direction. The ferry boat (an open 16-20 ft runabout would suffice) would be scheduled by the travellers by telephone before they start.Use of the ferry and trail would be by paid tickets (reduced rate or free for those living in Bermuda). The person manning the boat (park ranger) would also be responsible for guide duty work, daily light maintenance of that section of the trail (trash removal), selling refreshments, and reporting required repairs and vegetation pruning to DPW, much like a park ranger in many national parks in other countries. These services would not in themselves run a profit, of course.The short sections on roads (e.g., on Coney Island, opposite the northern end of Radnor Road, and across Shelly Bay Nature Reserve) need to be well-marked. Hamilton is an unavoidable problem for an end-to-end trip on the Railway Trail and has no good solution. I believe that a marked lane or sidewalk use on Palmetto Road, Frog Lane, Montpelier Road, Middle Road west to Corkscrew Hill, and over Trimingham Hill to South Road where the trail starts again at Tribe Road No 2 is the best of a poor deal.From Hamilton to Somerset there are no serious problems, but some minor cleanup, repair and trail and road markings are necessary, with marked road crossings and signage for safety, etc. The sections through the farmlands of Paget and Warwick are shaded, quiet and very pleasant. The sections on either side of Fort Scaur have amazing vistas over the Great Sound. Side trips to Gibbs Hill Lighthouse and Fort Scaur would be facilitated by bike lock racks on the Railway Trail as the paths up to those sites are narrow and steep and unsuitable for bicycles. An easy side trip to Church Bay for some beach time or snorkelling is also possible via a short section of South Road from Barnes Corner, again marked for safety, and bikes locks for security.At the end of the Railway Trail at about Sound View Road the best route to continue to Dockyard is via Sound View Road. A side trip to the Cavello Bay ferry dock should be on the route. Continue over East Shore Road to Mangrove Bay Road, over Watford Bridge to Malabar, Heydon, Lagoon, Craddock and Cockburn Roads to Dockyard. There are ample spots for picnics and swimming along the way from Fort Scaur to Dockyard.Either half of the Railway Trail instead of a round trip can be done from Hamilton only in one direction by using the scheduled ferry services to return to Hamilton (or to get to Dockyard or St. George's as starting points). It takes about three to four hours for a relaxed ride of half of the trail in one direction, Hamilton to Dockyard or St George's. The entire renovation of the Railway Trail would be relatively cheap, and it would become the jewel in the crown.STREET WALKERPembroke