×

Parts of River Trail need to be cleaned up

As a moderate flood hit Marietta for the first time in years last month, there was a flurry of activity–first to prepare, then to clean up.

But now, three weeks after those waters receded, there are still areas in the city that need attention.

The River Trail is still unusable in many locations. Though workers came through with equipment to remove the heaviest mud, there is still a heavy coating of dirt over the walking and biking path. Any time there is precipitation, the trail becomes impassable and dangerous again. In addition, the well-used walking trail at Indian Acres Park is still covered in very deep dirt and mud and the tennis court there is also covered.

We understand that the city’s resources and workers are spread very thin. But we think this long after the flood, there should have been a greater clean up effort.

The trail is very popular and is a part of many people’s daily routine. They walk their dogs there or get their exercise before or after work. Many don’t have pedestrian-safe routes in their neighborhoods to use. Three weeks is a long time to ask people to give up part of their daily routine–particularly when it is a healthy habit that should be encouraged. The path also isn’t very presentable in its current state to visitors to the city, who are often very impressed with the trail.

Beyond the inconvenience of the current mess, there is a larger issue here. The city’s workers have a lot on their plates and are often hopping from one crisis to the next. We understand why the trail wasn’t the first priority immediately after the waters receded. But if we still have flood mess weeks after the flood, should we really still be talking about extending the River Trail? If we don’t have enough city resources to take care of the current mileage, who will care for an even longer trail?

Marietta has a great supply of volunteers. We’re curious if the city has reached out to see about getting more help on trail maintenance.

Maybe that would be a good solution for all. We’d like to see the trail properly cleaned and full of people and pets again soon.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today