Oglethorpe County residents are invited to come and learn about the Firefly Trail at an open house at Crawford Depot on Jan. 31 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
President of Firefly Trail Inc. Mark Ralston said they hope people come to learn more about what the proposed trail could do for the community.
“We’re holding this so that people in Oglethorpe County who aren’t familiar with trails and maybe are concerned about them can come and learn more, get their questions answered,” Ralston said. “Also, so that people who are interested in the trail and know about rail trails can come and find out more about what we’re proposing to do in Oglethorpe County and maybe get involved.”
The plan for Oglethorpe County is to construct a portion of the 39-mile path from Athens to Union Point which will connect all the communities along the corridor of the Athens branch of the Georgia Railroad. The trail will provide pedestrians, cyclists and runners with a place to exercise or do active transportation away from cars.
Ralston said he hopes the community is drawn to the health and economic benefits the trail may bring to Oglethorpe County as well.
“Obviously the health benefits of trails are huge because they’re level, very flat, they’re great places to get out and walk or ride particularly for people who aren’t comfortable being out interacting with cars or in communities without sidewalks,” Ralston said. “They also bring tremendous economic development potential.”
Firefly Trail is already under construction in Athens-Clarke County and model mile segments will soon be built in Winterville, Maxeys and Union Point. Funding for Firefly Trail comes from a variety of public and private sources.
Since Oglethorpe County is smaller than Athens-Clarke County, SPLOST may not be the most viable option for funding the trail.
“Oglethorpe is so small and has such a small business base that we may have to look for additional funding mechanisms,” Ralston said. “We’re hoping that there are some things maybe from state and federal level, and of course from private grants and donors that might make things happen faster.”
Ty Houck, director of greenways and natural and historic resources in Greenville, South Carolina, will be speaking at the event. In his position with Greenville County, Houck has had extensive involvement with the successful Swamp Rabbit Trail between Travelers Rest and Greenville. Ralston said he hopes Houck’s experience with the Swamp Rabbit Trail will excite the community in Oglethorpe.
"One of the reasons we’ve invited the speaker from South Carolina is because the Swamp Rabbit Trail there completely transformed that small town from one that was literally drying up like so many small towns are, to one that is a bustling thriving little city,” Ralston said. “It’s fantastic to see and I hope people get excited about his presentation.”