Resources and Reflections

Emerald Empire Adventures does not support, participate in, facilitate, recommend or otherwise encourage unauthorized use of railroad rights-of-way, whether active or inactive. We take the property rights and liabilities of right-of-way owners as well as the safety of the general public very seriously. The information provided herein is intended to raise the profile of railbiking in the awareness of the public and to open a dialog with right-of-way owners with the express intent of developing a safe, convenient and authorized tourism attraction in Mendocino and surrounding Counties. That being said, Emerald Empire Adventures is actively dedicated to pursuing discussions, developing infrastructure and promoting authorized railbike access as a safe, inexpensive and unique attraction that can provide economic stimulus to rural areas in these difficult times.

We have been informed in very emphatic terms by those with prior experience in the field to expect swift and vigorous legal actions to quash this idea at the earliest moment. As perennial optimists, we hope that this is not the case. Our goals are not limited to merely making a buck off the deal, but also to generating additional revenues for the right-of-way owners and protecting the rails use as a functioning transportation system into the future.

A great deal of activity has occurred in the last 20 years or so in the US and abroad in the “Rails to Trails” arena, with may benefits to surrounding communities and trail users. Our approach differs in that we see things from the perspective of “Rails AS Trails”, explicitly keeping open the option of returning the right-of-way to rail transport.

A quick look at Google and you’ll find; Results 1 - 10 of about 2,180,000 for rail biking.

Rail biking (or “Dresin” as the Europeans say) is as old as railroads. Some of the very first railroads were exclusively pedal powered, and many railroad museums, like our own Roots of Motive Power in Willits, record the more recent use of pedal power for track survey.

In the modern incarnation, rail biking is a recreation practiced world wide both on active systems and abandoned or unused rails, always with the permission of the owners! Take a look at YouTube;

YouTube - Rail-Biking – April 08
	1 min 32 sec – Apr 13, 2008 – Incredible ! Rail Bike …. Reply. I want a rail bike! Is that homemade? What is the website? … www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWLtX-RvBQY -

With over 38,000 miles of abandoned or unused rail in the US and so many miles going back to weed and brush here in northern California, it seems  a shame to watch it all crumble away. Emerald Empire Adventures proposes that right of way owners should actively entertain the notion of embracing rail biking as a means both of generating revenue and of contributing to track maintenance and survey. We have sent messages to both Skunk Train and North Coast Railroad Authority management and are looking forward to opening a dialogue.

As will be seen below, railbiking is an active and attractive feature in several locations worldwide. In light of our current economic situation here, development of railbiking represents an very low cost tourism development opportunity for Mendocino and surrounding counties as well as a direct benefit to the railroads by providing an immediate source of income through use permits. Economic benefits would accrue to the community in general through the promotion and marketing of a unique recreational opportunity to a diverse set of people.

Due to the relatively shallow grades, the lack of traffic and the unique access to remote forests and back country offered by rail biking, as well as the rarity of this attraction in competing markets, rail biking could become a significant element in the tourism economy and supporting businesses. Because of the relative ease of access even for those not conditioned to road cycling, the potential market includes the old, the young and the timid/not entirely insane like your typical roadie.

With the exception of the bikes, the infrastructure is in place; hundreds of miles of rail that could use a little TLC. Having spoken with many truckers and other automotive type road users and through long years of cycling experience, I am familiar with the lack of love for cyclists. Here is an opportunity to get some of us pesky non-petroleum based raodies off the roads, a thought that must delight some of those who have informed me in no uncertain terms that they would just as soon not have to look at my lycra-clad backside. So, one could reasonably expect support for this enterprise from a couple quarters not usually associated with the promotion of cycling?

Right of way owners certainly have their list of concerns with cyclists; unauthorized usage, trespassing, destruction of property, injury liability, fire, trash, illegal activities….. What have I missed? These are legitimate concerns that have been addressed and resolved in many places, so successful models do exist.

In Norway they get it;

Dresinsykling, Telefon: 408 88 805 Les mer

Leon Gjesdal på Figgjo Stasjon ønsker igjen velkommen til ny sesong med dresinsykling på Ålgårdbanen.

Du kan bestille tid på telefon, 408 88 805, både til dagtid og kveldstid, hverdag og helg.

Oppmøte er på Figgjo Stasjon og du må medbringe sykkelhjelm selv.

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