Right wing environmentalist Wrote:
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> The paving of abandoned right-of-ways is one of my biggest pet peeves. Why can't the
> rail-trail nazis just leave it as a natural surface?

1. A railroad roadbed of ballast is not "natural".

2. Ballast does a great job of chewing up shoes, bike tires and wheels, and is horrible on the feet of horses, dogs and other trail users.

3. An abandoned railroad right-of-way doesn't generally lend itself to natural area restoration, unless the surrounding area is also a natural area. As the surrounding area is often fully developed, it's nearly impossible to restore just the right-of-way back to a natural state. Further the right-of-way is often polluted.