Hitting the Trail for More Biking Access

Jim Hoefler and Jim Mader work to make Carlisle more bike-friendly

by Jordan McCord ’10

July 1, 2010

Christina Socci ’13 (left) and Sarah Gray ’13 promoted the rail-extension project by painting two windows in downtown Carlisle this spring.

In the near future, Cumberland Valley rail-to-trail enthusiasts imagine Carlisle and the surrounding area will be more like the country of Denmark, where the residents rely on bicycles for transportation. Through their work with the Cumberland Valley Rails-to-Trails Council (CVRTC), Jim Hoefler, professor of political science, andJim Mader, a fitness instructor at the Carlisle Family YMCA, hope to make this vision a reality.

Both Hoefler and Mader, who teaches yoga for Dickinson’s employee wellness program, are board members of the CVRTC, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to constructing outdoor, multi-purpose trails, where railroad tracks once existed, in the Cumberland Valley of south central Pennsylvania.

The current path follows the Cumberland Valley Railroad rail corridor for 11 miles, from Shippensburg to Newville. Once the proposed extension is completed, the corridor will extend 22 miles, from Shippensburg all the way to Carlisle.

 “There are many logistical hurdles to jump, but I think it’s realistic to think that we will be able to get from Carlisle to Shippensburg on a network of trails, perhaps with some short back-road detours, in two to three years,” Hoefler said.   

The former rail bed provides the ideal structure to accommodate such a project, which will feature a 10-feet-wide platform with two bike lanes, he said. There also will be room for a grassy area next to the trail for horses and riders. Exercise enthusiasts will be able to walk, jog, bike or horseback ride seven days a week. The trail can be used throughout the year, serving cross-country skiers in the winter.

“The biggest challenge is getting those not familiar with the idea to warm up to it,” Hoefler said. “I have never met anyone who did not think it was a great idea after they had been on a trail, but sometimes it’s hard to get people on board and excited about something they are not familiar with.”

The viability of the extension is dependent upon raising funds to purchase a strip of former railroad land owned by PPL Electric Utilities. Mader and Hoefler also are working to win the support of private homeowners near the trail.

Mader describes the project as one that promises countless possibilities, including community activities, such as a Shippensburg-to-Dickinson marathon, he said.

He also envisions a variety of economic benefits for Carlisle and the surrounding area. “Land values go up because people want to be near parks, and as people spend more time out in the rural areas surrounding Carlisle they will better appreciate the nearby agricultural industry,” said Mader. In addition, increased traffic between Carlisle and Newville could help draw businesses into Newville.

Mader grew up in Elizabethtown, Pa., and developed his passion for bicycling early on. “By age 6 we were on bikes and gone; you can’t do that in Carlisle.” However, with the new extension, Mader foresees local residents making lifestyle changes, especially in this day of rising fuel prices.

Hoefler, who spent the spring semester in Copenhagen, Denmark, on sabbatical has grown more enthusiastic about the Cumberland Valley project since seeing the central role that biking plays in the life of that nation.

Hoefler and Mader began working as a team last October, and Mader said he was extremely grateful to have the support of Dickinson, particularly from President William G. Durden ’71, who hase ndorsed the extension committee’s pursuit of a grant to finance the project. Recently, Dickinson students also became involved in helping to get the word out about the proposed extension.

Christina Socci ’13 and Sarah Gray ’13, members of the Arts Collective, the major student organization related to the Art & Art History Department, helped Mader decorate windows on High Street to advertise the project.

“After hearing him talk about the rail-trail extension, I was thrilled to help out,” Socci said. “It’s a great cause—connecting towns, enjoying nature, the works.”