Page 285 - Beyond Decommissioning

266 Beyond Decommissioning

that direction. The use of segregated cycle facilities is promoted by a large portion of
the cycling community, for example, lane and path cyclists, and also by many envi-
ronmental associations. The “Green” movements in the 1990s were fervent promoters
of the construction of cycle networks in many countries. This has led to various high-
profile cycle network projects in many cities. This underlying enthusiasm is the basis
for the conversion of redundant railways into cycle paths. Fig. 6.50 shows an old rail-
way near Wuppertal, Germany converted to cycling and jogging path.
The conversion of redundant railway buildings can give rise to specific issues
regarding their location, especially if they are adjacent to still working lines or existing
public footpaths and cycle-ways. Due consideration may be required to ensure that an
appropriate enclosure is designed to ensure a private amenity area.
The US rail-banking mechanism is worth a mention. According to Rail to Trails
(n.d.) “rail-banking is a method by which corridors that would otherwise be aban-
doned can be preserved for future rail use through temporary conversion to a trail.
Established in 1983, the rail-banking statute allows a railway (railroad in American
English) to remove all of its equipment, with the exception of bridges, tunnels, and
culverts, from a corridor, and to turn the corridor over to any qualified private
organization or public agency that has agreed to maintain it for future rail use. This
property transfer precludes abandonment.”

Fig. 6.50 Old railway near
Wuppertal, Germany, converted
into a cycling and jogging path.
Photo by M. Laraia, 2015.