December 3, 2008

No. 8 Streetcar Path




My wife and I just walked the "New & Improved" No. 8 Streetcar path. It
was great! The path is 8 feet wide. It has been freshly paved and I understand
that over 8 tons of trash and debris were removed. Many thanks are owed to
Maureen Sweeney Smith of the Olde Catonsville Neighborhood Association and the
forty volunteers whose efforts are really noticed. I encourage everyone to enjoy
this trail. And while you are there, if you notice that someone else has left a
piece of trash, please pick it up. Let's Keep This Trail Clean!
The path
which runs from Frederick Rd. to Edmondson Ave. is truly one of the great places
to stroll in Catonsville.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's little jems like this that help make our neighborhood special
and improve the quality of life for everyone, not to mention improving the property values for the entire community. My hat is off to Maureen and the many volunteers that were out on a very blustery Sunday morning a few weeks ago for the cleanup!
VOLUNTEERS ROCK!!!
Please keep your eyes open for upcoming events!

Anonymous said...

I remember walking the #8 Streetcar Path in 1994. Contractors had dumped large pieces of concrete on about a 1/3 of the trail in piles that were thigh high. About a dozen large trees had fallen across the trail. Neighbors had dumped their yard waste in heaps along the trail. The #8 was also a party place for local teens. Beercans, bongs and trash were everywhere.

I organized a few trail clean ups in 1996 and the first day 50 volunteers showed up. I couldn't believe that 50 of my neighbors believed in my vision! The next clean up day, 300 volunteers showed up as part of a Girl Scout activitiy. We thought it would take 6 months to do the planned worked. Due to the high volume of volunteers, we were done in three weeks.

In 2001, Catonsville Rails To Trails (CRTT) took over the stewardship of the trail. Several members began writing grants to get the path paved. Finally, in 2008, we had the funds to make the paving possible.

While I have been the public face of this project, there are so many people working behind the scenes that really deserve the credit. My hat is off to them.

I love this trail and this project has been a pleasure to organize. Catonsville residents, who take the time to donate and volunteer, have made it a reality.
Maureen Sweeney Smith

On the Lighter Side!