The Longest Journey Begins With a Single Step
The point is that biking, hiking or riding are the best way to explore a region and none of these modes mix well with motorized vehicles. Even if it were somehow possible to make all the automobiles go away, the roads themselves are laid out wrong, the grades, the routes, and the geometry of the existing highway system is all wrong for fueless travel. The optimal solution is to separate them by creating a usable network of ethical pathways for enlightened journeys. An ethical route needs to emerge from the character of the land and so each locality will have to find its own approach to creating a sustainable travelers' network.

I am an Oregonian and Oregon has many, many, miles of abandoned rail lines which could form the backbone of a network if we're fast enough to save them while there's time. A sizable portion of this state is controlled by the National Park Service and Federal Bureau of Land Management, which should provide another piece of the puzzle. I am hoping that cooperative efforts by various guest ranches, b&b's and other tourism focused groups will be able to fill in the remaining gaps.

In a few years, we could have a network of motorless pathways so that a traveler could go from Nyssa to Tillamook or from Portland to Lakeview without ever sharing the road with a powered vehicle. Furthermore, Oregon has the kind food and lodging resources to make these journeys not only possible but delightful.

But there is no way any one person can do it alone. I know how to get from Dayville to Monument via logging roads and who to talk to about rights of way across Waterman Flats but I know nothing about Vernonia Klamath Falls. But every region has some people who know where all the old rails and logging roads are. And I suspect most innkeepers know the neighboring establishments and how to get there. It seems reasonable that building a network would take networking and this is my start. Does any of this interest you? Would you like to contribute? If so click on the link below to email me a message and let's get started.
Thanks, Dave Driscoll Nov 2009