Connectivity
Connectivity is the buzzword as leaders across
Rome and Floyd County consider future trail
development.
Development of trails is generally an off and on
activity and locally, that’s no exception.
The first rail to trail project in Georgia was the
Robert Redden footbridge across the Oostanaula
River. Parallel to the Second Avenue Bridge it was
dedicated in 1976. Trails were laid out on top of the
levees and that is where Rome’s trail system stood
into the mid 1980’s when the Heritage Riverways
Trail Network was envisioned and laid out by local
leaders like John Bennett, Jim Dixon and Ron
Sitterding.
The city purchased low lying land along the
rivers and connected downtown Rome out to
Chieftains Museum.
44 OUTLOOK | APRIL 2020
Trail systems and
connections in the
works for 2020
That network was extended out around State
Mutual Stadium after it opened in 2003.
City Manager Sammy Rich told commissioners
during a planning retreat in February that Rome
has a trails facilities plan the city has been working
out of for years.
Over the years, piecemeal work took place on
the dirt trails along Jackson Hill. A couple of years
ago - after General Electric donated acreage next
to its abandoned medium transformer plant in
West Rome - a series of trails, primarily designed
for mountain bikers, was developed by volunteers
with the nonprofit group called TRED - Trails for
Recreation and Economic Development.
The popularity of trails was evident on Jan. 1 of
this year when the Rome-Floyd County Recreation
Department held its first First Day Hike at Lock and
Dam Park. More than 120 people showed up, far
exceeding what organizers had imagined.
By Doug Walker
Steve Kight works on trail features at the GE
trails at Garrard Park. Much of the work done
on local trail systems is through volunteer labor.