Who?

The Greater Memphis Greenline is a group of Memphians who care about their city and the outdoors. As the GMG Board President said, "We're just here making noise." The first project we worked on was the Shelby Farms Greenline. Read more about this seven-mile trail here.

What?

The Shelby Farms Greenline is an example of what is called a "rails-to-trails" project. You can read all about these types of projects here, at the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's web site.

Why?

The idea behind the Greenline is the same idea behind public parks and other green areas: to get people engaged with each other and the enviroment. As Mayor Wharton said at a public Greenline meeting in July 2008: "It's about connecting citizens to the sidewalk instead of the sofa."

So, What Have You Done?

Ground was broken on the Shelby Farms Greenline in February 2010. It includes several road-trail crossings and the re-furbishing of three bridges. You can see renderings here from Ritchie Smith Associates, the designers of Phase One. Future work will include multiple improvements to and along the line.

The Shelby Farms Greenline takes advantge of an abandonded CSX railroad that winds across Shelby County. This line cuts through many of Memphis' well-known neighborhoods and runs along the north edge of Shelby Farms Park. Phase One will be roughly 7 miles long and stretch from Tillman Street near Walnut Grove (down the street from Republic Coffee) and end at Shelby Farms where Farm Road dead ends:



See a larger version of the map above here.

What's Next?

Now that the Shelby Farms Greenline nearing comlpetion, we are looking forwared. Here is what we are working on now:

1. The purchase of a 2-mile section of unused rail near Chelsea Ave., which links Uptown, the Wolf River Greenway and the Mississippi River Trail with nearby schools, St. Jude, Rhodes College and Midtown.

2. The development of a plan to extend the western terminus of the Shelby Farms Greenline to Overton Park on the north and the Fairgrounds to the south.

3. The purchase of a property at the corner of Scott and Broad Avenues to create a trailhead which will link Shelby Farms and Overton Park — the “Park-to-Park” connection.

4. The creation of 400 miles of utility easements into a multi-use trail system, with the permission and support of MLG&W.

Here is a map of proposals:

See a larger version of the map above here.



Some quotes and info courtesy of the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy website.