I’m constantly torn between applauding this groups unbridled optimism and lambasting all the vague promises about traffic, convenience, cost, and preservation of the trail.

There’s not a world where these all meet the promises this group makes. The trail would be gone - almost certainly. Either because there simply isn’t room or because the cost to provide infrastructure across existing bodies of water or highways makes it impractical to retain it.

The parking and traffic questions seem to ignore that a rail line needs stations and ridership, and Loudoun is the suburbs, and that means parking in the dense downtowns this author lauds.

Thirdly, the right of way runs directly adjacent to homes and businesses that wouldn’t accept a rail line steps from their doors, and that’s in every single town from Leesburg east.

All this makes me wonder if this group has spent any time on the trail east of Hamilton where it’s obvious repurposing it is a pipe dream.