@DaveK 106252 wrote:
A lot of them don’t want the improvement – http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/loudoun-wants-to-keep-its-historic-potholed-gravel-roads-unpaved/2014/02/14/ccdda5e0-94c8-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html
That article is really unclear about who exactly is lobbying for/against paving the gravel. But I guess it is not surprising that the rural residents that don’t need to drive on the roads (i.e. aren’t commuters) might like to keep the roads unpaved to discourage others from using them. The argument about keeping gravel roads to preserve the historic nature of Loudon county is pretty laughable given the wasteland of suburban sprawl that characterizes much of the county.
The only people I know that have to commute on unpaved roads are grateful when they have turned from gravel to chip seal. Granted, the commuters are by definition those new city folk that aren’t “part of the rural community”.
In any event, I think gravel is recreationally fun for riding — or driving, so I too would be a little sad if all the gravel disappeared. Luckily MTB trails don’t face the chip seal threats.
