Last night the City of Fairfax approved the George Snyder Trail in its original version. Many local citizens, bicyclists, pedestrians, former city officials, and trail lovers arrived in numbers not seen over the last few years of deliberations to advocate for the full buildout of the trail.

     First, a motion was made to build only the western half of the trail. That motion was withdrawn when it seemed clear that those in the audience and those who had emailed the City Council clearly were divided into two camps. Some who wanted no trail, and the rest who wanted the full trail.

     Next, a motion was made to build the entire trail. However, an amendment was introduced that would have essentially killed the trail while seeking creative financing to pay back the $3.7M penalty involved. The amendment failed on a 1-5 vote.

     Finally, that left the original motion to save the entire trail. That quickly passed without further discussion by a 4-2 vote.

     Many thanks to all who signed this petition, corresponded with the City Council, and spoke at last night's meeting. This was truly a testimony to the democratic process. It was not easy, and many thought we could not achieve this goal. Take pride in your accomplishment.