The Cuyahoga Valley National Park plans to resurface 16 miles of the Towpath Trail in Northeast Ohio, replacing the current crushed limestone surface with chip-sealed asphalt.  This plan would make the Towpath less safe, be harmful to the national park's environment, and be detrimental to the historic character of the park.

Additional points below refute assertions made to local newspapers by decision-makers involved in this resurfacing proposal.  If you agree that the Towpath should not be resurfaced, please sign this petition.  It will be sent to the National Park Service, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and local elected officials.  Thank you!

Safety: some cyclists are travelling at unsafe speeds on the existing surface. They will only speed up if asphalt is laid, increasing the risk of collisions with other cyclists, pedestrians, children, and pets.

Environment: replacing crushed limestone with a hard surface will lead to more water runoff, causing further erosion. While maintenance of the existing surface requires more long-run labor than laying asphalt would, crushed limestone & small rocks are environmentally superior to a fossil fuel derived surface. Compression, slumping, and gouging are negative impacts already acknowledged by the advocates of this plan.

History: the proposed new surface is said to have an "earth-toned color". It appears this is intended to reduce heat retention in the asphalt and give it a more natural appearance. Going back to this area's initial development in the mid-19th century, adding artificial surfaces has only contributed to more heat retention and detracted from the region's historicity.