Editor,

Re: Erika Engel's article - " A smooth transition?"

There are a couple of elements that were not covered in the article.

The Georgian Trail is located in a climate zone that can severely impact an asphalt surface. If you have ever travelled the paved trails in Ottawa, you will know what I mean. The frost has broken up the trails and it makes for a very uncomfortable experience, especially if you are cycling.

The initial 3 or 4 years of a newly paved trail are outstanding. Then somewhere between five and 10 years the trail will start to deteriorate and break up. This brings us to the key element about paving the Georgian Trail that has not been discussed to date. How will the repair/resurfacing of the paved portions of the Georgian Trail be funded? From 1989 to 2009, the Georgian Trail was not paved. Why? Funding was not available. When the paved portions of the Georgian Trail need to be repaired/resurfaced will there be a government Grant program in place to cover the major portion of the paving expense?

Sincerely,

Ron Tadman

Collingwood