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Resident urges council to pursue a North Bend–Coquille rail trail
Summary
Ben Forsman told the council the 23‑mile corridor from North Bend to Coquille could become a rail trail that would improve safety, boost tourism and connect communities; he said the Surface Transportation Board process is at an early stage.
Ben Forsman spoke during public comment at the Feb. 24 North Bend City Council meeting to urge support for converting the 23‑mile rail corridor from North Bend to Coquille into a rail trail.
Forsman said rail trails provide safe, separated places for walking and biking, reduce reliance on busy highways such as U.S. 101 and Highway 42 East, and bring economic benefits through increased visits to small towns along the route. He said bridges and some infrastructure are already in place and that the local corridor’s gentle grade makes it suitable for such a project. Forsman told the council the Coos Bay entity that owns a portion of the rail corridor had not yet filed a letter of intent with the Surface Transportation Board.
The council acknowledged the comment; staff did not announce formal next steps on the transcript. The speaker requested small material assistance (two to five yard loads of quarter‑minus) for a short stretch of boardwalk work; funding or staff follow up was not recorded in the meeting transcript.
