Easton dedicates trail to former Mayor Willey

EASTON — Bob Willey, Easton’s former mayor, was honored Friday morning with a plaque describing his instrumental work in expanding Easton’s Rails to Trails.

The East-West section of the rail trail, which was dedicated to Willey, opened in April 2023. It connected the existing North-South trail to Port Street, the culmination of work by the town and the state.

Current Mayor Megan Cook said Willey carried the vision to expand the town’s trails.

“Mayor Willey played an important role in turning the abandoned rail line into a thriving bike trail,” Cook said. “Not only was he instrumental in the creation of the original North-South trail, but he recognized the benefits of extending the trail system throughout the community.”

Town Manager Donald Richardson said expanding Rails to Trails became a priority of Willey’s around 2016.

“It was a plan that had been sitting on a shelf for quite a long time,” Richardson said. “And if any of you know Mayor Willey, he does not like plans to be sitting on the shelf. So we dusted it off, it already had some funding in place through Maryland State Highway Administration, and we went to work. By no means was this trail an easy endeavor.”

Easton’s North-South Rails to Trails path, completed in 1998, is nearly three miles long, connecting North Easton Park and Idlewild Park. It is a popular stretch for walkers, runners and bikers, as is the newer East-West path.

There is still about half a mile left to be finished of the East-West expansion. Cook said once completed, the East-West section will add 1.5 miles of additional trail for residents. She emphasized that the Rails to Trails project helps public health, recreation and the economy.

Willey and his family attended the ceremony on South Hanson Street, with more than 60 town employees and residents in attendance. The former mayor celebrated his retirement this past winter after more than 30 years of service to the town, which included his time as mayor from 2003 to 2023.

“You get electeds like myself that come up with these hair-brained ideas of a rail trail and all the other stuff that needs to be done,” Willey said Friday morning to the crowd. “Then the engineers worry about how it’s going to fit in. And then we have a very talented public works crew, that really guys, I haven’t seen anything you haven’t been able to do and do very well.”

The stone and plaque honoring Willey can be seen next to the East-West trail on South Hanson Street near Station Lane.