First Energy, the company who controls the property of the former C, D & M (Columbus, Delaware, Marion) Interurban line, has requested a meeting with the Marion County Park District and Delaware County's Preservation Parks.

"Even though our main focus has been on purchasing and developing the abandoned CSX corridor west of Marion and developing it into our first bike trail, I have not rested on keeping the C,D, & M project moving forward too," said Karen Kelley, Marion County Park Director. "I called them Monday to check on progress and they said that they were ready to meet. This is good news."

The initial proposals for the C,D,M are to start at Smith Park in Delaware on Troy Road and head north passing Gallant Woods a new Delaware County Park and end at the Marion/Delaware County Line.

From there the Marion County Park District would pick up the development and bring the route into Marion and connect it with the Marion Tallgrass Prairie Trail (also known as the Phoebe Snow).

That connection would create a point-to-point (city to city) route. Combining the two routes would then make it approximately 25 miles in length.