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F E AT U R E

Happy Trails: Greenways For Everyoneby Hannah Twaddell

Up until a few years ago,greenways were largely consid-ered just a recreational amenityby transportation professionals and local residents. But a shift in think-ing has started to happen. People beginby using the trails for recreation, but thenstart finding ways to access them fromlocal streets. From there, it’s not longbefore these interconnected networks areused for everyday transportation.

According to a recent USA Today/Gallup Poll, 84 percent of Americans arechanging their travel habits in responseto the gas crisis.1 Where folks oncethought nothing of hopping in the car forevery trip, they are now consolidatingerrands, carpooling, taking transit, andyes, bicycling and walking wheneverthey can. Bike shop owners likeHervey Hawk at Cycle Cave inAlbuquerque are doing a briskbusiness in repairs for people whoare “dragging 30 and 40 year oldbikes out of the garage” so theycan ride them to work.2

Adding to people’s desire forbike and pedestrian routes – par-ticularly greenway trails – is thegrowing nationwide concern overthe public health problems relatedto our sedentary lifestyles. Accord-ing to Keith Laughlin, president ofRails-to-Trails Conservancy, “themore trails and greenways we canhelp create and connect in communities,the more opportunities people will haveto be active in their transportation, burn-ing calories instead of carbon.” Veterangreenways planner Charlie Denney ofAlta Planning + Design says people atpublic workshops are no longer asking,“why should we spend money on trails?”

but “when can we get them under con-struction?”

WHAT ARE GREENWAY TRAILS?

A greenway is any open space cor-ridor that is managed for conserva-tion, recreation, and / or transportation. A greenway trail is a linear corridor withprotected status that provides publicaccess for recreation or transportation.3

Greenway trails can be found withinnatural corridors, such as a riverfronts,stream valleys, or ridgelines, or withinman-made routes, such as railroad orutility rights-of-way, canals, or scenicroads.4 They provide a cost-effective,low-impact way of connecting peopleand places, linking parks, nature pre-serves, cultural features, and historicsites with each other and with neighbor-

hoods. Greenway trails can be paved orunpaved, and designed to serve a varietyof users, including hikers, walkers, jog-gers, bicyclists, skaters, horseback riders,cross-country skiers, and people withdisabilities.

Communities of all sizes are design-ing greenways that tie into streets andsidewalks, forming one continuous bicy-cle/pedestrian network. For example, theEast Coast Greenway plan for Philadel-phia aims to connect major tourist desti-nations and city neighborhoods intoCenter City. The Louisville Loop willconnect more than one hundred miles oftrails and sidewalks throughout Ken-tucky’s largest city, while rural Mont-gomery County, Virginia, recentlycompleted a plan to link five villageswithin a 388-square mile area.

CREATING GREENWAYS: A FOUR-STEP PATH

1. Organize: Cultivate a sustain-able, citizen-led advocacy groupwith strong leadership and aclear vision.

Many of America’s greenwaysand trails have resulted from theefforts of community members.The keys to long-term success aretwo-fold: leadership and support.

The most important element is a core leader or leaders who have a clearly articulated vision and

the ability to recruit others to help re-alize it. The ideal candidate for projectleader is someone who has strong commu-nication skills and can foster teamwork;understands how government works; issensitive to people’s varying needs anddesires; and has tenacity and patience.5

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1 “Majority Now Cutting Back Elsewhere to AffordGas” (May 8, 2008); available at: <www.gallup.com>.

2 USA Today (May 9, 2008).

3 This definition is similar to the one set out in theinfluential 1990 report, Trails for All Americans, pre-pared by American Trails for the National Park Ser-vice.

4 As you embark upon a plan, be sure to clarifywhether you are proposing a greenway, a trail, orboth. A greenway can be created for the purpose ofland preservation, not necessarily with a trail. A trailis a public pathway that may or may not traverse agreenway that is protected through purchase or ease-ment. Some landowners are willing to donate, sell, orgrant easements for a greenway but not a trail. Othersare willing to support the trail but don’t want restric-tions on the land.

5 Virginia Greenways and Trails Toolbox (VirginiaDept. of Conservation & Recreation and the VirginiaTrails Association, Oct. 2000, Chpt. 2, p. 1; availableto download at: <www.dcr.virginia.gov/recreational_planning/documents/toolbox.pdf>).

Along the Baltimore-Annapolis Trail.

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potential trail users• parks, open spaces, and community

facilities• current and planned land uses• property ownership

The plan should include an analysisof trail demand among community resi-dents and visitors, displayed on a map ofestimated trips at various points.6 Anoth-er element is an assessment of potentialeconomic benefits such as increasedproperty values and business revenues;new jobs; increased corporate relocationand retention; and collateral develop-ment such as B&Bs and regionaltourism.7

Next, the plan’s feasibility must beconsidered. Consider the likelihood ofacquiring the land and funding for con-struction and maintenance; gauge thelevel of public support; and determinewhich entities could own and operate thetrail.

All of this information is assembledinto a draft master plan that is ready toshare with stakeholders and the largercommunity. Then a more detailed traildevelopment plan can be prepared show-ing elements such as access points, roadcrossings and bridges, gates and culverts,and amenities such as information kiosks

Happy Trails: Greenways for Everyonecontinued from previous page

Trails can be an attractive neighborhood amenity, as with this recreational trail being developed in Berkeley, California.

6 A standard reference for estimating trail demand isthe U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s Compendium ofAvailable Bicycle and Pedestrian Trip Generation Datain the United States.

7 The National Park Service publication EconomicImpacts of Protecting Rivers, Trails, and Greenway Cor-ridors is one of many useful resources on estimatingeconomic benefits of potential trails.

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public funds, but a time to let peopleknow about the group’s vision and, mostimportantly, to listen to their ideas andconcerns.

To write the full-fledged plan, engageprofessionals in landscape architecture,community and recreation planning,public participation techniques, civilengineering, and architecture. Publicagency staff may be able to do this in-house, but the most effective approach isusually to hire consultants who special-ize in greenway planning. Organizationssuch as Rails-to-Trails Conservancy andthe American Planning Association, aswell as public agencies such as statedepartments of transportation and parks/recreation, maintain consultant data-bases and can provide ideas for develop-ing requests for proposals.

The plan should include a physicalinventory of the proposed corridor, ideal-ly produced in a series of GIS map layersthat can be kept up to date. Key dataincludes:

• topography• hydrology and flood plains

• wildlife habitats• existing or residual environmen-

tal contamination• roadways and roadbeds, rail lines

(active and abandoned), trails, andother engineered facilities• public services and utilities

• scenic resources• historic and cultural resources• demographic and socio-economic

characteristics of the community and

The second key element is to sustainthe effort over the long haul by formingan efficient, well-managed team. Citizenleaders should include people from com-munities along the proposed corridor aswell as potential user groups, businesses,and civic organizations. The groupshould actively engage public and privateplanners, engineers, and administratorsof preserves, parks, and transportationfacilities.

2. Plan: Create a plan that enjoysbroad public support.

Develop a simple conceptual plan andmission statement to share in one-on-one or small group meetings with publicofficials, community leaders, and, espe-cially, landowners along the proposedcorridor. Soliciting this early input is crit-ical to success. This is not atime for negotiating ease-ments or talking about

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attracting people to formerly distressedareas. For instance, the Baltimore &Annapolis Rail Park runs through an areaof Anne Arundel County that had beenplagued by drug dealers. Within monthsof the trail opening, businesses werestarting to move into the area. “Once itwas re-created as a place people wantedto go,” says Charlie Denney, “the crimewent away.”

The bottom line is that there is littleevidence that trails lead to an increase incrime.10

Having said this, keep in mind thatgreenway trails – like all public spaces –can benefit from “Crime PreventionThrough Environmental Design”(CPTED) techniques to reduce the likeli-hood of crime. This includes lighting,signage, call-boxes, and well-prunedshrubbery.11 In Arlington, Virginia, andLouisville, Kentucky, trail markers arecolor-coded with a GPS location in thecity’s emergency-911 database, allowingtrail users with cell phones to tell policewhere they are. Many trails also arepoliced by volunteer or professionalpatrols.

When designing and building trails,it’s important to adhere to basic construc-tion standards, from clearing foliage andestablishing the foundation to managingrunoff and water crossings.12 Trailsshould also be designed to support alldesired users. For example, while low-hanging branches don’t interfere muchwith hikers, they’re an obstacle forcyclists and equestrians. Kelly Pack,manager of trail development for Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, also notes that“designers should comply with suggest-ed Americans with Disabilities Act guide-lines to ensure safe access for users of allphysical abilities.”

Funding sources for trail planning

and rest rooms. The plan also providesan overall design theme that supports theintended trail users, and is consistentwith the character of the surroundingcommunity.8 Finally, it identifies animplementation strategy with cost esti-mates and funding sources, as well asapproaches for ongoing trail manage-ment and maintenance.

3. Build: Acquire right-of-way andconstruct well-designed paths.

The most challenging part of manygreenway development projects is right-of-way acquisition. It helps to under-stand real estate law and negotiationtactics in order to acquire the necessarytitles, leases, easements, and/ or accessagreements.

In addition to the tedium of the legalprocess, this is the stage when misper-ceptions can stall enthusiasm. Landown-ers and municipal governments oftenworry about the liability of allowing pub-lic access to their land. Get familiar withstate codes and municipal insurancepolicies – they often provide indemnifi-cation for greenways. Most state recre-ational use statutes provide a high degreeof protection to landowners who allowpublic access.

Another misperception is that trailswill reduce property values or invitecrime. In fact, properties in the vicinityof trails tend to sell faster and for a high-er price than neighboring lands.9

Trails can also help reduce crime by

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Editor’s Note:

Downtown TrailsThere’s been growing interest

in connecting trail systems to downtowns.It’s a great way of strengthening our down-towns, by providing access for bicycle com-muters as well as more casual bicyclists andwalkers. In Akron, Ohio, for example, thepopular Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath trailwill be connected to downtown this Augustwith the opening of a 275-foot-long bridgefor pedestrians and bicyclists over theAkron Innerbelt highway.

Sometimes dedicated bikeways or bikelanes (instead of greenway trails) can con-nect downtown to existing recreationaltrails. One recent example is a mile-longbike commuter bikeway, funded by theFederal Highway Administration, that linksdowntown Wichita, Kansas, to theArkansas River Path, a 13-mile long recre-ational trail along the banks of the BigArkansas River

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In Wichita, Kansas, the Keeper of the Plainssculpture keeps watch over a newly builtbike/pedestrian bridge.

Along the Baltimore-Annapolis Trail.

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Use of downtown bike connectionswill increase if bike storage facilities areprovided. In Chicago, a downtown bicyclecenter provides easy access to bike routesalong Lake Michigan. Besides offeringsecure, enclosed “parking” for 300 bikes,the facility provides showers, lockers, andbike repair services. For more details:<www.chicago bikestation.com>. On theWest Coast, the non-profit Bikestationorganization provides secure facilities inSeattle and five California cities. For more:<www.bikestation.org>.

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8 Virginia Greenways and Trails Toolbox, Chpt. 3, p.11. See footnote 3 for full cite.

9 See Trails and Greenways: Advancing the SmartGrowth Agenda (Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2002),p. 19; available to download through their online pub-lications library: <www.railtrails.org>.

10 See, e.g., Rail-Trails and Safe Communities: TheExperience on 372 Trails (Rails-to-Trails Conservancyin cooperation with the National Park Service, 1998);available to download through their online publica-tions library <www.railtrails.org>.

11 CPTED Guidelines, Safer By Design in Virginia (VACrime Prevention Association and VA CPTED Com-mittee). See also: <www.cpted-watch.com>.

12 Virginia Greenways and Trails Toolbox, Chpt. 4.

Editor’s Note:

Building ConnectionsTrail systems build connec-

tions in two ways. One is the kind of connection we typically think of –connecting neighborhoods with parks,schools, downtowns, and so on. Thoseare the linkages so nicely represented inthe hub and spoke diagram on page 4.

But trails can also build another kindof connection by bringing members ofthe community, young and old and fromall walks of life, together to work on aproject. Indeed, many trail systems arethe result of citizens taking the lead andputting in countless hours of hard work.

Long-Term Maintenance

■ Inspect bridges and tunnels yearly.■ Repaint blazes and repaint buildings

every 5 years.■ Resurface trail every 10 years.■ Renovate buildings every 10-20 years.

Greenway managers also have tosupervise professional and/or volunteerstaff; raise operational funds and admin-ister the budget; and deal with conflictsbetween users. At the same time, theyneed to implement trail policies; plan forfuture trail development; and maintaingood relations with the community.

Municipalities should allocate annualfunds for management and maintenance

as well as capital improve-ment funds for major work.If the trail spans multiplemunicipalities, cost-sharingagreements can be estab-lished. Your state depart-ment of transportation maywork out an agreement witha municipality for mainte-nance of trails in a stateright-of-way. Privately-oper-ated trails are usually main-tained with donor dollarsand volunteers.

and construction include fed-eral monies such as the U.S.Department of Transporta-tion’s “Transportation Enhance-ment” grants and the NationalPark Service’s Rivers, Trails,and Conservation Assistanceprogram, as well as state and local transportation andparks/recreation programs,and private funds from foun-

dations and donors. Municipalities can also negotiate with

or require developers toincorporate trails intotheir projects. Whenworking with a developer,make sure the trail is prop-erly engineered and builtconcurrent with the rest ofthe project. Smart devel-opers are realizing thatgreenways are a fairly low-cost investment that canconsiderably raise thevalue of their projectbecause they provide anamenity many peoplewant.

4. Operate: Administer and maintainthe greenway system.

It’s very important to make sure trailsare well maintained. Costs vary widelydepending on the size and complexity ofthe system, but one should budget fortasks such as the following:13

Routine Maintenance

■ Daily security patrol and cleaning ofcomfort stations.

■ Weekly refuse removal and grass cut-ting.

■ Monthly and post-storm maintenanceinspections.

■ Quarterly brush cutting.■ Seasonal and post-storm clearing of

culverts and drains.■ Snow and debris removal and minor

repairs.

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Happy Trails: Greenways for Everyonecontinued from previous page

Greenway trails often increaseproperty values.

13 Id., Chpt. 5.

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The STAR TrailThe STAR (Supporting Ther-apeutic Access to Recreation)

Trail, located in the Virginia ShenandoahValley community of Fishersville, is anaccessible, finely crushed and packedstone trail open to pedestrians, joggers,and wheelchair users.

Conceived by therapist Sharon Russoof the Woodrow Wilson RehabilitationCenter, the half mile trail starts at a picnicshelter behind the Center, crosses a lakeonto a small island, continues across abridge, and loops around the lake. Alongthe way, the trail features benches, restingareas, and pleasant landscaping, as well asa six-station outdoor fitness area, fishingplatforms, and barbeque pits.

For more information, contact BonnieRiedesel, Central Shenandoah PlanningDistrict Commission, 540-885-5174; bonnie@cspdc.org.

See also “Trail Leads to Accessible Tran-quility,” in The News Leader (June 25,2008); <www.newsleader.com>.

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Trying out the new STAR Trail.

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SUMMING UP:

Residents in communities across thecountry are increasingly calling for moreand better trail networks, to not justmeet recreational needs, but providetransportation options. Developers arealso recognizing the value that greenwaytrails can add to their projects. Trails canserve a broad spectrum of users, rangingfrom bicyclists and joggers to individualswith disabilities. But they need to bewell-planned, well-designed, and well-maintained. ◆

Hannah Twaddell is aSenior Transportation Plan-ner in the Charlottesville,Virginia, office of Renais-sance Planning Group. Herarticles on transportationplanning topics appear reg-ularly in the PCJ. For addi-tional information on greenway trails: <www.plannersweb.com/greenways.html>.