U h G  I d  C fU h G  I d  C fUtah Green Industry ConferenceUtah Green Industry Conference20122012

Background and Experience:

BLA, Utah State University 1998Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation Department, Colo ado Sp ings a s and Rec eation Depa tment,1998‐2001

Nuszer Kopatz Urban Design Associates, 2001‐2007Logan Simpson Design Inc., 2007‐present

Greenway:

Corridor of protected open spacemanaged for conservation andmanaged fo conse vation andrecreation purposes.

Trail:

Pathway for recreational activities Pathway for recreational activities and/or transportation, including walking, running, biking, and 

i  equestrian use.

Legacy Parkway J d  Ri  P k Jordan River ParkwayProvo River ParkwayOgden River ParkwayOgden River Parkway

Bonneville Shoreline Trail J d  Ri  P k  T il Jordan River Parkway TrailProvo River Parkway TrailLegacy Parkway TrailLegacy Parkway TrailParleys TrailCentennial Trail (Ogden River Parkway, Weber River C (Og y,Parkway)

Denver and Rio Grande WesternRail Trail

Benefits What value do trails and greenways have in yourcommunity?

T dTrends What’s new in trail and greenway design?  What are people trying?trying?

Maintenance What are the biggest challenges to maintaining these  What are the biggest challenges to maintaining these systems?  Solutions?

Economic

Health and Safety

Environmental

Social

Tourismi

“The Slickrock Mountain Bike Trail generates $1.3 million in

• Eco‐Tourism• Restaurants, lodging

annual receipts for the City of Moab.”

- Enhancing theEnvironment with Trails andGreenways

Economic Development• Recreational Related Spending

Greenways

p g• Urban Revitalization (San Antonio Riverwalk)• Construction/MaintenanceA  N  B i• Attract New Businesses

“Many companies seeking to relocate or establish a corporate headquarters have cited the availability of trails as a significant factor in their decision to choose one locale over another ”their decision to choose one locale over another.

- Economic Benefits of Trails and Greenways, Rails to TrailsConservancy

Tourismi

“The Slickrock Mountain Bike Trail generates $1.3 million in

• Eco‐Tourism• Restaurants, lodging

annual receipts for the City of Moab.”

- Enhancing theEnvironment with Trails andGreenways

Economic Development• Recreational Related Spending

Greenways

p g• Urban Revitalization (San Antonio Riverwalk)• Construction/MaintenanceA  N  B i• Attract New Businesses

“Bicycling and walking projects create 11-14 jobs per $1 million spent, compared to just 7 jobs created per $1 million spent on highway

j t ”projects.”- Bicycling and Walking in the United State – 2012 BenchmarkingReport

Increased Property Values% %  l   i  f  l• 6%‐15%+ lot premiums for lots

adjacent to trails and open spaceHomebuyer survey indicated that walking/jogging and bike trailsHomebuyer survey indicated that walking/jogging and bike trails were second from the top in “important to very important” amenities.

- National Association of Homebuilders and National Association of Realtors

Infrastructure Corridors (Unused and Future)• Canals, railroad, pipelines, etc., , p p ,

Increased Property Values% %  l   i  f  l• 6%‐15%+ lot premiums for lots

adjacent to trails and open space

77.7% of consumers ranked significant natural open space as a must deliver category, plenty of walking and biking paths ranked next highest.

- American Lives, Inc.

Infrastructure Corridors (Unused and Future)• Canals, railroad, pipelines, etc.

,

, , p p ,

“Increased participation in moderate physical activity… could reduce medical

$

64% of US population is clinically overweight with over 31% obese.

Provides for and Encourages Exercise

costs by $76 billion.”- Pratt et al, 2000

- The Center for Disease Controland Prevention

• “If you build it they will come”

Pedestrians/Bikes Off Streets

“Trails and greenways provide a safe, inexpensive avenue for regular exercise for people living in rural, urban and suburban areas”

- American Trails org Pedestrians/Bikes Off Streets• Provides safe access for children to school, friends, etc.

American Trails.org

Decreases Pollution (Air Quality)• Less motorized travel

Decreases Pollution (Air and Water Quality)P   l   h       d fil     i  • Protects plants that create oxygen and filter out air pollutants

• Provides alternative modes of transportationov des a te at ve odes o t a spo tat o• Reduces heat‐island effect

Bio‐filtration/Stormwater Runoff• Prevents soil erosion• Filters pollutionP id   t l b ff    th t  t t  t   i  • Provides natural buffer zones that protect streams, rivers and lakes “If properly installed, can remove up to 50% or more

of nutrients and pesticides and up to 75% more of sediment that would otherwise be washed into waterways.”

- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Flood Plainsl di        billi  i    d    • Flooding causes over $1 billion in property damage every 

year (FEMA)• Mitigate damage by absorbing excess waterM t gate da age by abso b g e cess wate

Provides Wildlife Corridors and Habitat• Helps link isolated open space• Preserves native biodiversity and rare/threatened/endangered species

C  O  S Conserves Open Space• Protects sensitive lands alongrivers and streamsrivers and streams

• Preserves watersheds

Provides Regional ConnectivityB ill  Sh li   il    P k   il  • Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Legacy Parkway Trail, America the Beautiful Trail

• Trails multiply the benefits of conservation areas, parks a s u t p y t e be e ts o co se vat o a eas, pa sand open spaces by linking them together

“To make a greenway is to make a community”

Charles E Little Greenways of

“A connected system of parks and pathways is manifestly far more complete and useful than a series of isolated parks.”

Frederick Law Olmstead

Improves Quality of Life• Venue for interaction and recreation close to home

- Charles E. Little, Greenways ofAmerica

“Th bl h d l th f thill ith 4 4

- Frederick Law Olmstead

• Conserves open space• Decreases Crime• Provides Aesthetic Beauty

“The problems we had along the foothills with 4x4 vehicles, gunfire, beer parties, campfires and transients have disappeared. The residents along the system are very pleased and have become users and advocates. On the Ogden River Parkway, the development of the trail system has virtually eliminated crime and unwantedProvides Aesthetic Beauty

and a Sense of Placetrail system has virtually eliminated crime and unwanted behavior. “

- Jay Hudson, Assistant to the Mayor, Ogden CityFebruary 1996

Municipal Programs Interaction with Nature/ Education

• School programsLast Child in the Woods  Nature Deficit Disorder• Last Child in the Woods – Nature Deficit Disorder

“People of all ages can see for themselves the precious and intriguing natural world from which they often feel so far removed”

A  t  O  Hi t   d C lt

y- American Trails.org

Access to Our History and Culture• Preserving and providing access to historic places• Providing historic interpretation and educationProviding historic interpretation and education• Historic Canals and Transportation Corridors (Railways)

Higher Demand “The call for bike facilities is building from the bottom up as people drive less and look for more transportation choices.”

The Economic Benefit of Bicycle InfrastructureRails to Trails 

• Abandoned RailwaysTrails parallel to transit lines

- The Economic Benefit of Bicycle InfrastructureInvestments

• Trails parallel to transit lines• Almost 20,000 miles open

Alternative SurfacingAlternative Surfacing• Permeable asphalt/concrete• Soil Cement

• Rubberized Surfaces• Organic Mulches

d lk• Crusher Fines/ DG• Recycled Materials

• Boardwalks

Higher Demand “Twelve percent of trips are by bicycle or foot, yet bicyclists and pedestrians make up 14% of traffic fatalities and receive just 1 6% of federal transportation dollars ”

Rails to Trails • Abandoned RailwaysTrails parallel to transit lines

just 1.6% of federal transportation dollars.- Bicycling and Walking in the United States2012 Benchmarking Report

• Trails parallel to transit lines• Almost 20,000 miles open

Alternative SurfacingAlternative Surfacing• Permeable asphalt/concrete• Soil Cement

• Rubberized Surfaces• Organic Mulches

d lk• Crusher Fines/ DG• Recycled Materials

• Boardwalks

Signage, Wayfinding, and Interpretationki   i i• Markings, striping

• Instructional/Directional• InterpretiveInterpretive

Trailside ArtMulti‐Agency CooperationMulti Agency Cooperation

Urban Bike SolutionsC l   k• Cycle Tracks

• Bicycle Boulevards• Bicycle BoxesBicycle Boxes• Dedicated Bicycle Signals• Bike Sharing

Accessibility• Shared Use Path GuidelinesAASHTO• AASHTO

Municipal ProgramsCreating Active Communities  Ten Case Studies of • Creating Active Communities – Ten Case Studies of Programs and Partnerships

Volunteer Maintenancei hb h d G• Neighborhood Groups

• Trail Organizations• Eagle Scout ProjectsEagle Scout Projects

Design Guidelines/ Master Plans• Provide guidance, direction, best practices, etc.g , , p ,• Identify jurisdictional requirements• Allow for unified system (kit of parts)

Multi‐useD• Dog

• Equestrian• Bikes/Blades/ScootersBikes/Blades/Scooters• Alternative Day Usage

Safetyy• Crossing Strategies • Equipment (Auto Detection)Bik b• Bike‐a‐bouts

Issues:i G fi i C l Inspections

Trail Surface Maintenance

Grafitti Control Signage Maintenance StripingMa te a ce

Erosion Repaving

Striping Toilet Facility Cleaning and S i i Sweeping

Litter Removal Landscaping/ 

Servicing Snow and Ice Removal Landscaping/ 

Irrigation Revegetation

User Conflicts

Ideas:B i   i h  l i   d d i Begins with planning and design

• Include field crew in design review• Account for user conflicts, provide adequate opportunities p q ppfor a variety of users

Establish an Operation and Maintenance (O & M) ProgramProgram

• Educate/train staff• Update regularlyG d  i  k  i   i     Good maintenance key in protecting property, improvements, environment, and lives

Ideas:d f di       d  h  i  d ll Need funding to support and match construction dollars

Use volunteers Create a trail authorityCreate a trail authority Establish public feedback system Public education

• Signage• Meetings

Agency coordinationAgency coordination• Draw upon other’s experience and communal knowledge

Adopt‐a‐trail ProgramsNational Recreational Trails ProgramSafe Routes to School fundsUDOTThe Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century ( )(TEA‐21)

Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)National Endowment for the ArtsPrivate Foundation and Corporation Grants

• www.americantrails.org• wwwrailtrails orgwww.railtrails.org• www.trailsandgreenways.org• Better Bikeways – Innovative Facilities for Safer Bicycling in California, Rails to 

Trails Conservancy.Trails Conservancy.• Choosing the Right Trail Surface, Columbia Parks and Recreation, Saitta, Steve 

and Snyder, Mike. • Community Trails – A Benefit to All, Rails to Trails Conservancy.Community Trails  A Benefit to All, Rails to Trails Conservancy.• Conflicts On Multiple‐use Trails: Synthesis and the Literature and State of the 

Practice, The Federal Highway Administration and the National Recreational Trail Advisory Committee.

• Creating Active Communities – Ten Case Studies of Programs and Partnerships, Rails to Trails Conservancy, February 2004.

• The Economic Benefits of Bicycle Infrastructure Investments, League of American Bicyclists, June 2009.

• Economic Benefits of Trails and Greenways, Trails and Greenways Clearinghouse.g

• Enhancing the Environment with Trails and Greenways, Trails and Greenways Clearinghouse.

• Planning Greenways and Trails, The Office of Greenways and Trails Reference and Resource Guide, 2005.

• Rails to Trails: The Benefits of Rails‐trails and Greenways, Recreation Canada, Vol. 51 No. 5, Iles, Lynn and Wiele, Katherine.

• Regional Trail Systems, Rails to Trails Conservancy.• Thinking Green: A Guide to the Benefits and Costs of Greenways and Trails, The 

Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Greenways and T il  F b   8Trails, February 1998.

• Trails and Greenways for Livable Communities, Trails and Greenways Clearinghouse.Wh t’  U d  F t  Alt  Pl i    D i  H d  G• What’s Under Foot, Alta Planning + Design, Hudson, George.