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Trails serve as both a transportation and recreational
amenity to the community.
Many of the reasons to support parks and greenspace
and especially greenways noted on this website relate
directly to trails, which serve to provide access to
and interconnect parks, habitat and greenspaces.
An
excellent source of information for understanding all
the benefits, of trails is provided here.
- Trail
users generate tax revenue,
- Access
to trails ranks high as a desirable amenity for homebuyers,
- Trails
are transportation infrastructure
- Trails
provide a means to access natural areas and recreation
for personal and public health and social interaction
- Texas
State University-San Marcos Master Plan includes Bicycle
and Pedestrian elements that will integrate with a
city-wide trail system
- Other
resources and links
TRAIL
USERS GENERATE TAX REVENUE
Trail
users generate tax revenue and income for local businesses.
A study conducted by the Maryland Department of Natural
Resources found that although the Northern Central Rail-Trail
cost $191,893 to construct, it generated $303,750 of
State tax revenue during one year.
See
http://ntl.bts.gov/DOCS/430.html.
And the 1992 Impacts of Rail-Trails study by Roger L.
Moore, et al. found that for the three trails studied,
trail users of each trail were responsible for generating
over $1.2 million for local businesses. "Users
spent an average of $9.21, $11.02, and $3.97 per person
per day as a result of their trail visits to the Heritage,
St. Marks, and Lafayette/Moraga Trails respectively."
For more data on outdoor recreation spending, Economic
Impacts of Protecting Rivers, Trails, and Greenway Corridors
can be viewed at the
National
Forest Service site.
Access
to trails ranks high
In
2002 the National Association of Home Builders and the
National Association of Realtors co-sponsored a survey
of recent homebuyers. When asked about the importance
of community amenities, respondents ranked trails second
only to highway access. Sidewalks and parks ranked third
and fourth respectively. See the graphic here
(The survey is no longer available on the NAHB
site.)
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Trails
are transportation infrastructure
Urban
trails and greenways can provide citizens an alternative
to automobile travel, reducing traffic congestion and
air pollution. Non-motorized transportation is healthier
and more cost-effective means of getting around the
community. In its 1994 National Bicycling and Walking
Study, the U.S. Department of Transportation calculated
that the average citizen saves from 5 to 22 cents per
every automobile mile displaced by walking or bicycling
due to reduced pollution, cost of imported oil and costs
of congestion.
The full text of this survey is not available online
but you can read a ten year status report at the
Federal
Highway Administration's site
 Drivers
in the United States log more miles per capita than
those in any other country. Dr. John Holtzclaw suggests
the three primary reasons for this are: subsidies favoring
car and truck travel, inadequate public transit, and
communities that are hostile to bicycles and pedestrians.
Read his article "Forging Transportation Control
Measures to Reduce Driving and Clear the Air" and
learn more
about combating urban sprawl here.
Trails
provide a means to access natural
Trails
and green space allow young and old alike to reconnect
with the natural world. Richard Louv, author of Last
Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit
Disorder ”argues that children are spending too
much time indoors or in overly structured outdoor activities
leaving them out of touch with nature. He writes, "“As
children's connections to nature diminish and the social,
psychological, and spiritual implications become apparent,
new research shows that nature can offer powerful therapy
for such maladies as depression, obesity, and attention
deficit disorder. Environment-based education dramatically
improves standardized test scores and grade-point averages
and develops skills in problem solving, critical thinking,
and decision making". View
an interview.
TRAILS
INTEGRATE BIPED MASTER PLANS
Bicycle
and pedestrian elements are on slides 17, 24, 29, and
31 of the Texas State University-San Marcos Master Plan.
Texas
State Master Plan
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OTHER
RESOURCES AND LINKS
Trails
resources:
American
Trails
Central
Texas Trail Tamers
Greeninfrastructure.net
National
Parks Service
Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy
U.S.
Forest Service
Trail
building:
American
Trails: Design and Construction
IMBA:
Trail building and Maintenance
Natureshape
Trails
To Build: Articles
University
of Florida: Trails, Bridges & Boardwalks
University
of Minnesota: Recreational Trail Design and Construction
US
Forest Service National Trail Drawings and Specifications
Find
regional trails:
Austin
Parks & Recreation Dept.
Comal
County Trails
LCRA
Parks
Mountain
Bike Review
San
Antonio Parks & Recreation Dept.
Texas Hiking
Texas Parks
and Wildlife
Texas
Trails Network
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