Greenway Trails:

For some additional online resources on greenways, take a look at: American Trails Greenways, Inc. National Park Service Rivers Trails & Conservation Assistance Program Rails-to-Trails Conservancy U.S. Dept. of Transportation Enhancements Program

photo by Charlie Denney; reprinted with permission.

Note from Planning Comm'rs Journal Editor Wayne Senville. We're setting out the first part of Hannah Twaddell's article on greenway trail basics, published in our Summer 2008 issue. If you're not a subscriber, you can download the full article for a small fee.

Happy Trails: Greenways for Everyone
by Hannah Twaddell

Up until a few years ago, greenways were largely considered just a recreational amenity by transportation professionals and local residents. But a shift in thinking has started to happen. People begin by using the trails for recreation, but then start finding ways to access them from local streets. From there, it's not long before these interconnected networks are used for everyday transportation.

According to a recent USA Today/Gallup Poll, 84 percent of Americans are changing their travel habits in response to the gas crisis. Where folks once thought nothing of hopping in the car for every trip, they are now consolidating errands, carpooling, taking transit, and yes, bicycling and walking whenever they can. Bike shop owners like Hervey Hawk at Cycle Cave in Albuquerque are doing a brisk business in repairs for people who are "dragging 30 and 40 year old bikes out of the garage" so they can ride them to work.

Adding to people's desire for bike and pedestrian routes -- particularly greenway trails -- is the growing nationwide concern over the public health problems related to our sedentary lifestyles. According to Keith Laughlin, president of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, "the more trails and greenways we can help create and connect in communities, the more opportunities people will have to be active in their transportation, burning calories instead of carbon."

photos below: greenway trail under development in Berkeley, California. photos reprinted with permission of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Veteran greenways planner Charlie Denney of Alta Planning + Design says people at public workshops are no longer asking, "why should we spend money on trails?" but "when can we get them under construction?"

What Are Greenway Trails?

A greenway is any open space corridor that is managed for conservation, recreation, and/or transportation. A greenway trail is a linear corridor with protected status that provides public access for recreation or transportation. Greenway trails can be found within natural corridors, such as a riverfronts, stream valleys, or ridgelines, or within man-made routes, such as railroad or utility rights-of-way, canals, or scenic roads.

A cost-effective, low-impact way to connect people and places together, greenway trails typically link parks, nature reserves, cultural features, or historic sites with each other and with communities. They can be paved or unpaved, and designed to serve a variety of trail users, including hikers, walkers, joggers, bicyclists, skaters, horseback riders, and people with disabilities.

Communities of all sizes are designing greenways that tie into streets and sidewalks, forming one continuous bicycle/ pedestrian network. For example, the East Coast Greenway plan for Philadelphia aims to connect major tourist destinations and city neighborhoods into Center City. The Louisville Loop will connect more than one hundred miles of trails and sidewalks throughout Kentucky's largest city, while rural Montgomery County, Virginia, recently completed a plan to link five villages within a 388-square mile area.

Creating Greenways: A Four-Step Path ... the article continues with sections covering:
-- Organize: Cultivate a sustainable, citizen-led advocacy group with strong leadership and a clear vision.
-- Plan: Create a plan that enjoys broad public support.
-- Build: Acquire right-of-way and construct well-designed paths.
-- Operate: Administer and maintain the greenway system.

Note: the article continues with an overview of these three phases. You can download the full 4 page article in pdf format for a small fee.