Across the United States, many conversions of abandoned railroad rights-of-ways into trails have faced opposition from surrounding property owners. Much of the opposition derives from the fear that developing trails would cause a decrease in property values because of loss of privacy, increase in noise, traffic, litter and crime. The objective of this study is to assess the […]

Conducted by the Capital Metro Transportation Authority, this study developed a long-range plan offering guidelines for trail design improvements, determining bike and pedestrian trail alignments, and evaluating existing and future implementation of roadway crossings, trailheads, trail amenities, trail safety, and security options around Austin, TX. It also specifically addresses trail setbacks and separation from railroad. […]

This presentation was given at the California State Trails & Greenways Conference by Alta Planning+Design, as part of a series on accessible trail planning, design and construction. It highlights how ADA regulations should influence the design of pathways, parallel paths, intersections, on-street bikeways, and over/under crossings. Created by ALTA Planning + Design

This is an appendix to a report that includes cost estimates for surfacing various segments of the Eastern Trail in Maine. Author: Wilbur Smith Associates

This document describes how to use a new method to analyze the quality of service provided by shared-use paths of various widths that accommodate various travel mode splits. Given a count or an estimate of the overall path user volume in the design hour, the new method described here can provide the level of service […]

A guide prepared for land trusts, watershed councils, federal, state and local land management agencies, landowners interested in wetland education, ecotourism, or related subjects. The summary is based upon a series of studies and workshops conducted by the Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM) including a survey of approximately 100 wetland interpretive sites, most of […]

Development of Transportation Enhancement (TE) projects always entails a basic level of environmental review. In some cases, the environmental review and remediation process can be complicated by the presence of toxic substances. The rehabilitation of a historic building could require removal of lead paint or asbestos; creation of a new park on a former industrial […]

This report is one in a three part series looking at linear recreation corridors, or trails, in Virginia. The intent of the series is to quantify a number of issues related to recreational trail use across different types of trails in the State. These issues broadly include: (1) trail use, (2) user demographics and preferences, […]

This document summarizes Best Management Practices (“BMPs”) that should be considered before, during, and after former railroad lines are converted to recreation trails. These BMPs have been developed to eliminate or minimize potential exposures to residual oil or hazardous materials commonly found along railroad rights-of-way being converted to rail trails. This document also identifies locations and conditions […]

This document is an example of an agreement between a landowner and the County, allowing public access to their property for the construction and use of a non-motorized bicycle and pedestrian trail. Author: Collier County