Eastern Trail

THE MANY BENEFITS OF THE PROPOSED EASTERN TRAIL

Click on any of these benefits topics to go to that section of this page:
OVERALL    |     SAFETY    |     ECONOMIC    |   HEALTH   

The Eastern Trail Alliance is collecting information on the many benefits that the trail will bring -- benefits to individuals, to communities, to towns, to York and Cumberland Counties, and to all of southern Maine.

The obvious benefits relate to recreation, health and fitness, and conservation.  Other benefits include non-polluting transportation, economic benefits, and safety.  

Below are some links to trail benefit information that has been compiled and organized on trails in other parts of the state, of New England, and of the country.

OVERALL BENEFITS/IMPACT:

THE IMPACTS OF RAIL-TRAILS: A Study of User and Property Owners From Three Trails, by Roger Moore, Alan R. Graffe, and Richard J. Gitelson (Penn State University), and Beth Porter (Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance, National Park Service), July 1992
Among the report's findings:

• Economic Benefits of Rail-Trails: "Use of the sample trails generated significant levels of economic activity....The amount of "new money" brought into the local trail county(s) by trail visitors outside the county(s) was $630,000, $400,000 and $294,000 annually for the Heritage, St. Marks, and Lafayette/Moraga Trails, respectively."  

• Problems Experienced By Landowners: "Overall, trail neighbors had experienced relatively few problems as a result of the trails during the past twelve months.....The majority of owners reported that there had been no increase in problems since the trails had been established, that living near the trails was better than they had expected it to be, and that living near the trails was better than living near unused railroad lines before the trails had been constructed."

• Rail-Trails' Effects on Property Values: "Along the suburban Lafayette/Moraga Trail, the majority of owners felt the presence of the trail would make their properties sell more easily and at increased values....Of those who purchased property along the trails after the trails had been constructed, the majority had reported that the trails either had no effect on the property's appeal or added to its appeal." 

Another good NPS resource:  The Economic Impacts of Protecting Rivers, Trails and Greenway Corridors - more information below.

SAFETY BENEFITS:

One excellent resource on safety issues related to Trails and Greenways:

Greenways and Public Safety Fact Sheet by the American Greenways Program (the Conservation Fund). A sample from this sheet:

"Facts: There is little evidence to support the fear that greenway trails will produce disturbance to private landowners. In fact, the evidence is to the contrary:

• The Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) issued results from their 1998 survey Rail-Trails and Safe Communities, that out of 372 nationwide trails, including 7,000 total miles and 45 million estimated users, only 3% of trails had experienced major crime.

• Four separate studies conducted between 1979 and 1997 concluded that rail-trails do not increase crime. The Rails to Trails Conservancy reports that 'all four studies found that while some residents were apprehensive about rail-trail projects, most did not experience problems after the trail’s opening'."

ECONOMIC BENEFITS:

One of the premier economic benefits of trails like the Eastern Trail is the partnership with the utilities that use and share the trail corridor.  The efforts of the ETA and the ETMD to build and maintain the corridor, plus the eyes and ears of the trail users to identify and report problems or issues, can make the trail corridor a more viable economic asset. For more information, visit our utility partnerships page.

"Economic Impacts of Protecting Rivers, Trails, and Greenway Corridors" A Resource Book 1995, Fourth Edition, Revised, Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance National Park Service.  This is an excellent resource book - 154 pages in length, available in pdf file format, you can view/download the entire document or in sections.

Economic Benefits of Rail-Trails: Fact Sheet by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, includes these examples:

• A recent study of Maryland's Northern Central Rail-Trail found that while the trail's management and maintenance cost to the public in 1993 was $191,893, the trail-related tax income to the state totaled $303,750.

• It took 17 years to clear the bureaucratic hurdles and build the Minuteman Trail near Boston, but the wait may have been worth it for The Bike Stop. It served an amazing 1,800 people on a single beautiful Saturday in 1994. The Minuteman has also been good for Steve's Ice Cream Shop in Arlington, which serves about 200 more people a week, and the Gap clothing store in Lexington, which claims a 30 percent business increase because of the trail.

HEALTH BENEFITS:

"Rail-trails create healthy recreation and transportation opportunities by providing people of all ages with attractive, safe, accessible and low- or no-cost places to cycle, walk, hike, jog or skate. Trails help people of all ages incorporate exercise into their daily routines by connecting them with places they want or need to go. "

"Rail-trails provide ideal settings for enjoyable recreation and regular exercise like walking the dog, commuting to work, walking to town and biking to school. Individuals must choose to exercise, but communities can make that choice easier by providing attractive and safe networks of sidewalks, bikeways and trails for people to use. - quotes from Trails for Health page by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Other excellent sources for information about the excellent health benefits of trails and greenways:

Promoting Physical Activity Through Trails, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Call us (207.284.9260) or e-mail the ETA office