peter d - trail presentation

Benefits of TrailsBenefits of Trails

Moving Towards a County Trails Master Plan

Some Issues on Trail Development

Steering CommitteeSteering Committee1. Shawn Binns - Recreationist

2. Bryan MacKell – County Director of Planning, Development, and Tourism

3. Christine Bushey – Health Unit Representative

4. Nathan Westendorp – County Planner

Building Trails for our future

Google Map of North AmericaGoogle Map of North America

Google Map of Great LakesGoogle Map of Great Lakes

Simcoe County MapSimcoe County Map

Historic Huron and Petun Villages and Trails – 1645 – 1651

Land Purchases, Early Roads & Treaties

Simcoe County Transportation Routes - 1880

All Railways Map of Ontario

STARS & MOON ARE ALIGNEDSTARS & MOON ARE ALIGNEDTHE MAKING OF A GREAT SURGE FORWARDTHE MAKING OF A GREAT SURGE FORWARD

Launch of the Green Paper on Bicycling for Ontario

Google Announces New Option!

Google added bike routes to its online maps; this split screen shows a bike route in Austin, Texas

The way we travel is changing…

www.cnn.com

Bike Routes on Google Maps

• Peter Smith started a petition prodding Google to add biking directions to Google Map after travelling down a particularly busy road in Texas

• More than 50,000 signatures later, Smith got his wish as Google debuted biking directions alongside existing mapping features for drivers, pedestrians and people who use public transit

• Bikers can now find cycling directions that are relatively speedy and aim to be safer and less challenging for riders

• Directions also let riders know how long it might take them to make a trip

• Google also added a layer to Google Maps that lets cyclists explore bike trails and bike-friendly streets

www.cnn.com

Alliance 2010 Benchmarking Report

Report Includes:• Levels of Bicycling and

Walking• Safety• Policies and Provisions• Education and

Encouragement• Grassroots Advocacy• Influencing Bicycling

and Walking• Impact of Bicycling and

Walking on Public Health

Bike Train Initiative• Introduces bike racks onboard select passenger rail

trains to destinations across Ontario, making cycling holidays easy and accessible.

• A project of Transportation Options, a non-profit organization dedicated to stimulating sustainable systems of transportation

• Knowledgeable staff are available onboard to provide cycling maps and useful information

• Bike Train will connect Toronto with destinations across Ontario, providing cyclists of all abilities easy access to the Greenbelt, wine and culinary regions, northern lakes and forests, off-the-beaten-path towns and villages, world-renowned natural and historical sites, and thousands of kms of recreational trails and on road cycling routes

TOURISM

•New Brand Launch 2009

•3rd Highest visitation area of Ontario

•Over 8 million tourists visit Simcoe County

Creating the NetworkDescribe Your Vision…

To Create:• A Historic Pathway• Health & Wellness• Nature Walk• Healthy Life Style• Safe Road Routes• Safe Routes to school• Alternative Transportation Work• Others• All of the Above

Collective Intelligence

• Trail designs, trail options, trail surfaces always use group dynamics group effort easily surpasses individual

Best Decision

1 2 43# of People

The Puzzle of Planning A Trail

• Must have a conceptual plan in the County’s Official Plan and each Municipality

• It needs to identify, in general, where you plan to go

• Use bold symbols or

What are my options?

1. Greenspace MapCounty Forests

Crown Land

Flood Planes

Conservation Authority Lands

Environmental Protected Lands

Parks i) Provincial

ii) Municipal

River Valley

Open Space

2. Development Activity MapCurrent Sites

Proposed Sites

Secondary Plans

3. Municipal – Provincial – Federal Property Map

4. Hydro Corridors

5. Rail CorridorsAbandoned

Active

6. Water Easement Locates

7. Unopened Road Allotments

8. Historic Routes, Land & Water

9. Museums and Natural Attractions

Developmental Projects

Collingwood

Surface Treatments vs. Maintenance Cost/Year

Concrete

Asphalt

Stone Dust

$100,000

Cap

ital C

osts

$50,000

0

Maintenance Cost Over Time (years)10 20 30 405

Fix Cracks

Resurfacing

Continual

Trail DevelopmentTrail DevelopmentTrail Inventory

• Inventory Completed by Murray Knowles, Member Trails Committee.

Total Identified Trails 61.9 km

Unusable/Not Complete -5.8 km

Existing Trails 56.1 km

Train Trail Ext. (to Stayner) -12.0 km

“In Town” trails 44.1 km

Concrete 4.5 km

Asphalt 4.7 km

Limestone 24.5 km

Boardwalk 1.0 km

Grass 3.8 km

Natural 5.6 km

Trail DevelopmentTrail DevelopmentTrail Inventory

COLLINGWOOD TRAILS (Excluding Train Trail Ext.)

Trail in good shape 29.6 km

-all trails are remarkably free of debris

Trail has some minor issue – usability is not impaired 5.6 km

-trail narrowing noticeably due to vegetation growth (4.9 km)

-two cases of narrow sidewalk not being the final trail (0.4 km)

-several cases of significant geotextile exposure

Trail has a more major maintenance issue 3.2 km

-Train Trail being undermined in one spot by Pretty River.

-Communications boxes require relocating on Cranberry Inn Trail.

-Hamilton Drain Trail east of Hurontario requires construction hole to be filled.

-Cranberry Inn Trail from Harbour St. to bridge requires upgrade. Pending Development.

-High Street Trail –Underwood Creek to Campbell St. requires upgrade. Pending road widening.

-Mountain Rd. Trail between 11th Line and 10th Line should be relocated to south side.

Trail is non-existent or not usable year-round 11.5 km

-Trails adjoining 11th Line trail to be identified as natural trails (2.9km)

-Eleventh Line trail requires fill to become viable (1.2km)

-Cranberry Marsh trail and Golf Course Loop are closed (1.0km)

-Trails or parts of trails shown on map that are not built or not usable (5.3km)

Original 4 Manual Series

• 40 distributed throughout Ontario, Michigan, and New York

Places to Spaces…

Simcoe County Master Plan

Georgian Trail

What we learned…

Project to convert the rail bed began in 1986

• Three hard years of effort to form a group of individuals coming from Collingwood to Meaford area:

• Georgian Cycle & Ski Trail Association• Town of Meaford• Township of St Vincent• Township of Collingwood• Town of Thornbury• Town of Collingwood

Official Opening Oct 31, 1989• First feasibility study of its kindFirst feasibility study of its kind• First provincially sponsored Trail system in OntarioFirst provincially sponsored Trail system in Ontario• Original board of directors who took all the hard battles and won them Original board of directors who took all the hard battles and won them

all!all!• Based on equalized assessmentBased on equalized assessment• Ratio of each municipalities was based on per Capita relationship with Ratio of each municipalities was based on per Capita relationship with

other partnersother partners

Economic Impact of the Georgian Trail – P. Dunbar 1999

• Projected impact from a tourism perspective in 1998 $5,218,963.84 / based on 60 days of possible biking

• Average age 46.7 years old.• Average income $65,310.00• Majority with above average income• 60% traveled between 30 and 90 minutes to use trail• 44.63% spent the weekend here and biking was the

focus of the trip• 46.62% of users were in a family unit

Blazing Trails to Health & Happiness

• Collingwood undertook a trails survey from June – November, 2005

• 663 surveys were collected

- 439 from local residents

- 224 from nearby communities

• 10 Trail Captains• 5 Times / Day

Blazing Trails to Health & Happiness

• In less than 15 years the Collingwood Trails Network has expanded to encompass over 70 kilometers

Benefits of Trails:

• Price Waterhouse Cooper– Economic Impact of the Trans Canada Trail in

Ontario, August 2004 (231)• By increasing business activity

– “Economic Impact Analysis Measures”

A. Initial Direct Expenditures – trail users

B. Indirect Effects – supplier, more volume

C. Induced Effects – local workers spend on additional items

Projected Impacts With Completed Trans Canada Trail

• 42,000 Ontarians – recurrent expenditures of Trans Canada Trail

• Recurrent Tax Collections - $1.04 Billion• $140.7 Million will remain with local government• $2.4 Billion generated in added value income to

the Province of Ontario• Injection of Non-Local Expenditures of $152.8

Million

Key Definitions:

• Initial Expenditure – Trail user, construction, Maintenance

• Value Added – Gross domestic product or provincial/regional income

• Gross Output – total value of goods & services sold by business to sustain projects operation

• Employment – Full time generated by project• Taxes – income taxes, GST, Liquor, and Tourism related• Imports – products acquired from outside the region• Multipliers – direct, indirect, and induced

Dried Worms on a plate…

Collingwood Trails Prior to 1980

•Some Urban Walkways•Strong use of Bikes Re Shipyards

Collingwood Trails 1985

•5 Separate Municipalities•Collingwood 47%•1st “Linear Park”

•Equalized Assessment for % of Costs

Collingwood Trails 1989

•1st Provincial Grant•Waterfront Asphalt / Concrete

•75% 10 Stone dust service

Collingwood Trails 1990

COLLINGWOOD BARRIERAILWAY + TRAIL

Collingwood Trails 1992

•Economic impact study of Georgian Trail

•Average Age 47 – Yearly Income $90 – 1 ½ hour travel time

•Spent 2 days

Meaford

Collingwood Trails 1995•Factories Request Trails to Worksites

•NYCA permits use of side of dike & channel

Black Ash

Pretty River

Collingwood Trails 1997•Developers start to promote trail proximity

•Municipal Trails Network Approved in Official Plan

Collingwood Trails 2001

•Environment network & schools create safe routes to schoolsEnvironment network & schools create safe routes to schools

Collingwood Trails 2002

•$350,000 –DONOR “HEATHER PATHWAY” $350,000 –DONOR “HEATHER PATHWAY”

Collingwood Trails 2003

•Trails committee celebrates 10 years of trail building!Trails committee celebrates 10 years of trail building!

Collingwood Trails 2004

Collingwood Trails 2006

•Need to Connect to our Neighbours

Collingwood Trails 2009

End Results, Trails are built and new connections are made

Integrate old rail lines, river edges, waterfronts, parks, greenspace

Walking Tours

• New Zealand Walking Tours by NZ Travellers

• Absolute Walking Tours

• Backroads – Walking & Hiking Tours

• Walking Adventures International

Simcoe County Existing TrailsSimcoe County Existing Trails

Phase IPhase I

Phase IIPhase II

Phase III

Visit our Blog Site

trailplan.blogspot.com

Common Elements of Trail Success1. Regional Cooperation a must!2. Government Support: Municipal, County, Provincial, Federal

a. Financialb. Staff Resources

3. Quality Experience, need quality producta. Common Trail Standardsb. Good Signage: proper surfaces, collectively marketed

4. Energetic Volunteers and Grassroots support5. Process Natural, Cultural & Historic Themes, Educational

Resources6. Tourism Hosting Capabilities, hotels, motels, bed & breakfast7. 150km of looping trails8. 2 – 3 days of experiences, minimal

Trail Network Strategies

• Develop local trails with aim to promote healthy lifestyles opportunities for community

• Think about connectivity; the trails network can be an enormous economic driver

Google Map of Great LakesGoogle Map of Great Lakes

Google Map of North AmericaGoogle Map of North America