central valley rail-trails: opportunities &...
TRANSCRIPT
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Laura Cohen, J.D. and Steve SchweigerdtRails-to-Trails Conservancy
Western Region OfficeDecember 3, 2009
Central Valley Rail-Trails:Opportunities & Strategies
Presentation Outline
• Introduction to RTC and the rail-trailmovement
• Rails-with-Trails• Railbanking• Regional Trail Network Opportunities• Partnerships, Funding & Maintenance• RTC Web Resources
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Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Creating a nationwidenetwork of trails fromformer rail lines andconnecting corridorsto build healthierplaces for healthierpeople.
National Railroad System
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Recycling Railroads
• 1667 Open rail-trails• Over 22,000 miles of trail open• Over 16,000 miles on rail right-of-way
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: Whatwe Do
• Trail Advocates – shapingpolicy, creating funding
• Trail Planning technicalassistance – Trail DART
• Track abandonments ¬ify local partners
• Develop informationresources, create learningnetworks
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Rails-with-Trails
Rails-with-Trails
Growth of CaliforniaRail-w ith-Trails
010203040506070
Total Miles
Adjacent toActive Rail
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Reasons for Rails-with-Trails
• Available space• Natural linear corridor• Safety• Efficiency• Improve access to transit
Safety and Liability
• Railroad company’s main concern• Key challenge to the rails-with-trails
movement• 140 existing trails
nationwide with1,154 miles of trail
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Benefits for Railroads• Improved safety• Reduced crime and trespassing• Reduced motor access to tracks• Improved railroad maintenance• Improved access for police and maintenance
vehicles• Corridor beautification• Improved community
relations
Working with Railroads• Do your research• Understand the RR’s
perspective• Coordinated approach• Pinpoint their concerns• Look for leverage with
RR needs• Railroads can benefit
too - make the case
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Other Trail Network Opportunities
• River Corridors• Canals• Road ROWs• Transit Corridors
Fresno-Clovis Area
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Visalia-Tulare-Porterville Area
Map of planned
Merced-Atwater Area
Map of planned
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Railbanking
Railbanking
• What is it?
• How do you do it?
• What are the benefits tothe railroad?
Railbanking• Part of National Trails System
Act Amendments of 1983
• Retains the STB jurisdictionover the corridor– Can be reactivated for later rail
use– Preempts state law with regards
to reversionary rights
• Available for Interim Trail Use
Milwaukee Road Corridor, Idaho
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Funding:Putting It All Together
Funding: Ideas for Piecing itTogether
Tried & True Sources
• Federal programs - TE
• State programs - BicycleTransportation Account
• Local sources: sales taxmeasures
• Park/Water/Infrastructurebonds
• Developer mitigation
Getting Creative
• Civic partnerships
• Adopt-a-Trail; Buy a Foot
• Corporate partnerships
• Dedications
• Endowment campaigns
• Local events
•Benefit AssessmentDistrict
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Funding Resources Handout
• Rails-to-Trails: Funding Guide on RTC’sWestern Region web page:www.railstotrails.org/wherewework/western
• CA Bicycle Coalition: Guide to Bike Funding: www.calbike.org/resources
Funding – Local Sources
Measure C – Fresno ½-cent transportationsales tax– 20-yr extension passed 2007– Total $1.7 Billion– 6% - Alternative transportation ($102M)– 3.4% Environmental Enhancements ($60M)
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Funding – State Sources
• Bicycle TransportationAccount (Caltrans) - $7.2 M
• Environmental Enhancement& Mitigation Program(Resources Agency) - $10 M
• Bond funds - transportation;park; water
• San Joaquin RiverConservancy
Funding – Federal Sources
• Existing:– Transportation Enhancements (TE)– CMAQ– Comm. Devel. Block Grants– ARRA & TIGER (Stimulus bill)– Safe Routes to School– Non-motorized Pilot Program
• Potential:– 2010 Campaign for Active
Transportation– Climate Bill (CLEAN-TEA)
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Funding – Federal Sources : TE
• Transportation Enhancements (TE)• Part of federal transportation legislation• Major source of bike-ped funding since
1991:– Nationwide TE b/p = $4.64 billion;– CA TE b/p= $419 million
• In 2005, Congress approved federal SafeRoutes to School program
• $612 million - 5 years
Safe Routes to School
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Safe Routes to School (cont.)
• Each State DOT receivesminimum $1 M annual federalfunding
• Funds programs andinfrastructure improvementsthat encourage students towalk and bike to school
2010 Campaign forActive Transportation
• Create $2 billion ActiveTransportation Program
• Purpose: achieve mode shiftto bicycling & walking
• Concentrated investments$25-75M per communityover 5 years
• Rep. Blumenauer bill 12/09
Build active transportation movement to:
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Active Transportation Campaign
• Rails-to-Trails ConservancyCampaign website:– National campaign info, newsletter– Issue briefs: economic benefits, environment,
climate change, mobility & more
www.RailsToTrails.org/2010
What is ActiveTransportation?
YOUYOU
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Creative Partnerships - CivicModesto Virginia Corridor
• Abandoned TidewaterSouthern line
• 4.2 mile rail-trail started in2005
• “Backbone of trail system”connects to Hetch Hetchy,Dry Creek, and TuolumneRiver corridors
Creative Partnerships - CivicModesto Virginia Corridor
• Leadership from the City of Modesto• Extensive community support
– Rotary Club: $500,000
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Creative Partnerships - Health
Medical Mile- ArkansasRiver Trail
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Active Transportation as publichealth strategy
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Creative Funding – Ideas to Borrow• Plant Now, Pave Later :
Leasing a rail-trail ROWfor vineyards in OrangeCounty
• Partnerships with localmerchants: Annie & MaryBlend coffee
Tahoe Rim Trail benefit race
• Festivals, races,special events –Trail of 2 CitiesMarathon• Volunteer TrailPatrols• Adopt-a-Mile• Memorialfeatures
Funding for Maintenance
Develop a Comprehensive Budget andMaintenance Plan
• Research existing costs• Create maintenance checklist with costs• Divide list into “routine” and “major”• Final task – develop maintenance
schedule
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Funding for Maintenance
Sources other than GeneralFund:
• Non-profit/private stewardship• Volunteer maintenance• Conservation Corps• Events; Tourism/recreation fees• Corporate and foundation
partners• Develop long term maintenance
endowment• Assessment Districts• Developer fees and mitigation
• Helps reduce maintenance costs
• Instills a feeling of communitypride
• Informal group of volunteers vs.Adopt-a-Trail
• Enlist all types of volunteers forall types of activities
Volunteer Maintenance
Baltimore and Annapolis Trail, MD
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On railstotrails.org:•Rail-Trail Stats, FAQ•Toolbox•Library•Early Warning System•Listserv•TrailBlog & Blogroll•Urban Pathways
It’s all Searchable!
New RTC Web Resources
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Education/Research/TechnicalAssistance
RTC Western Region
Laura Cohen, J.D., Director –[email protected]
Steve Schweigerdt, Trail DevelopmentManager – [email protected]
Phone: (415)814-1100