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Impacts of Trails & Trail Use
Hosted by AmericanTrails.org
Studies of the impacts of trails and greenways, and research on adjacent landowner concerns and property values. Surveys of trail users, demographics, and outdoor recreation goals and activities. Also see economic studies, benefits, and tourism.
- Public Choices and Property Values: Evidence from Greenways in Indianapolis (pdf 410 kb)
- Four studies on Trail Effects on Neighborhoods: Home Value, Safety, Quality of Life
- Home Sales near Two Massachusetts Rail Trails by Craig Della Penna
- Perceptions of How the Presence of Greenway Trails Affects the Value of Proximate Properties
- Greenway Proximity Study: A Look at Four Neighborhoods in Surrey, BC (pdf 1.6 mb)
- Omaha Recreational Trails: Their Effect on Property Values and Public Safety
- Nebraska Rural Trails: Three Studies of Trail Impact
- Impact of the Little Miami Scenic Trail on Single Family Residential Property Values
- Study evaluates impacts to adjacent land uses and residents along White Pine rail trail, Michigan
- Rail-Trails and Safe communities: The Experience on 372 Trails (pdf 593 kb), 1998
- Evaluation of the Burke-Gilman Trail's effect on property values and crime (pdf 504 kb) 1987
- Two Studies Find Trails Make Good Neighbors
- Property Values and Landowner Concerns on the B&O rail trail in Indiana
- The Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail & its Impact on Adjoining Residential Properties, 1997
- Midtown Greenway and the Social Landscape of Minneapolis, MN by Aaron M. Brown (pdf 5.3 mb)
- Urban Trails Heavily Used in Indiana, by Greg Lindsey
- Indiana Trails Study: survey conclusions and recommendations related to trail neighbors
- Study of Nearby Businesses and Adjacent Residential Landowners to the Isabella County Extension of the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail
- Trail Neighbors Gallery 1: photos of residential development along trails
- Trail Neighbors Gallery 2: more examples of adjacent homes and residences
- Brief descriptions of trails adjacent to golf courses: examples from several sources nationwide
- Trails and golf Courses: Best Practices on Design and Management, Alta Design (pdf 2.5 mb)
- Houses hawked on bikeway: Homeowners take advantage of high volume of passersby
- Study of two successful Canadian rural trails, one on an active irrigation canal alignment and the other converted from an abandoned rail line (pdf 123 kb)
- Nordic Ski Trail Easements and Property Values
- Public access wins in court: more protection for landowners
- Town Agrees To Remove Bike Trail Fence
- Rail-Trails and Liability: A Primer on Trail-Related Risk Management Techniques (pdf 680kb)
- Bibliography of economic impact studies related to trails and greenways
Learning who uses trails, when, and why is essential
to planning better trail systems
- Overcoming opposition and generating support for West Ashley Greenway (SC)
- Six Myths of Community Trails: The Case of Bonneville Shoreline Trail
- Bike Path Phobia: Selling Skeptics On Urban Greenway Bike Path Safety
- Crime, Property Values, Trail Opposition & Liability Issues by Tim Eling (pdf 1.5 mb)
- Overcoming opposition to bicycling, walking, and trail development (pdf 1.5 mb)
- Life adjacent to a rail trail: a bed and breakfast inn next to a trail by Craig Della Penna
- Changing trends in backcountry trail use
- Forest Recreation's Growing Impact
- National: 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report (pdf 2.6 mb)
- National: The Next Generation of Outdoor Participants - 2007
- National: Outdoor Industry Foundation study of 7 years of outdoor recreation participation (2005)
- Measuring and Monitoring Trail Use: A Nationwide Survey of State and Federal Trail Managers
- AZ: Arizona Trails 2000 survey of motorized and nonmotorized trail users (pdf 330 kb)
- CA: 2011 San Jose trail count shows trail use continues to rise
- CA: San Jose trail counts show annual increases in trail use
- CO: Sand Creek Greenway: Trail User Survey
- DC-MD: Capital Crescent Trail-Georgetown Branch Trail Survey Report (pdf 2.6 mb)
- ID: Ridge to Rivers Trail System Users Survey, 2000 (pdf .7 mb)
- IN: Clear Creek Trail User Survey (pdf 3.2 mb)
- MI: Study finds 178,000 annual visitors to Pere Marquette Trail
- MI: Truly multi use on the Lansing River Trail
- IN: Midland County Recreation Needs Assessment, 2000 (pdf 471 kb)
- MN: Effects of trails on cycling, Twin Cities 2000
- MN: Summary of Summer Trail Use and User Surveys on nine Minnesota rail trails
- MO: Missouri Equestrian Survey:Understanding Horse Riders' Trail Use (pdf of PowerPoint 1.1 mb)
- NC: North Carolina comprehensive trail and greenway survey
- NC: Mountain Biking at Tsali: An Assessment of Users and Management Alternatives
- New England: Use of existing multi-use trails
- Nova Scotia: A Survey of Nova Scotia Hiking Trail Users, Canada
- NY: Every Mile Counts: Economic analysis of 2008 New York Trail User Surveys
- NY: Canalway Trail User Count and methodology (pdf 1.1 mb)
- Ontario: Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail User Survey: economic and recreational benefits
- PA: Trail User Survey Report: The Lower Trail
- PA: User Survey for the Pennsylvania Allegheny Trail
- PA: Trail Utilization Study: Analysis of the trail systems within the Oil Heritage Region (pdf 4.1 mb)
- PA: Survey of Pine Creek Rail Trail users
- SC: South Carolina Trail Survey, 2003 (pdf 656 kb)
- TX: Austin, Texas survey of the Town Lake Trail
- VA: Huckleberry Trail System Users Survey: Demographics, 2000
- VA: Assessment of User Demographics, Preferences, and Economics of three trails:
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