Synopses & Reviews
Communities across the country are working to convert unused railway and canal corridors into trails for pedestrians, cyclists, horseback riders, and others, serving the needs of both recreationists and commuters alike. These multi-use trails can play a key role in improving livability, as they offer an innovative means of addressing sprawl, revitalizing urban areas, and reusing degraded lands.
Trails for the Twenty-First Century is a step-by-step guide to all aspects of the planning, design, and management of multi-use trails. Originally published in 1993, this completely revised and updated edition offers a wealth of new information including.
- discussions of recent regulations and federal programs, including ADA and TEA-21
- recently revised design standards from AASHTO
- current research on topics ranging from trail surfacing to conflict resolution
- information about designing and building trails in brownfields and other
- environmentally troubled landscapes
Also included is a new introduction that describes the importance of rail-trails to the sustainable communities movement, and an expanded discussion of maintenance costs. Enhanced with a wealth of illustrations, Trails for the Twenty-First Century provides detailed guidance on topics such as: taking a physical inventory and assessment of a site; involving the public and meeting the needs of adjacent landowners; understanding and complying with existing legislation; designing, managing, and promoting a trail; and where to go for more information. It is the only comprehensive guidebook available for planners, landscape architects, local officials, and community activists interested in creating a multi-use trail.
Review
"The information is given in a reassuring step-by-step manner that doesn't assume the reader has trail experience."
Review
"Nothing escaped the authors' attention, and with so much real-world information,
Trails for the Twenty-first Century is easily the single most useful reference book for trail planners."
About the Author
Charles A. Flink is president of Greenways, Inc. in Cary, North Carolina and an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University.
Kristine Olka is a planner with Greenways, Inc.
Robert M. Searns, AICP, is with Urban Edges, a consulting firm specializing in trail and greenway design based in Littleton, Colorado.
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, based in Washington, D.C., is a national nonprofit membership organization that seeks to facilitate the conversion of abandoned rail corridors and connect open space into a nationwide network of public trails.
Table of Contents
Contents
Acknowledgments and Sponsors
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: Getting Started
Your Trail and the Community
Site Considerations: Inventory and Assessment
Case Studies
Chapter 2: Planning and Public Involvement
Comprehensive Trail Planning
Developing a Plan: In-House Staff or Outside
Contractor?
Public Involvement
Case Studies
Chapter 3: Designing Your Trail
Meeting the Needs of Different Users
Sub-grade, Sub-base, and Trail Surface
Designing Trails in Challenging Areas
Bridges and Railings for Multi-Use Trails
Tunnels
Road Crossings
Signs for Multi-Use Trails
Trail Support Facilities
Wildlife and Multi-Use Trails
Landscaping
Understanding the History of Your Trail
Making Your Trail Unique
Case Studies
Chapter 4: Building Your Trail
Creating an Implementation Plan
Strategies to Acquire Land
Compliance with Legislation and Permitting
Funding Sources for Trail Development
Successful Implementation: Public-Private
Partnerships
Construction
Case Study
Chapter 5: Managing and Maintaining Your
Trail
Who Should Manage Your Multi-Use Trail?
Trail Management for User Safety
Maintaining Good Relations with Adjacent
Landowners, Residents, and Businesses
Developing a Fee Structure
Joint Ventures within Your Multi-Use Trail
Corridor
Protect Your Trail in the Face of Change
Developing a Comprehensive Budget and
Management Plan
Case Study
Chapter 6: Maximizing Your Trail's
Potential
Promoting and Marketing Your Trail
Working with the Media
Publications
Using a Web Site to Market Your Trail
Citizen Support
Keeping Your Trail a Dynamic Entity
Case Studies
12. Tourism Agencies Promoting Trails
13. Creating and Making the Most of a Friends of the Trails
Group
Glossary
Annotated Resource Directory
About the Authors
Index