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Despite their popularity and value, rail-trails can take several years
to develop and there are several issues that need to be addressed.
For example, property owners adjacent to an old railroad line may
be concerned about the possible loss of privacy or noise that may
accompany a trail. They may also believe the land belongs to them
and that the railroad had only an easement over their property. Fortunately,
with more than 1,000 rail-trails already on the ground, these issues
have been successfully dealt with in the overwhelming majority of
cases. |
A street sign marking an intersection
with the Libba Cotton Bike Way. |
Corridor Ownership
The
first issue to resolve in developing a rail-trail is determining who
owns the old railroad line, as this affects what is possible and who
has control over the property. Railroad companies acquired corridors
for their tracks in a wide variety of ways: some corridors were bought,
some granted to the railroad company by the Federal government, some
pieced together through agreements (easements) with individual property
owners. Many corridors were acquired through a combination of these
and other methods, making ownership of the corridor a complicated
issue to resolve.
When a railroad no longer wants or needs a corridor, they can abandon
the line and, depending on ownership, dispose of the property. If
the railroad clearly had only an easement in the property, the land
may revert back to the original property owners. If they owned the
corridor outright, the railroad company might sell the land to a local
or state transportation agency, or donate it to a land trust or trail
group -- usually once any valuable tracks and ties have been salvaged.
The Rails to Trails Conservancy has published a variety of resources
on this subject, including Acquiring Rail Corridors and Secrets of
Successful Rail-trails: both recommend seeking professional help in
negotiating with railroads, property owners and interested non-profits
in turing an old railroad line into a trail.
Railbanking
In
1983, Congress amended the National Trails System Act to create a
program called "railbanking" to keep intact the remarkable network
of railroad corridors that had been created in the 19th and early
20th century. Congress wanted to save the corridors for future potential
rail use and allow their interim use as trails.
When a railroad announces its intention to abandon a corridor, interested
groups or agencies can apply to the Surface Transportation Board to
have the corridor railbanked and used in the interim as a trail. The
program has helped create some of the most spectacular trails in the
United States, including the Katy Trail in Missouri, the 320-mile
Cowboy Trail in Nebraska, and the Capital Crescent Trail in Washington
DC, and it has preserved more than 3,500 miles of corridor for future
railroad use.
Link
to GAO report
Community Concerns
As
with many public projects, people close to a proposed trail may have
concerns about the impact of the new facility on their property, privacy
and peace and quiet. Research and the experience of numerous trails
in communities across the country (www.railtrails.org)
has shown that these fears are usually not realized and can be mitigated
through careful trail planning, design, and management.
Crime - People living close to a proposed rail trail often fear an
increase in crime and vandalism as a result of people using the trail.
Ironically, converting a disused rail corridor to a trail often cleans
up untidy wasteland and discourages undesirable behavior by ensuring
a steady stream of legitimate users (i.e. walkers, bicyclists, joggers)
who self-police the public right-of-way. Trail users also are unlikely
burglars. A study by the Rails to Trails Conservancy found
that major crimes on rail-trails, including rape, murder and mugging,
were "very low" compared to national crime rates.
Property Values - Adjacent property owners fear that a trail will
lower the value of their home or property because of the concerns
such as crime, increased traffic and noise. Studies in Denver, Seattle
and other communities indicate that the presence of a trail is either
not a factor in the value of a home or adds value. Indeed, there are
now countless examples of homes being sold on the strength of their
proximity to a regional trail, and national surveys of prospective
home buyers have found people want walkways and bikeways far more
than golf courses, tennis courts and other amenities.
Traffic - Popular regional trails attract people from outside the
immediate neighborhood of the facility, and they often drive to a
trailhead before walking, bicycling or jogging on the trail. Adequate
parking, and the development of safe parking areas, are important
for the peaceful operation of a trail, as is intgeration of the trail
into the overall transportation network (see below).
Liability
Property
owners may also worry about the potential for lawsuits arising from
injuries to trail users that may occur on their land (for example,
a runner slipping on wet leaves while taking a short cut through a
back yard). In almost all states, recreational use statutes protect
landowners from such claims.
Integration with Road Network
Trails
are part of the transportation network and should be fully integrated
into the full range of transportation options available to travelers.
This can be achieved in many ways:
Ensuring links exist between trails and transit services (e.g. train stations and bus stops).
Ensuring streets providing access to trails have adequate bicycle and pedestrians facilities such as striped bike lanes and sidewalks.
Signing trail facilities from nearby roads to alert other users and promote the existence of the trail.
Marking cross streets and intersections so that trail users can keep their bearings.
Providing accessible trail heads and parking.
Providing secure bicycle parking at trail heads.
Including trails on street maps.
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