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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 &notify 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 –laura@railstotrails.org

Steve Schweigerdt, Trail DevelopmentManager – steve@railstotrails.org

Phone: (415)814-1100