Transcript The Northwest Ohio Greenways Initiative

planning smart transportation, conservation, and recreation…
…one link at a time
Informational Meeting
Friday February 10th, 1:00–3:00 pm
WHY GREENWAYS?
Green infrastructure brings a multitude of environmental benefits to the
table, such as heat island mitigation, habitat preservation, storm water
run-off purification, and alleviation of pollutants from the built
environment. Greenways and trail systems also have beneficial
impacts on air quality and congestion. What is even more encouraging,
these benefits become all the more robust when a region develops a
system or network of trails rather than a singular facility. A wide-spread
network of trails and open space provides a greater number of people
the opportunity to enjoy and benefit from an organized initiative.
Research has shown it is primarily a lack of opportunity – and place –
instead of a lack of desire on the part of residents to participate in a
regional greenways system.
THE BENEFITS OF GREENWAYS PLANNING
Benefits of Recreation
o Growing popularity of outdoor recreation activities coupled with the
loss of community open space = increased need for quality
recreational facilities such as rail trails
o Can serve as independent community amenities
o Enhance existing recreational resources by linking neighborhoods and
schools to parks, waterfront, recreational centers and other facilities
o Recreational greenways are directly linked to improved health &
wellness
o Examples of recreation options:
o Bird watching, cross-country skiing, horseback riding inline skating,
running, cycling, fishing, snowmobiles, walking, recreational fitness
activities
Benefits of Transportation
Alternatives
o Greenways have the ability to function as viable transportation
corridors
o Rail-trails have the tendency to be flat and direct, often connecting
residential and business districts, which make them convenient as
a primary means of getting safely to and from work, school,
shopping areas and other destinations.
o 1995 National Personal Transportation Survey = 43% of cycling
trips are made for purposes other than just recreation
o Cycling on an off-road trail facility is generally safer than riding on
sidewalks or streets without bike lanes
o Recent cycling/running accidents here in NW Ohio
o The more safe facilities made available, the more people are willing
to use non-motorized transportation for many daily trips.
Benefits of Health &
Wellness
o Trails and greenways help people of all ages incorporate exercise into their
daily routines by connecting them with places they want or need to go
o The “Healthier U.S. Initiative” fitness campaign is designed to educate and
inspire Americans to be active
o Trails figure prominently in the fight against obesity & inactivity
o Regular physical activity is a key component of any weight loss effort.3
Greater access to trails can directly impact our nation's obesity
epidemic by improving access to places for physical activity and
opportunities.
• Participating in aerobic training significantly reduces systolic and
diastolic blood pressure.4 Trails provide the opportunity for individuals
to help control their hypertension (high blood pressure).
• Moderate physical activity such as walking and cycling on trails can
protect against developing non-insulin dependent diabetes.5
• Through aerobic exercise training, walking and cycling on trails can
improve symptoms of mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety of a
magnitude comparable to that obtained with some pharmacological
agent.6
o Studies have reported that walking two or more miles a day reduces the
chance of premature death by 50%.7
Benefits of Conservation
o Rail-trails provide Americans reconnection with the natural
environment, a renewed sense of community, and a restored
appreciation for historical and cultural artifacts and nostalgia
for the “golden age” of rail transportation.
o Rail-trails help preserve important natural landscapes,
provide needed links between fragmented habitats and offer
tremendous opportunities for protecting plant and animal
species; also useful tools for wetland preservation and
improvement of air and water quality.
o A corridor can become a linear habitat or “greenway” that
connects wildlife areas isolated by expansive development.
o They often link, provide access to and incorporate historic
features such as battlefields, bridges, canals, historic
buildings, and rail depots
Benefits of Revitalization
o One of the greatest challenges many local governments face is
how to revitalize urban environments and attract people back to the
cities from the suburbs (or extended suburbs).
o Toledo as an example: how do we create a picture of desirability to
entice young professions to come live, work, and play here?
o Trails & greenways are valued for their ability to connect people
with places and enhance the beauty of urban centers
o Found to be an economically wise choice; often bring job growth in
construction and maintenance fields, as well as tourism industry
such as bike shops, restaurants, and lodging
o Many companies seeking to relocate or establish a corporate
headquarters have cited the availability of trails as a significant
factor in their decision to choose one locale over another
o Rail-trails are known to increase the natural beauty of communities;
they may also bolster property values and make adjacent
properties easier to sell, becoming an asset and key attractor to
neighborhoods
o Redevelopment efforts help reverse industrial blight
Benefits of Connectivity
o Linking the places where we live, work, learn, and play with trails
and greenways is a crucial element of our nation’s efforts to build
safer, healthier, more livable communities.
o Rail-trails can bind communities together as effectively as the
railroads did before them
o The many benefits of individual rail-trails (recreation, transportation,
health, conservation, revitalization) are multiplied when trails are
connected to regional systems of trails and greenways.
o The process of trail building also becomes a process of community
building
o Greenways are a chance to reconnect our neighbors by creating
common ground for social interaction. They reconnect our families
by providing safe and healthy recreation areas for children, parents,
and grandparents. Trails reconnect us to nature by giving us
access to green space for recreation and relaxation. And, with the
restoration of old railroad trestles and tunnels, we are reconnected
to the rich period of history when previous generations helped build
and connect America by rail.
CONNECTIVITY: HOW IT WORKS
WHY NOW?
Increasing negative health issues nationwide
Decreasing natural biodiversity
Lack of open space available for recreation, conservation
Importance of green infrastructure being recognized
Need for a diversified local economy
Desire to increase Northwest Ohioan’s QUALITY OF LIFE
For Better Health…
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Physical inactivity contributes to 300,000 preventable deaths a year in the
United States. Some 40% of deaths in the United States are caused by
behavior patterns that could be modified. A sedentary lifestyle is a major risk
factor across the spectrum of preventable diseases that lower the quality of life
and kill Americans.
Walking and bicycling by children ages 5-15 years dropped 40% from 1977 to
1995.
In the US, 6,000 pedestrians and bicyclists are killed each year in traffic
accidents; 90,000 are injured; 100 bicyclists and pedestrians were killed in Ohio
in 2001.
A 1999 study in South Carolina found that the lack of physical activity causes
nearly 2,000 deaths annually and costs the state $157 million or more annually
in hospital charges.
A recent study showed that total cost of the physical inactivity of 7.6 million
Michigan adults was nearly &8.9 billion in 2002. Of these costs, $8.6 billion are
attributed to workers’ compensation, which equates to a loss of 162 productive
hours (about 20 days) per worker.
•“The built environment is our most important
habitat,” notes Allen Dearry, Ph.D., associate
director of the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences, national Institutes of Health. “It
plays a significant role in chronic health
conditions such as obesity, asthma, and
cardiovascular disease. Communities, biomedical
scientists, planners, policy makers and others need
to identify the mechanisms by which the built
environment impacts health and develop
appropriate interventions to reduce or eliminate its
harmful effects.”
… Thru Greenways
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Several Studies have found that nature and outdoor settings help reduce stress.
Natural environments elicit positive feelings, reduce fear, are interesting to look
at and even help block stressful thoughts. The most beneficial natural
environments are those composed primarily of vegetation and water.
After instituting a Safe Routes to School program, Marin County, California
increased students walking by 64% and biking by 114%.
Nature contact has been credited with reducing stress and enhancing work
performance
For Greater Biodiversity
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In 2001, 2.9 million Ohioans spent $880 million watching wildlife.
“Over the past 200 years, habitat in most of Ohio has been converted
from nearly a continuous cover of natural, deciduous forest to a mosaic
of agriculture, suburban/urban and fragmented woodlands. Original
prairie habitat has been lost as a functional ecosystem.”
“Habitat management is a key to the success of restoring endangered
species. For example, the protected habitat at Crane Creek is
essential to our osprey reintroduction program in Ottawa County.”
– Additional examples… Oak Openings Preserve, Toledo Botanical Gardens
The Importance of Recreation in Ohio
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43 million US cyclists spend 5.3 billion annually.
In 1997, 1.4 million day-use visitors to the beach at Maumee Bay State Park
spent $6.2 million.
Non-consumptive activities on public lands in Ohio generate $50.2 million in
retails sales, $35.5 million in salaries and wages, 2000 jobs and $3.7 million
in tax revenues.
People who fish, hunt, and watch Ohio’s wildlife spend about $2.8 billion a
year to do so. Of the 50 states, Ohio ranked:
o 3rd in hunting related expenditures, $951 million
o 5th in the number of people who watch wildlife, 2.9 million
o 7th in fishing-related expenditures, $944.6 million
o 7th in the number of in-state anglers, 1.4 million
o 7th in the number of in-state hunters, 490,000
o 16th in money spent watching wildlife, $880 million
Harnessing the Economic Benefits
of Open Space for Ohioans
• In 1999, 31 million visitors to Ohio’s State Parks spent an average of
nearly $70 per trip.
• Each year, nature tourists spend $5.6 million in Ottawa County alone.
• In 1997, bird watchers at Magee Marsh spent $47.50 per day in direct
expenses.
• Nature-based tourists participated in the following vacation activities:
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68% watch wildlife (including bird watching)
58% visit parks
55% hike
48% explore nature preserves
The Case for Green Infrastructure
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Open Space Management
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Open space projects offer natural solutions for pest control and pollution, which can help save local
governments money on such expenditures.
When open lands are managed as a natural buffer area rather than turf, corporate landowners can save between
$270 to $640 per acre in annual mowing and maintenance costs.
Haphazard development often requires huge investments in roads, sewers, schools, and other public
infrastructure.
Development
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Impervious cover (roadways, parking lots, roof tops) conveys 16 times more storm-water than forest cover.
High levees built next to a river channel are very expensive. A far less expensive method is to setback the
levees and let the river occupy its natural floodplain. This floodplain can also serve as a farmland or parkland.
Which will cost more: storm-water control projects or a greenway system? In Kansas:
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Natural Landscapes
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Storm-water control projects $120 million ($600,000 x 200) OR
Greenway systems $600,000
Studies show that one rural tree can intercept up to 50 pounds of particulates every year.
The absence of trees increases dust levels (a common allergen) by 4-100 times.
A single mature tree can provide cooling energy equivalent to 5 average room air conditioning units running for
20 hours a day.
Soil Erosion
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In Ohio, more than 85 million tons of soil erodes annually. Much of this soil ends up in lakes, rivers, and
streams, degrading water quality and costing millions of dollars to remove.
The 2002 cost of dredging Ohio’s Lake Erie harbors alone = $5.6 million.
Reducing soil erosion could reduce the cost of dredging harbors and lakes by $0.87 per ton.
Open Spaces Make Good Neighbors
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A study of 36 urban rail-trails found that the crime rate
was very low compared to the national crime rate for
urban areas. Of the 81 suburban and 255 rural rail-trails
in the study area, even fewer major crimes were reported
than in the urban areas. These reports were lower than
national averages for suburban and rural areas.
Only 5% of the 36 urban trails in a 1997 study area
reported any incidents of trespassing.
A study of 125 rail-trails found that 85% of the projects
met either no opposition or opposition that was readily
dismissed after routine landowner and citizen concerns
were addressed.
88% of adjacent landowners to the Little Miami Scenic
Trail feel that the trail has improved the quality of their
neighborhood.
79% of adjacent landowners to the Little Miami Scenic
Trail would recommend living near a trail to other
landowners.
Support for Economic
Diversity
• In the city of Loveland, Ohio, a study found that the bike trail
was the single most important reason people were visiting
downtown Loveland. People using the trail spend, on average,
$7 per visit in the town. Most of the shoppers at the city’s
antique stores discover the stores while riding the bike trail and
come back to shop.
• Alexandra’s Bed and Breakfast Inn, a historic home in Madison
County, gives its first line of advertising as being “Located on the
Rails to Trails Bike Path near Columbus, Dayton, and
Springfield.”
• A storefront area of Dunedin, Florida, was suffering a 35%
vacancy rate. The Pinellas Trail was introduced to the town and
in 1997 the storefront occupancy rose to 100% and business
boomed.
Enhancing Quality of Life
“Community livability is enhanced by conservation development that provides access to recreation
opportunities, open space, and trails and reduces the risk of flooding.”
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A community survey in Columbus, Ohio, found that 95% of respondents
believe the Metroparks contributed to the quality of life in central Ohio and
77% believe the Metroparks improve their own quality of life.
In Whetstone Park, Columbus, Ohio, a nearby park and river account for
7.35% of the selling price of properties.
One developer in San Diego County found he could increase the sale price of
his houses by 25% by scaling back his development 15% and adding natural
open space corridors visible from every home.
In Philadelphia’s Pennypack Park, the Regional Science Research Institute
found that property value decreases the farther away it is from open space. At
40 feet, the park accounted for 33% of the land value, 9% of the value at
1,000 feet and 4.2% of the value at 2,500 feet.
Among 22 community amenities, park areas and walking/jogging trails were
the top rated amenities with 62% and 58% of the respondents, respectively,
saying that these features would have an influence on their purchase.
Natural undeveloped lands ranked top on respondents’ list of open spaces
preferences.
…WHY NORTHWEST OHIO?
• Our abundant natural resources
– Rivers and watersheds
• Maumee, Blanchard, Auglaize
Ottawa & Sandusky
– Open space and agriculture
• Our existing green infrastructure
– Rail trails, parks, and recreational resources
• Our historic and cultural background
– Maumee Heritage Corridor
– Miami Erie Canal
• Our economic needs
– Potential for tourism & related activities
• Our emphasis on “quality of life”
– Making NW Ohio a DESIREABLE place to live!
Rivers & Streams
Stream Facts
• There are over 3,300 named
streams in Ohio
• Ohio has an estimated 61,532
total miles of streams
• Every stream is a tributary with
a watershed
• Ohio passed the first scenic
rivers law in 1968
Ohio’s Largest Watersheds
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Ohio’s Longest Streams
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Drainage Facts
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22,500 miles of county ditches are
built in Ohio
4,000 miles of drainage ditches are
currently maintained in Ohio
Maumee River
– 4,862 sq. miles
Sandusky River
– 1,421 sq. miles
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Sandusky River
– 130.0 miles
Maumee River
– 105.4 miles
Blanchard River
– 104.2 miles
Auglaize River
– 101.9 miles
GREENWAYS &
AGRICULTURE
An Unlikely Partnership
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Each day, Ohio loses an average of 394
acres of farmland. That’s one third of its
farmland since 1950.
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Census of Agriculture, 1997
Preserving farmland is an economic,
environmental, and social challenge that
requires a synergistic approach for optimal
growth to occur – preserving greenspace,
for example, while revitalizing urban
brownfields to reduce pressure to build
outside of already-urbanized areas.
Protecting farmland will help assure a
strong rural economy and protect scenic
open space, wildlife habitats, and our
quality of life.
Farmland preservation is not about being
anti-development; it is about wise
development.
Existing Trails, Greenways & Bike
Paths in Northwest Ohio
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The Buckeye Trail
The North Coast Inland Trail
The North Country Scenic Trail
Miami Erie Canal
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Wabash Cannonball Trail
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Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Williams
Counties
Hancock County
Old Mill Stream Parkway
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Hancock County
University Park Bike-Hike Trail
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Sandusky County
North Coast Inland Trail
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Ottawa County
North Coast Inland Trail
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Mercer County
North Coast Inland Trail
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Lucas County
Celina Coldwater Bikeway
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Blanchard River Greenway
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Allen, Auglaize, Miami, Shelby, and
Van Wert Counties
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Wood County
Slippery Elm Trail
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Wood County
COUNTY ANALYSIS
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Nineteen Counties To Be Included
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Auglaize
Allen
Crawford
Defiance
Fulton
Hancock
Hardin
Henry
Lucas
Mercer
Ottawa
Paulding
Putnam
Sandusky
Seneca
Williams
Wyandot
Wood
HOW WE GET THERE
• Formulate a steering
committee
• Identify resources
– Inventory & analysis
– University of Toledo,
Spring GIS Lab Course
• Public input & visioning
– Public charrettes and
advisory meetings to be
held on a monthly basis
• Weighing alternatives
• Preliminary visioning
• Finalized planning
“The public involvement in greenway
projects offers opportunities for sharing and
receiving information, for broadening
support of activities through increased
awareness and for making the residents feel
a sense of ownership in a project.”
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1998. Fish, M. Jennifer. “An Analysis of the Perceived Costs and Benefits of Residing Near a
Rural and Recreational Greenway.” The Ohio State University, 1998.
INTERESTED?
• Please fill out the questionnaires provided so that we may better
understand your thoughts and interest on the Northwest Ohio
Greenways Initiative.
• Sign up to be a member on our advisory committee and become
an active part of the Northwest Ohio Greenways Vision!
• Stay up to date on what’s happening with the advisory
committee and public input meetings by visiting our website at:
http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metroparks/development/display.asp?id=513&subj=development
Our official website will be coming soon!