'Selling' Rural Communities on Cycling-The River Town Program

The River Town Program is:
An initiative in partnership with heritage areas, environmental groups and community development organizations
A regional program based on the growing outdoor recreational market
A community driven process
Grassroots rather than grass tops driven

Asset Based Community Development
Mobilizes community to take action
Is not dependent on outside expertise
Allows communities to drive the development process
Creates local economic opportunity

Combined with nature and recreation

Trail Towns, River Towns, Canal Towns
Economic development and community revitalization programs
linking communities, tourism and heritage

Based on a growing interest in outdoor recreational activities.
Capitalizes on existing assets of natural environment, navigable rivers, developed trails and heritage attractions.
Engages municipal and civic leadership in the value of the resource and the need to conserve, sustain and improve.

It Works: In the first three years…
Over $1.2 Million raised in project funding
Regional River Town signage installed
River-related activities attract 1000s more visitors than in previous years
2 Kayak rentals, two marinas and 1 Paddleboard business open
50 new campsites opened
River view corridors opened in five communities

Public docks improved and expanded
Five public art installations
Hundreds of flowers planted
Three buildings and one caboose painted
Five facades improved
Four business signs designed and installed
One park donated to the public
Three other parks cleared and improved
Trail master plan completed

It’s All About the Economics!
The Great Allegheny Passage (2008) Over $40 million in economic impact in the 2008 season April - November (Campos Market Research study). Plus another $7.26 million in wages in trail-related businesses in the same period.

Water Trails are Good Business
University of Vermont, Northern Forest Canoe Trail study (2007)
90,000 visitors per year
$12 million in total economic impacts
280 jobs created
$215 spending per trip
Non-locals spending average of $414-$498 per trip
Paddler recreation & tourism impacts local economies

Economics of Trails
Pine Creek Trail $3.6 million
Schuylkill River Trail $3.6 million
Oil Heritage Trails $4.3 million
Torrey C. Brown Trail $5.2 million

Economics of Outdoor Recreation
Active outdoor recreation employs five times more Americans than Walmart, the world’s largest private employer
The outdoor recreation industry contributes more than $800 billion and 6.5 million jobs to the U.S. economy
The average spending of overnight trail users is $98 per day
Average paddlers spend $23-$64 per day

Sources of Economic Impact
Rails to Trails Conservancy, an annual report
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Pennsylvania trail system)
National Park Service (C & O Canal National Historic Park study)
Outdoor Industry Foundation
Many, many more

Answering the NIMBYs
Outdoor recreation and tourism are small jobs and seasonal
Trails are just for local residents
The value of my property will go down with a trail passing through it
I do not want strangers in my neighborhood; crime will go up.

The Power of Small Business
Small Business accounts for 39% of GNP
Small Business creates 75% of new jobs in our economy
Small Business generated 60-80% of net new jobs annually over the last decade
On average entrepreneurs make at least 25% more than the general population.
 Experian, 2006

Property Values Rise
Studies show property values increase with proximity to bicycle paths:
Manon Trail, Indiana: homes within ½ mile of the trail sell for 14% more than comparable homes in the area.
Pinellas Trail, 34 miles, Florida: median home sales prices adjacent to trail escalated faster than countywide.

Crime is not an Issue
Renaissance Planning Group in a Florida study concluded that trails acted as a deterrent effect on crime.
The Rails to Trails Conservancy studied crime statistics from 372 trails of diverse length and type and found that 5 million users reported crimes vastly below national levels

Confluence, Pennsylvania: The Story of a Trail Town

Population: 720 Residents
6 Bed and Breakfasts
15 Guest Houses
3 Campgrounds; plus 1 Glamping site
10 Restaurants/Cafes
3 Grocery stores
1 Outfitter; 1 Bicycle Rental (including recumbents)
An Art Center, Art Gallery, Antique Store
2 Salons and 1 Spa

Cathy McCollom, Director, River Town Program and Principal, McCollom Development Strategies, LLC csm@mccollomds.com

'Selling' Rural Communities on Cycling-The River Town Program

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'Selling' Rural Communities on Cycling-The River Town Program