Selling' Rural Communities on Cycling-The River Town Program

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

History and Heritage

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