QUARTERLY MEETING January 15, 2016 Tri-State Trails is made possible by the generous support of Interact for Health.
AGENDA Welcome and introductions around the room 2017 International Trails Symposium Announcement Fixing America s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act: Implications for Trail Development Cincinnati Connects Project Overview 2016 Opening Day on the Trails Challenge Tri-State Trails Priority Trail Recommendations for OKI Closing announcements
2017 INTERNATIONAL TRAILS SYMPOSIUM ANNOUNCEMENT Brent Anslinger, Five Rivers MetroParks
FIXING AMERICA S SURFACE TRANSPORTATION (FAST) ACT: IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAIL DEVELOPMENT Brian Housh, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people. Fixing America s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act Implications for Trail Development January 2016 Overall, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) feels that the FAST (Fixing America s Surface Transportation) Act reflects a win for active transportation, especially given that initial proposals advocated funding cuts to vital programs used to build safe places to walk & bike. States and localities now have a dedicated source of transportation funding for the next five years. The Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) increases from $820 million to $835 million per year for the first two years, with another $15 million increase to $850 million per year for the final three years of the Bill. The TAP has been moved into a broad umbrella program as a set-aside, and a new vulnerability for the Program is that metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), the regional transportation planning organizations in urban areas, can transfer out half of their TAP funds to other uses. RTC pushed for several reforms to the TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Investment Act), which are included in the Act: 1. The minimum cost threshold is lowered from $50 million in urban areas and $25 million in rural areas to $10 million for all projects with significant local government involvement and for transitoriented development projects. 2. Multiple segments of a trail network can more easily be financed through a single financing agreement a "Master Credit Agreement" to meet the $10 million threshold. 3. The application process is streamlined for low-cost, low-risk projects like trail networks to reduce the transaction costs and make it affordable to apply. Also, at least $2 million per year will be available to defray application costs for smaller projects. 4. States may use TIFIA funds to capitalize State Infrastructure Banks to make financing more accessible for rural projects. Congress has made the TIFIA, a breakthrough financing tool, more accessible for communities ready and willing to connect and accelerate the completion of their trail and active transportation networks. Because this is financing rather than grants, it will not be the right tool for every community; for those ready and willing to invest in their futures, these reforms can provide inexpensive funding to hasten the timetable for a community to become more attractive, walkable and bikeable. Congress has given the USDOT up to six months to issue guidance regarding the streamlined application process and is working on developing guidance for the other provisions. In the meantime, RTC encourages communities to prepare for how they will use these financing tools to hit the ground running. Stay tuned for upcoming webinars hosted by America Walks (February 18 th ), the National League of Cities and Railsto-Trails Conservancy about the TIFIA and what it can do for your active transportation networks! SIGN UP FOR UPDATES AT RAILSTOTRAILS.ORG
CINCINNATI CONNECTS PROJECT OVERVIEW Robin Corathers, Groundwork Cincinnati-Mill Creek
April 16 June 4, 2016
Opening Day on the Trails Challenge Commences with celebration on April 16 Opening Day on the Trails national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy event Challenge to encourage people (with prizes!) to explore region s trails Overlaps with National Bike Month Closes with ceremony on June 4 National Trails Day
How It Will Work Participants will need to walk, run, hike, or bike a set number of trails receive a prize for completion Prizes will be awarded at June 4 ceremony Finishers will also be entered into additional raffles for larger prizes Challenge will encourage participants to explore trails around the region Kickoff and closing event locations TBD
How It Will Work Trails Challenge passport will be hosted through MeetMeOutdoors.com Tri-State Trails working with MMO Action Team to roll out new website with Trail Finder Tool Trail Finder Tool will delineate trails that are close proximity to transit routes and are handicap accessible
We Need Your Help! Timing aligns with update of our regional trails plan, and we are working to collect data on: Destination fitness trails (park loops) Hiking trails Mountain bike trails If you have GIS data for your trails, please send to wade@greenumbrella.org by February 12, 2016
We Need Your Help! Host a group walk, run, hike, or bike ride on a trail! Existing OR proposed trails Serve on our Planning Committee Sign up on your agenda and drop it off as you leave Donate items to be raffled
RECOMMENDATIONS TO OKI FOR 2040 PLAN UPDATE
Timeline We asked you for proposed trail segments and cost estimates at our October 9 quarterly meeting Received 45 trails segments Survey launched on December 4 Closed December 18, received 65 responses TST Executive Committee reviewed survey results and submitted final recommendation on December 31 to OKI
SURVEY RESULTS AS OF 12/18/15 (65 RESPONSES) 1 Greendale - I-275/US 50 Pedestrian Bridges DC - Dearborn Trail Extension 2 Greendale - Dearborn Trail Ohio Connector DC - Bright Trail 3 Lawrenceburg - Riverfront Trail Greendale Connector DC - Bright Trail Extension 4 GMRT - Fairfield Extension DC - Logan/Bright Trail 5 GPHC - Glenwood Gardens to Sharon Woods Connector DC - Bright Connector Trail 6 GPHC - LMST Bridge (Beechmont Avenue) Greendale - Lawrenceburg Connector 7 GPHC - Oasis Rail-Trail Greendale - Levee Trail 8 GPHC - Shawnee Lookout to Miami Whitewater Forest Connector Greendale - Hidden Valley Lake Connector 9 MCG - Extension to Hamilton County Fairgrounds Lawrenceburg - Ludlow Hill Park Trail 10 WF MCG - Winton Woods Connector Lawrenceburg - Downtown Trail 11 WF MCG - Wyoming Segment Lawrenceburg - Levee Access Trail 12 CC - Uptown Connector Lawrenceburg - Riverfront Levee Trail Widening 13 CC - MCG Connector Hamilton Beltline 14 CC - ORT West Connector (Smale Park to Mill Creek) Oxford Perimeter Trail 15 CC - ORT West Connector (Mill Creek Bridge) Park Hills Green Line Trail 16 ORT West - Extension to Fernbank Park M2M - Lebanon to Monroe (accidentally not included in survey) 17 ORT West - Extension to Shawnee Lookout M2M - Mason to Franklin (accidentally not included in survey) 18 ORT East - Anderson Township Segment 1 DC - Bright Elementary Trail 2 DC - Bright/Greendale Trail 3 DC - Bright/Harrison Trail 4 Greendale - Oberting Road Trail 5 GPHC - Miami Whitewater Forest to Fernald Connector 6 GPHC - Winton Woods to Richardson Nature Preserve Connector 7 MCG - Evendale Segment 8 CC - Duck Creek Connector 9 CC - Murray Trail Connector 10 ORT West - Shawnee Lookout Loop Trails bolded received over 30 votes in their respective category
Narrowing it Down OKI required that we narrow it down 10 HIGH and 10 MEDIUM priority projects Major considerations Does segment connect two or more existing linear trails? Does segment extend existing linear trail segment? Does segment lay groundwork for future trail connection? Length of segment vs. length of connection made How shovel ready is project? (planning/engineering documents, right-of-way acquisition, etc.)
FINAL RECOMMENDATION 1 Lawrenceburg - Riverfront Trail Greendale Connector DC - Bright Trail 2 GMRT - Fairfield Extension DC - Bright Trail Extension 3 GPHC - LMST Bridge (Beechmont Avenue) DC - Logan/Bright Trail 4 GPHC - Glenwood Gardens to Sharon Woods Connector DC - Bright Connector Trail 5 GPHC - Oasis Rail-Trail Greendale - Lawrenceburg Connector 6 MCG - Extension to Hamilton County Fairgrounds Greendale - Levee Trail 7 CC - MCG Connector Greendale - Oberting Road Trail 8 CC - ORT West Connector (Smale Park to Mill Creek) Greendale - Hidden Valley Lake Connector 9 WF MCG - Winton Woods Connector + WF MCG - Wyoming Segment Lawrenceburg - Ludlow Hill Park Trail 10 ORT East - Anderson Township Segment Lawrenceburg - Downtown Trail 1 DC - Bright Elementary Trail + DC - Bright/Greendale Trail + DC - Bright/Harrison Trail Lawrenceburg - Levee Access Trail 2 DC - Dearborn Trail Extension Lawrenceburg - Riverfront Levee Trail Widening 3 Greendale - I-275/US 50 Pedestrian Bridges + Greendale - Dearborn Trail Ohio Connector Hamilton Beltline 4 GPHC - Winton Woods to Richardson Nature Preserve Connector Oxford Perimeter Trail 5 CC - ORT West Connector (Mill Creek Bridge) GPHC - Miami Whitewater Forest to Fernald Connector 6 ORT West - Extension to Fernbank Park GPHC - Shawnee Lookout to Miami Whitewater Forest Connector 7 ORT West - Extension to Shawnee Lookout MCG - Evendale Segment 8 ORT West - Shawnee Lookout Loop CC - Duck Creek Connector 9 M2M - Lebanon to Monroe CC - Murray Trail Connector 10 M2M - Mason to Franklin CC - Uptown Connector Park Hills Green Line Trail Trails bolded received over 30 votes for Bucket #1. Trails in blue were consolidated to create a more compelling trail corridor.
P R I O R I T Y T R A I L R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S F O R O K I 75 71 275 74 LEGEND Priority Trails High Regional Priority Medium Regional Priority Local Priority Regional Trails Plan Existing Trails Shared Road Proposed Trails Roads Interstate Jurisdictions Township or Unincorporated Town or Village City County 0 1 2 Miles 4 [ Date: December 29, 2015. Source: TIGER, Tri-State Trails. Tri-State Trails is made possible by the generous suppport of Interact for Health. 471
Questions?
One more thing
There s a special someone we d like to thank for all her hard work over the past two years
Andrea Irland National Park Service Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance Program
Thanks for all your support, dedication, and technical assistance that has made Tri-State Trails what it is today!
Closing Announcements Warren County Trails Forum Wednesday, February 17, 2016 9:30am-11:30am Warren County Administration Building, Room 128 A 406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, OH 45036 Northern Kentucky Trails Forum (Campbell/Kenton Counties) Tuesday, February 23, 2016 4pm-6pm Newport on the Levee Community Center (Riverwalk Level, next to GameWorks) 1 Levee Way, Newport, KY 41071