2001 Wisconsin State Trails Network Plan
The Benefits of Trails
Environmental and Aesthetic Benefits
Trails provide people alternative transportation routes that can reduce automobile use and provide alternatives to solo driving, resulting in improved air quality. By providing safe, pleasant places to walk and bicycle, trails encourage people to use non-motorized means of getting to work, school, play, and shopping which result in reduced traffic congestion, noise, and air pollution. The Wisconsin Bicycle Transportation Plan 2020 states: "the most frequent, comfortable, and practical trips for bicyclists—those under five miles—produce the greatest environmental benefits since trips under five miles in length are the least fuel efficient and produce the highest emissions per mile."
Trails also provide a unique facility to serve a diverse population that may otherwise have limited opportunities to access natural areas due to financial or transportation constraints. When rail lines are converted to trail use, the state generally acquires a 100-foot wide corridor, of which a 10-foot strip is surfaced for the trail. Most of the rest of the land is left in its natural state, providing habitat for birds and other wildlife as well as diverse plant communities that include prairie remnants. The corridors are also extremely important as wildlife corridors which protect species diversity and diverse plant communities such as prairie remnants.
Economic Benefits
Trail users spend money on bicycles, snowmobiles, other durable goods and equipment maintenance related to their recreation, often in the areas near the trails. Local hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, bakeries, gas stations, and other businesses also benefit from tourists’ spending. The state Department of Tourism developed numerous publications that promote statewide trail use.
Studies show that long trails, which attract users from far away, represent the most spending per user. Shorter, urban trails generally get more users, so they also have a high economic impact. This spending results in higher sales tax revenues for the state and counties.
For example, the communities along the Elroy-Sparta State Trail have seen an increase in tourism since the trail opened in 1968. The city of Sparta now proclaims itself the "Bicycling Capital of America." Promotions by the cities of Elroy and Sparta attracted businesses to serve trail users. The Wisconsin Bicycle Transportation Plan 2020 cites data from a 1988 study of the Elroy-Sparta trail that indicated a per person spending of $25.00 per day. Once adjusted for inflation and assuming 60,000 visitors annually, users of this trail spent in excess of $2 million per year on trail-related activities.
The presence of trails often increases the value of properties adjacent to the corridors, especially those through residential neighborhoods. The National Association of Home Builders cites trails as the second and third most important amenity that would influence people to move to a new location. Quality of life is an increasingly important factor in attracting and retaining businesses in a community, and trails are important contributors to the quality of life. Corporations bring jobs to communities and help support other businesses.
Additionally, health improvement due to outdoor exercise can help control medical costs in the long run.
Social Benefits
Trails can provide a sense of place and a source of community pride. When integrated with features such as historic sites, commercial or residential areas, and parks, they can improve the overall character of a region. They are beautiful places for people to enjoy the natural beauty of our state. Trail corridors can become outdoor classrooms where children and adults can observe and learn about their natural and cultural environment.
Health Benefits
Trails provide pleasant places for people to walk, run, bicycle, ski, skate, or do other exercises, all of which help control weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, build strength and endurance, and help prevent osteoporosis, diabetes and depression.
2001 Wisconsin State Trails Network Plan
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