Ohio Trails and Greenways 2002 State Conference
March 19, 2002
Ira S. Weiss
I attended the Track 3 sessions held in the Thurber Room.
Welcome, Opening Remarks
Rhonda Borders-Boose and Kate Bickert, VP Field Operations, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
Rhonda noted that there are 600 miles of trails in Ohio.
Kate continued with her remarks.
She said that people are getting tired of sprawl. We are growing larger and larger as a nation. We want access to open spaces outdoors and to transform community experience. We want to change urban landscapes.
Changing focus, she said that there is a prevalence of obesity. She referenced CDC records from 1991 to 1998 and noted that Ohio and most other states are obese – 36% are overweight and 22% obese, including kids. Weight gain is related to diet and activity. 60% of American are not physically active. People need to choose to exercise and we need to make it convenient, safe and accessible.
People want transit systems and new bikeways. A Harris Poll noted that 53% of adults would bike more often if available.
Quality of life is the 3rd most important factor in locating a business.
Trails have a $1.5M/yr average impact on their community. Trails also improve real estate values by 10-20%.
There are over 1,000 open trails with 12,000 miles and over 18,000 miles are in the works. The goal is 15,000 miles of trails in use by 2004. Over 100M people use trails each year.
The national office does technical assistance, policy and communications. The latest issue is SR2S – Safe Routes to Schools.
She gave a funding history. ISTEA was authorized in 1991, 1997 and 1998. TEA-3 is to be reauthorized in 2003. She noted that in Ohio $151M has been granted, $113M proposed for 233 projects.
It’s important to show congress how your district has benefited from funding. Utilize Safe Routes to School. Remember you are a part of a regional trails network, connecting the dots.
Building Successful Partnerships at the Local, State and Interstate Level
Chris Copeland – Harrison County Development Director
Michael J. Poprocki, Transportation Study Director, Brooke-Hancock- Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission
Don’t reinvent the wheel. Someone has solved the same problems. Get on the list serve at the RPC Web site. You can type in your questions and get responses. You get 15 e-mails/week. Contact other trail groups. There are lots of parallels to lobbying.
1. Identify likely supporters and opponents and start working with supporters
2. Formulate a plan, including acquisition and recruiting volunteers
3. Look to grass roots support, do quietly first and get a core of supporters
4. Make personal contacts and form a Friends of Trail
5. Neutralize opponents – you will not change their minds so neutralize the negative comments
6. Be sensitive to local issues. Trails connect communities so have community leaders involved in the planning process
7. Develop support from diverse groups in your community – elected officials, service organizations, businesses, schools. Half of cars at trails come from other counties. You need to have people younger than 40 involved. The community at large likes to ride and hike.
8. Fundraising – fiduciary issues – safeguards, policies and procedures, tax deductibility.
a. Get Federal tax exemption.
b. Make contributions to a government entity.
c. Enter into an agreement with a fiduciary.
d. Make sure there is an authorization process to spend money.
e. Pass resolutions before spending money.
f. Be flexible in fundraising
g. Anything has been done somewhere before
h. Sell trails by the foot or yard
i. Set up a finance committee
j. Spread money equitably and account for everything you spend
k. Put names on your letterhead and have those people make personal contacts
l. Target potential contributors
m. Fundraising events get the community involved and bring them out but don’t raise a lot of money
n. Do a bake sale and use the baking time as an in-kind match
9. Publicity
a. Publicize and thank people who contribute at the trail head and on your Website.
b. Write a weekly column on trails to educate people and contributors alike
10. Structure
a. Control your volunteers with a strong committee structure
b. Have approved plans to limit liability
11. Political Involvement
a. Involve commissioners and county engineer
b. Use Resource, Conservation and Development Councils (one in each county) from USDA. They have appointed boards and involve them with elected officials. They can serve as fiduciary agents maintaining your account although they charge an administrative fee.
12. Use RTC as advisors
13. Get in-king contributions (using dump trucks and back hoes)
14. Clean up for farmers adjacent to trails
15. Have a different address for fundraising for each town
16. Get ODNR and ODOT grants
The tri-state trail initiative involves OH, PA and WV – a total of six senators, 4 – 5 congressmen. It will connect Ashtabula, Weirton, Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Cumberland, and Washington.
How to Save Money on Your Trail Project
Jim Schneider – Assistant Director, Greene County Parks and Recreation
1. Avoid Using ODOT – processes with Federal Highway Administration, which apply same rules to bikeways as highways. ODOT doesn’t understand why a 6 – 8 year process is too long. They have a guide to development of bicycle facilities, but it has not been adopted as policy. Their process takes time, and time is money. ODOT requires you to use their consultants and builders – pre-approved by ODOT. As ODOT has deep pockets you may get charged more. ODOT cost/mile is $200,000; no ODOT is $120,000/mile. This saved $80,000 in l4.6 miles. You can use the LPA process – Local Process Administration – for more local control.
a. Field review
b. Expectations for environmental and engineering
c. Still prequalification but get better bid when done locally
d. Take bridges out of scope of ODOT project and fund locally
2. Minimize engineering – Trail replaces rails and alignments and profiles are there. Be logical in what you’re doing. Use gradient grading, take out base to put in base and asphalt and use length x width x depth to figure quantity.
3. Bridges – do design/build with one company. Do bridges as separate contract from trail. Use pre-constructed bridges. Must meet highway loading for ambulances. Ohio Bridge is a good company. Use the standing abutments as they held a 60 ton locomotive. Put in a used bridge if possible. Use H piling and sheet piling rather than poured concrete for abutments.
4. Reduce Materials
a. Use railroad ballast
b. Sell-off excess ballast – 8” to 12” and you will still have 18” to 36” of ballast left
c. Use 2” #411 3/8” limestone aggregate
d. Don’t use prime coat, asphalt sticks to base materials anyhow
e. Use coarser asphalt 402 1.25” and put 404 on top
5. Fence only for safety of trail users
a. Don’t use privacy fencing, use landscaping for privacy
b. Use 4’ fence
c. Use woven wire, not chain link
d. Use split rail for decoration
6. Stack signs on a single post
7. Use existing materials for berming, dirt not topsoil, native vegetation
8. Use thermoplastic striping as it lasts 5 – 10 years, paint lasts one year with sand, not glow beads, to maintain traction
9. Reduce use of bollards. The use of trail keeps vehicles off. If you need bollards use flexible ones at $25 each
10. Common Sense Approach
a. Spend money upfront
b. Make sure materials are tested
c. Pay engineer to do field work
d. Use ODOT or AASHTO specs as they work well; if you cut costs you pay later
e. Split project into sections rather than lump sum bid
11. Drainage
a. Clean out culverts, don’t replace
b. If you must replace use N12 plastic pipe
c. Don’t risk anything on drainage and bridges
12. Amenities – Benches and kiosks
a. Use commercial equipment as they are made to last
b. Engineers assume liability by setting standards
13. Sell right-of-way to utility companies
14. Residential developments by trails – put in spur trail to development and use your planning commission. Trail is a selling feature and economic benefit is there
The Pros and Cons of Three Different Types of Trail Surfaces
Rob Bobel – Park Engineer, National Parks Service
Kevin Grippi – Ashtabula County Parks Administrator
Jim Schneider – Assistant Director, Greene County Parks and Recreation
Rob – Crushed Limestone Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Used crushed rolled limestone – 6” 304 topped with 1.5” #10
1. Initial costs are less expensive than asphalt but balances out in long run.
2. Uses good for equestrian and bicycles, not for wheelchairs
3. Maintenance costs are higher
4. Location – be careful if subject to flooding as there are grade issues
5. Advantages
a. Lower initial costs
b. Lower rehab costs
c. Softer appearance
d. More giving surface
e. More absorption and less runoff
f. Slower speeds
6. Disadvantages
a. Regular maintenance schedule required
b. Spring tundra – muddy surfaces
c. Summer dusting – blows off
d. Changes in soil PH – limestone leaches into vegetation
7. Use asphalt if grade is 3-4%
Kevin – rubberized trail made from surplus tires
1. Used 100% scrap tires. County has 2M scrap tires and scrap tires are a huge problem in Ohio.
2. 6 weeks away from ¼ mile trail with 66K scrap tires
3. Got $.50 of every tire tip fee into escrow and vendors got a tax-deductible donation, money is match for trail
4. Rubber surface over asphalt surface
5. Trail is ¼ mile long and 2.5” thick
6. Formed partnerships with big tire vendors
7. Put money into a foundation for later grant for surfaces
8. It does not catch fire
9. Has to be at least 70 degrees out to apply
10. It takes 24 hours to set up
11. Surface is good for running, not ideal for biking
12. Can withstand horseshoes and snowmobiles
13. Expensive and takes many tires
14. Uses shredded rubber with a binder
15. ODNR no longer funding rubber trails
16. Location is off I-90 at RT 45
Jim – Asphalt trails
1. Asphalt is a flexible product
2. Can get 20 years if properly installed and maintained
3. Disadvantages – subsurface movement causes cracks
4. Need good drainage as asphalt absorbs water
5. Railroad ballast is great drainage
6. Get rid of subsurface water
7. Need 6” of 304 materials over ballast
8. Weeds can grow through trail
9. Go to 3” pavement for durability, item 448
10. ODOT spec manual – use it – 2002 for $15
11. Water is destructive to asphalt – make sure it is crowned or sloped
12. Clean by sweeping or blowing
13. Supports a wider variety of trail uses – ADA
14. Stands up to hooves
15. Periodic maintenance – checking for cracks and fixing them with craftco – dries in 15 minutes
16. Edge pavement every few years
17. Seal coat every 3-5 years restores natural oils. Use GSB-88 on ODOT state contract at $.62/square yard. Dries in one hour. Add black beauty silica when applying
18. When repairing put 1.25” also build up berm and reseed
19. Seal coat fresh asphalt if you can
20. Tree roots – cut off roots at trail edge and use root guard – polyethylene plastic
21. Don’t open cut trails for utility lines, etc – let them go underneath
22. Road oil – used in PA
Media Relations – Making Local Media Work For, Not Against, Your Trail Project
Rhonda Border-Boose, State Director, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Ohio Field Office
1. Best way to establish relationships is to cultivate relationship with media before you need them. Put them in your information loop
a. Hometown newspapers – always looking for news. Get stories to them. Makes the job easier for them. They are receptive to your message. This is easier than larger papers. These are more of a challenge. You must get to know that person on staff who has a common interest.
b. Radio stations – some smaller stations have a talk show format. They will run free announcements for you. They can do free air time or remote broadcasts for trail openings.
c. Local cable access – community calendars - $15 to run announcements. Rates are discounts for non-profits. They can also do remote broadcasts
2. After finding outlets, cultivate a relationship
a. Pick one person as spokesperson
b. Maintain a professional image with press release form – logo with word “press release”
c. Find your angel who cares what you are about
d. Educate that person about big picture and put your spin on it
e. Bring media in as early as possible when it is ok to get media involved
f. Don’t forget media and keep them updated
g. Never charge media; they always go for free
h. Have your story straight at all times
i. As a subject matter expert you are valuable to reporters
j. Be proactive – have answers to what is the worst thing and have a response
k. Never lie to media as it will kill credibility. Have a plan in place
l. Don’t talk to people until you want to. You can get back to them
m. Always follow through if you said you would get back to them and honor their deadlines
n. Don’t play media outlets against each other
o. Never say anything is “off the record”
p. Once a story is out there, it is out there for public consumption
q. Media has obligation to tell the good with the bad
r. Don’t threaten to pull advertising
s. Protect your credibility
t. Media are not your enemy
3. Press releases and PSA’s
a. Do correctly on 81/2 x 11 with same look every time standardized with logo, double-spaced, date, subject, contact name and number, “for release” date
b. Use one double-spaced page
c. If more information is needed, they will call you
d. Be concise and come directly to the point
e. Be 100% error-free with spelling, grammar and facts
f. Include who, what, where, why, how
g. Mail to all outlets
h. Keep a press release file
i. Keep a press clippings file – measure how many column inches and put a value on them based on advertising rates
j. Don’t bury your lead
k. Do not assume your news will be covered and never be angry when it is not covered
l. Never make reporter or editor actually work
m. Never use jargon or clutter – they may not know the acronyms
n. Reporters bring photographer of choice, if they don’t have a photographer send pictures with releases or e-mail digital photos
o. Steer reporters to opposition of your choice – you pick least evil person
p. You can send press releases by e-mail
q. Look for big city paper – look at byline on who does this kind of story and contact them
r. Attach to healthy lifestyles section
s. Letters to the editor
i. Very tricky, tone can come back to haunt you
ii. What is best thing that can happen?
iii. It can fuel the other side
iv. Opposition will respond with another letter
v. You need to think it through
vi. It’s your name on letter, not media making news