regional cooperation in greenway planning national walking summit, october 29-30, 2015
TRANSCRIPT
Regional Cooperation in Greenway Planning
National Walking Summit, October 29-30, 2015
Two keys to our work:Working
together as a region
Showing the fiscal benefits
Studies are a partnership of the Great Smoky Mountains Regional Greenway Council and the Knoxville Regional TPO
MAYNARDVILLE
More than 100 miles of paved greenway in the Knoxville Region
50 miles in Knoxville; east-west spine is 17 miles
16 miles in Maryville/ Alcoa; almost all is connected
9 miles in Townsend
9 miles in Oak Ridge
2013 study looked at Maryville to Townsend 2014 study was West Knox to Oak Ridge
Focus on fiscal benefits
Plan is part of a larger vision of connecting Knoxville to the Great Smoky Mountains via greenway trail
CONSPIRACY
Suburban Cross-Section
Rural/Steep Cross-Section
Rendering of Rural Section
Cost Estimates
1.4 miles
$665,000
5.6 miles
$2.5 million
6.7 miles
$21.4 million
Total cost: $24.5 million
$475,000/mile
$446,000/mile
$3.2 million/mile
Elements of Fiscal Analysis
$2.45M per year
in constructi
on spending
$3.6M in annual output from
construction
33 jobs created per year
Maintenance spending adds another $87K in annual output and 1 job per year
Elements of Fiscal Analysis
$2.8M in annual output from
tourism
Greenway is expected to attract:
109,500 annual users65,700
local users
43,800 non-local users
Estimated spending: $43.22 per
day
34 jobs created per year
Final element of fiscal impact: $170K in state and local taxes
Findings of Fiscal Analysis
$2.66 in economic benefits for every $1 in construction
spending
Where we stand now
Portion of trail outside of urbanized area will require private funding
West Knox to Oak Ridge Study Goals Demonstrate
fiscal benefits of increasing access to trails
Making connections between trails and other destinations
More Connections
Preferred and Alternate Alignments
Benefits of the Greenway
Positive impact on residential property values
An amenity for office parks and workers
Increased sales for retailers
Shops near the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville, SC, saw a 30-50% increase in sales
Another local example: Urban Wilderness 42-mile recreational trail
network linking 5 parks and 3 Civil War forts
UTK researcher estimates annual economic impact between $15M and $25M per year
Trail advocate has tracked at least $8M in residential real estate investments
PR Web photo
Lessons learned
Working together as a region — sharing the costs, sharing the work
Using the fiscal arguments to engage skeptical audiences — reach them where they are
More resources
For more on our regional partnership: www.smokymountainsgreenways.org/aboutus.htm
For more on the economic benefits of similar projects: FHWA’s 2015 White Paper ̶ Evaluating the Economic Benefits of Nonmotorized Transportation (FHWA-HEP-15-027)
To contact me: [email protected]