Enhance the quality of life

Provide a safe, non-motorized transportation system

Reduce crime

Promote health benefits

Increase property values

Establish wildlife corridors and habitat

Offer opportunities for social interaction

Generate economic benefits

Become a venue for family recreation

Serve as a non-discriminating recreational amenity

 

TRAILS ARE A SOURCE OF COMMUNITY PRIDE

 Economic Benefits of Open Space and Trails:

 ·        Real estate industry analyses predict that over the next 25 years, real estate values will rise fastest in communities with open space and networks of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.

 ·        Owners of small companies ranked trails, parks, and open space as the highest priority in choosing a new location for their businesses.

 ·        Open space and trails are among the top five factors that large companies consider when deciding where to locate their businesses.

 ·        Hiking and trails stimulate tourism.  In Moab, Utah, for example, trails-related tourism supports over 1700 local jobs, generates over $1.5 million in annual tax revenue, and accounts for over 75 percent of the local economy.

 
Health Benefits of Walking on Trails and Playing in Parks: 

• 50% less incidence of Diabetes
• 50% reduction in premature death
• 30 – 40% reduction in the risk of heart disease
• 20% less incidence of breast cancer
• 20% reduction in risk of stroke
• Improvement in symptoms of mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety

Open Space and Trails are Valued by the Community:

A 2002 Survey of residents near Ogden’s Bonneville Shoreline Trail revealed that:

82% believe their property would be easier to sell because it is near a trail

88% believe that the trail improved the quality of their neighborhood

94% said that having a trail nearby added to the appeal of their homes