Studies

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published Jun 2011

Bicycle-Rail Trip Analysis and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Focused Study

by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) recently began studying the ways in which bicycling, for transportation and in combination with transit, can reduce automobile use and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The first of these focused studies concentrated on the Metro Orange Line and parallel bicycle path. This Bicycle Rail Trip Analysis and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Study looks more broadly at bicycle trips to and from Metro Rail. The purpose of this study is to establish the benefits of providing an integrated transportation system where bicyclists are accommodated at train stations and on trains.


published Jan 2018

Urban Nature for Human Health and Well-Being

by USDA Forest Service

This report summarizes some of the most prominent research related to nature and public health to help urban natural resource professionals, urban planners, architects, educators, health professionals, and community groups effectively communicate the health benefits of urban nature to their constituents.


published Jun 2013

A Landscape-Scale Approach to Refuge System Planning

by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Team (PIT) was chartered to address this recommendation from Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 21st century strategic vision for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Our charge was to investigate how Refuge System planning will address large-scale conservation challenges such as climate change, while maintaining the integrity of management and conservation delivery within our boundaries.


published Jun 2017

Cross Camden County Trail Feasibility Plan

by NV5, Inc.

Camden County is undertaking the ambitious goal of constructing a bicycle and pedestrian trail across the length of the county, beginning at the Delaware River waterfront and extending to the southeastern county line, a distance of approximately 33 miles.


published Jan 2011

Across the Arterial

by Rails to Trails Conservancy

Successful shared-use paths offer a continuous and extended recreation and transportation experience. Avoiding vehicular interaction is a major challenge in urban environments where shared use paths intersect the roadway network on a regular basis. In the best cases, the paths are grade separated from roadway traffic with pedestrian bridges or under-crossings. However, geometric constraints, financial resources and incompatible adjacent land uses can require trail planners to contemplate and implement at-grade crossings.


published Apr 2015

Santa Paula Branch Line Recreational Trail Compatibility Survey

by Rails to Trails Conservancy, Alta Planning + Design

This report is an inventory and analysis of existing trails in agricultural settings, with a focus on trails that are most comparable to the context of the Santa Paula Branch Line (SPBL) in Ventura County.


published Mar 2011

Compton Creek Trails Community Assessment

by Rails to Trails Conservancy

In 2009, Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) began a multi-year project to ensure that residents along the Compton Creek bike, equestrian and walking trails were involved in using and supporting their trails, as well as to provide opportunities for programs and activities.


published Jan 2016

I Heart Trails Tourism Strategy

While not traditionally viewed as attractions that contribute to tourism and local economies, trails have become destination worthy sites and formidable economic generators. Trails and tourism have become intertwined to the benefit of communities, small businesses, and points of interest.


published May 2015

Assessing the Economic and Livability Value of Multi-Use Trails

Multi-use trails are becoming an economic catalyst and vital contributor to the quality of life for communities all across the nation. This document looks at key factors as to why this is, and takes these factors as a basis into a case study on the Tammany Trace (the ‘Trace’), a 31- mile rail-to-trail conversion in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana.


published Apr 2018

Connecting Parkersburg to Pittsburgh by Rail-Trail: Bringing a world-class trail network to West Virginia

by Rails to Trails Conservancy

This study focuses on the segment of the P2P corridor that lies within the state of West Virginia, from Parkersburg to the West Virginia–Pennsylvania border, just north of Morgantown. The primary alignment of the P2P corridor utilizes existing rail-trails and unused or abandoned rail corridors, and was largely determined through the collaborative efforts of P2P corridor partners. The size and scope of this project produce inherent complexities that will take many partners—working in coordination over several years—to complete.