“There are currently over1,212 trails for 12,585 miles of greenway trail in the U.S.”

Rails to Trails Conservancy, Trail facts

“A greenbelt (trail) in Boulder, Colorado increased aggregate property values for one neighborhood by $5.4 million, resulting in $500,000 of additional annual property tax revenues. The tax alone could recover the initial cost of the $1-5 million greenbelt in three years.”

Economic Impacts of Protecting Rivers, Trails, and Greenway Corridors – National Park Service, 1990.

“Trail users spend money. Such expenditures may range from snacks or drinks to bicycle repair or purchase to overnight stays. Communities that serve as trailheads are poised to take advantage of this economic inflow. A study for the National Park Service undertaken in 1992 estimated that trail users spend between $4 and $11 per day, depending on trail location and spending opportunities. This can equate to between $1.2 and $1.8 million for one trail for one year.”

Iowa Trails 2000, Iowa Department of Transportation

“According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “approximately 300,000 U.S. deaths a year are associated with obesity and overweight (compared with 400,000 deaths a year associated with cigarette smoking). The total direct and indirect costs attributed to overweight and obesity amounted to $117 billion in the year 2000.” The alarming national statistics point to a growing health crisis that impacts Americans of all ages. The Surgeon General recommends moderate physical activity — 30 minutes a day, five days a week — to combat the threat of diseases including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, certain forms of cancer and depression.”

Rails to Trails Conservancy, health benefits of trails