Learn all you can about trails, locally and nationally. Some good starting points are on the Internet. Below are links to another trail planning outline, trail information, and an example of a trail plan to help you along. (Also see attached list of websites at bottom)

Create a Trails Committee Vision Statement (a model statement is available on page 3 of the Sample City Trail Plan)

a. Identify the need for trails in the community – Why trails?
b. Identify goals for the trails system – What we want it to accomplish? (see pages 3-4 of sample City Trail Plan)

Develop criteria for selection and prioritization. Create a trail system that is not just an “amenity” or “community extra feature” (although it certainly will add to community amenities.) A good trail system becomes a necessary part of the transportation, recreation, and open space elements of the city’s Master Plan. A good trails system will be validated on its own merits and serves important functions such as:

a. Provides an alternative to automobile travel by improving access for
pedestrians and bicycles. By reducing auto trips, trails contribute to
reductions in congestion and air pollution.

b. Trails connect people and places. Trails should connect major origins with destinations: schools, parks, shopping areas, employment and high-density residential areas. Look for corridors that will likely be of most interest to the most people possible. Such a trail system can be fully integrated into the transportation plan, and gain from local support. Community and political support are of utmost importance in creating trails that not only can be built but also maintained well into the future.

c. Trails help preserve open space, and are corridors to public lands that are often isolated by development. Also, try to create interconnected trails – Look at trails as a system of small roads; if there will be more than one trail in the community, seek to connect them together into a comprehensive system, just as you would a road system. Also, look for ways to connect into the trails system of neighboring communities. Often funding sources require trails be integrated into regional trail systems, and interconnectivity is the best way to show that. Don’t create trails that are isolated and will tend to have limited usability and interest. “Trails to nowhere, from nowhere, get nowhere.” However, do not be afraid to build the system a piece at a time. Try to build the most important pieces first, the ones that can most nearly stand on their own for some time, and add additional pieces over time as funding becomes available, or as land becomes available. Select all possible routes that meet the needs identified above. Bring in the City Planner and Engineer to help with selections. He or she should have suggestions and can apply their planning skills and community knowledge in the trail selection process. Integrate the planner and engineer into the process, and help them see the importance of trails in the community. This will be vital later.

Get the trails plan mapped on paper. There are many resources available. Trails 101: How Do We Get Started Building Trails? (For information on mapping... click here.)

a. Utah City Public Works provides mapping for most of the trail systems in the City.
b. Mountainland AOG has resources available for mapping, ordinance writing,
and written plans. Once the project is ready to be built, we also can provide
project managers to shepherd the project through to completion.

Identify funding sources, and let that guide much of the process of selection. Without funding, no trails will be built. Mountainland AOG can provide assistance in finding and securing funding. Both state and federal matching fund grant programs award money yearly. The city or other group will have to come up with the remaining amount needed to build a trail. These sources include, but are not necessarily limited to:

1. Mountainland Association of Governments:
a. Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Funds (CMAQ)

2. Utah Department of Transportation:
a. Transportation Enhancements Program, TEA 21 federal matching grants

3. Utah Division of Parks and Recreation:
a. Riverway Enhancement Matching Grants Program
b. Non-Motorized Recreational Trails Matching Grants Program.

4. National Parks Service
a. National Recreational Trail Program

There are also many private funding sources that may be available, and these are generally without the strict requirements of federal or state funds. Many funding sources require concrete plans for implementation; the assigned city staff will need to be heavily involved in the applications process. This is where the city planner and engineer play a critical role. Mountainland Association of Governments can also provide funding search resources and grant-writers if needed.