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: ellen.zavisca@knoxtrans.org