tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51380156588866623042023-11-15T09:34:42.384-08:00Chester Valley Trail Funding ProjectThe CVTFP is a vibrant and innovative private-public partnership with the Friends of the Chester Valley Trail, the Government of Chester County, PA. and The Natural Lands Trust. Its goal is to seek private support for the Chester Valley Trail so that the Trail can provide county residents with miles of safe walking and biking opportunities,attract tourists and become an alternative method of transportation for commuters. Ben LaGarde, Director, CVTFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13330527567450405140noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138015658886662304.post-84044355730280846172012-11-23T18:01:00.000-08:002012-11-23T18:01:10.894-08:00<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 115%;">The Chester Valley Trail Funding
Project is proud to announce that it has been selected for membership in <b><i>THE
CIRCUIT COALITION</i></b>. </span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://connectthecircuit.org/uploads/media_items/circuit-map.480.374.s.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="http://connectthecircuit.org/uploads/media_items/circuit-map.480.374.s.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><a href="http://connectthecircuit.org/coalition"><span style="font-size: x-large;">http://connectthecircuit.org/coalition</span></a></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">The
Circuit Coalition is a collaboration of non-profit organizations, foundations,
and agencies working to advance completion of a connected network of trails –
The Circuit – in the Greater Philadelphia region.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 14.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 14.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Circuit Coalition's goal is to raise the profile of bicycle/pedestrian trails
and their public benefits so that building The Circuit becomes a significant
regional priority<span style="color: #333333;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 14.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When we connect the 750 miles of
The Circuit, Greater Philadelphia will have a trail network unlike any other in
the country -- connecting the urban, suburban and rural communities of the
fifth largest metropolitan region in the US. The Circuit will make our region
stronger by providing a place for healthy transportation and recreation,
connecting our communities to green space, and making our neighborhoods more
attractive places to live and work.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 28.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><br />
<br />Ben LaGarde, Director, CVTFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13330527567450405140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138015658886662304.post-25584952288563976532012-11-22T07:28:00.002-08:002012-11-22T07:28:53.867-08:00A Path To Community<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 28.88888931274414px; line-height: 32.22222137451172px;">We've</span><span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> discussed trail benefits relating to real property values, resident
expenditures, commercial benefits, tourism and, finally, benefits relating to
health. All of these benefits have been
measured, codified, and have been the subject of many articles and
studies. One final benefit I’d like to
review here though, has not been talked about that much but may be, in the
final analysis, the most important of all: a path to a greater sense of
community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Being
connected to other people in our community is more and more difficult and
unlikely in these days of being insulated by cars, gated communities and busier
and busier schedules. Between the hectic
pace of our lives and our increased mobility, it can be difficult for
communities to come together in any meaningful way; in other words, there is no
ordinary way to meet, greet and “commune” with ones neighbors. Yet being connected to our neighbors can make
us feel happier, safer and even healthier.
It can also lead to better functioning governments and schools. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Trails can
be the viable solution to bringing together people who are living disparate
lives. As people spend more time on a
nearby trail, they meet neighbors, discover shared interests and make new
friends. New clubs form to enjoy or care
for the trail. Employees of businesses
near trails have the chance to spend a lunch break walking together, ultimately
improving teamwork. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many have
suggested that having a greater sense of community can be one of the solutions
to many of modern society’s ills. Trails
can lead us to that greater sense of community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Ben LaGarde, Director, CVTFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13330527567450405140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138015658886662304.post-42453293449617159482012-09-24T13:11:00.000-07:002012-09-24T13:12:26.983-07:00Health - The Most Important Benefit?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I started this blog about the Chester Valley Trail and
its economic importance, I really did not anticipate that one of the most
important aspects of a facility like the Trail would be the economics of
health. The more I have looked into it,
the more I realize that trails like the Chester Valley Trail provide value to
the community in health terms that rival and even surpass those of other, more
commonly referenced, benefits. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is for this reason, therefore, that the next few editions
of this blog about the Chester Valley Trail Funding Project will concentrate on
health and how the Chester Valley Trail will relate to it and benefit Chester
County. The first edition, this one,
will deal with walking the Trail rather than biking and how “A Step In the
Right Direction”<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> will
be of benefit to us all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is an important fact that, once a trail is in place
within a community, the more it encourages those who might not ordinarily do an
activity like walking or biking to do it.
The trail provides a safe, easy and focused place to start active
recreation; it beckons the sedate person to use it and become active. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what happens when this ordinarily sedate person uses the
Trail to do something like walking? The
list of benefits will surprise you:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -.25in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span>·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Lose weight – “You won’t find a better way to
lose weight than walking”<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -.25in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span>·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Prevent heart disease – Those who do not
exercise are twice as likely to have coronary heart disease<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -.25in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span>·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Decrease hypertension – Walking lowers blood
pressure<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
and correlates with blood pressure improvement.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -.25in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span>·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Improve mental health – Walking releases
endorphins which are natural tranquilizers and serve to reduce anxiety.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -.25in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span>·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Slow the aging process – An inactive lifestyle
accelerates aging while those who exercise age less rapidly<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -.25in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span>·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Prevent Osteoporosis – “ . . .walking help[s]
reverse the negative effects of osteoporosis . . .”<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -.25in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span>·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Prevent and control diabetes – Walking can help
prevent diabetes and . . . protect against the degenerative effects of
diabetes.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -.25in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span>·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Improve arthritis – Most people with arthritis
can benefit from a regular exercise program.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -.25in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span>·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Relieve back pain - Walking prevents and cures the most common
kinds of muscular backache, and even some kinds[with] a disk problem<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -.25in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span>·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Improves air quality – A real stretch you
say? Not so: walking can replace
short-distance motor vehicle trips, which are the least fuel-efficient and
generate the most pollution per mile traveled.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12" title="">[12]</a></span></span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12" title=""><!--[endif]--></a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -.25in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I saved the best for last, though. “Each time you go outside and walk . . . you
will come home feeling better than you did when you left. Your body will feel better. Your head will
feel clearer, and your stress level will have decreased. . . . As you notice
improvements in your body and state of mind, you may also want to start eating
healthy foods . . . which will encourage you to continue your new healthy
habits.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftn13" name="_ftnref13" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> Of all the benefits, economic or otherwise, it seems to me that the health benefits of having a vibrant, complete and, yes, healthy Chester Valley Trail are the most important. More to come on the health benefits of the Chester Valley Trail in future posts; stay tuned.</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div>
<!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<br />
<div id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <i>A Step In The Right Direction</i>, <i>The Health Benefits of Hiking and Trails</i>
by the American Hiking Society<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <i>Walking for Health</i>, <u>Walking for a
Healthy Heart</u>, by the American Heart Association<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Edmund Burke, Ph.D., <i>Benefits of
Bicycling and Walking to Health (for FHWA)</i>, Washington, DC, 1992, p10<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn4">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Alfred A. Bove, <i>Active Control of
Hypertension</i>, <u>The Physician and Sports Medicine</u>, Vol. 26, No. 4, <a href="http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1998/04apr/bove.htm">http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1998/04apr/bove.htm</a>,
1998<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn5">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn6">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Bricklin and Spilner, p. 84<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn7">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid, p. 3<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn8">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <i>A Step In The Right Direction, </i>Ibid<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn9">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Bricklin and Spilner, p. 38<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn10">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Bricklin and Spilner, p. 8<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn11">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <i>A Step In The Right Direction, </i>Ibid<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn12">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Burke, p 4<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn13">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ben/Documents/Old%20Computer%20Backup/Ben/My%20Documents/CVT/CVTFP/blog%20health%201.docx#_ftnref13" name="_ftn13" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <i>A Step In The Right Direction, </i>Ibid<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
Ben LaGarde, Director, CVTFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13330527567450405140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138015658886662304.post-86080143146013048672012-08-15T18:08:00.000-07:002012-08-15T18:08:59.847-07:00LOCAL HEALTH AND TRAILS<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Center
for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that communities build or
enhance infrastructures to support more walking and bicycling that will
counteract the trends toward sedentary lifestyles mentioned in the last post</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">. As a
consequence, the </span><a href="" name="States"></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">County Health Department (CCHD) and Chester County Planning
Commission (CCPC) are actively developing plans involving the seven
municipalities surrounding West Chester, Downingtown and Exton that plan specifically
for trails connecting these communities (Central Chester County Bike and
Pedestrian Plan; See </span><a href="http://www.chesco.org/planning/lib/planning/cccbikeped/index.html">http://www.chesco.org/planning/lib/planning/cccbikeped/index.html</a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">).</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">These plans, it is hoped, will become part of each municipalities' planning </span><span style="font-size: 21.111112594604492px;">and zoning regulations supporting trails whenever possible. The Chester Valley Trail will be a vital part of all these plans.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
Ben LaGarde, Director, CVTFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13330527567450405140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138015658886662304.post-35534636963538316952012-08-14T17:36:00.001-07:002012-08-14T17:36:54.039-07:00THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTH <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">The last of the economic
issues I will address at this point is the one relating to health, or perhaps
the lack of it by many Americans who have become sedentary. Trails have
an impact on this issue, both nationally and locally. I will address the
national economic impact of health issues first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Costs to businesses and individuals of a sedentary
lifestyle are, unfortunately, well documented.
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">The medical costs paid by
third-party payers for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of
normal weight. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Center for Disease Control (CDC) has said that “</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Obesity is common, serious and costly, that more than
one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese, and that obesity-related conditions,
including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer
are costing Americans an estimated $147 billion. (</span><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">These
costs are avoidable by better dietary habits and exercising more. Trails provide residents with an easy way to
integrate exercise into their lives and, when that happens, money is saved by
individuals, employers and businesses, </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">improving not just our bottom lines but our waistlines, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Outdoor exercise
improves our health and wellbeing and reduces the risks of cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and obesity. Improved health prevents
nearly $800 million in medical care costs annually. The economic value increases to nearly $1.3
billion in savings when added to avoided workers’ compensation costs, and costs
related to lost productivity in addition to direct use benefits and avoided
medical care costs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ben LaGarde, Director, CVTFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13330527567450405140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138015658886662304.post-631335903366670072012-08-06T09:56:00.002-07:002012-08-06T10:01:05.957-07:00MORE TRAIL ECONOMICS - TOURISM<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The potential of use
of the Chester Valley Trail by tourists should not be overlooked. The Chester Valley Trail, linking central Chester
County to Montgomery County and the commercial shopping hub of King of Prussia
to the Northeast, is in a unique position to draw outsiders into the Chester
County area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This can impact the Chester
County economic environment in a number of ways: <i>“By providing a trail that attracts residential and business
investment, local governments should be able to collect additional tax revenues
without making the difficult choice of raising tax rates. Furthermore, in an
area that has limited trails, like Chester County, trail implementation should
attract residents, businesses and trail users from outside the area. Trails can
provide an increase in the number of visitors that directly impacts the local
economies. The increase in visitors consequently increases the likelihood of
money spent in that location . . . . The attraction of people to an area
(potential customers) in turn increases the visibility of local businesses and
communities, allowing opportunities for businesses to sponsor events while
gaining business exposure</i>.”*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">*“<i>Trails and Revitalization: A Study of the Economics Associated With
Public Trails</i>” from a presentation by Robert J. Schoutens at the 2006 National
Trails Symposium in the Quad Cities of IA and IL <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We have a lot to gain
from the potential economic effect of tourism into Chester County that is
generated by use of the Chester Valley Trail.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ben LaGarde, Director, CVTFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13330527567450405140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138015658886662304.post-73433834676950875742012-08-04T20:53:00.001-07:002012-08-06T10:00:14.170-07:00TRAIL ECONOMICS - COMMERCIAL USES<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Trails serve not only the general public with opportunities for recreation, they provide a unique opportunity
for commercial activities as well. The </span><span style="font-size: 21px;">entity</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> regulating the trail, in our case the government of Chester County, has the ability to gain revenue from on-site concessions, special permittees,
partnerships between government and other groups and with special events. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">What kind of special events you say? How about a Chester Valley Trail Day in which the Trail is specially set up for bikers going from one end to the other with businesses, charities and service organizations lining the trail to publicize themselves to everyone along the way? That's just one example.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">What has proven truly remarkable in most trail locations is that compatible business ventures have inevitably sprung up along the trail to provide a
wide range of visitor services and improvements for trails, often improving the local economy and providing jobs not there before the trail appeared.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">In the final analysis, though, how much and
what type of benefits a trail might provide depends on the type of trail. Rural trails have different impacts than do
urban trails. The most economic benefit
is realized from trails, like the Chester Valley Trail, that span both urban </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">and</i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> rural settings. Our trail is </span><span style="font-size: 21.111112594604492px; line-height: 23.33333396911621px;">truly</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> an economic engine waiting to start serving the central Chester County area.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Ben LaGarde, Director, CVTFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13330527567450405140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138015658886662304.post-14255994930532333752012-07-23T14:28:00.001-07:002012-08-06T09:59:22.389-07:00MORE TRAIL ECONOMICS-EXPENDITURES BY RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">According to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission*, the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">economic activity
associated with protected open space in southeastern Pennsylvania results in
more than 6,900 jobs and $299 million in annual earnings. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">Total annual
expenditures in the five-county region surrounding Philadelphia associated with protected open space
equal $566 million. Specifically, 33% of that is generated through tourist
activity associated alone.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Economic activity
associated with protected open space generates $30 million per year in state
and local tax revenue.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">*</span><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Return On Environment- the Economic Value of Protected Open Space In Southeastern Pennsylvania</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Publication No.:</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">11033B<span class="apple-converted-space">, 3</span>/2011</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These economic effects
are not found in southeastern Pennsylvania alone. The economic value attributed
to trails’ increasing commerce, home values and the overall desirability of a
specific region are well documented nationally, too. For a good summary of them, see: <i>The Business of Trails: A Compilation of Economic Benefits </i>by Terry Eastin, Executive Director, <u>Mississippi River Trail, Inc.</u> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In nearby Virginia and relating to a trail I always say the Chester Valley Trail closely parallels, the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, a case study prepared by the Virginia Department of Conservation in 2004 stated: "An estimated 1.7 million adult W&OD users spent in total about $12 million annually related to their recreational use of the trail. Of this amount, about $7 million was spent directly in the northern Virginia economy by locals and non-locals using the trail. The Estimated 1.6 million local visits accounted for about $5.3 million of spending directly related to the use of the W&OD."</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">(Ibid)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">So, the potential economic benefit of completion of the Chester Valley Trail means increased home values (previous post) <u>and</u> large expenditures in the local economy of visitors of all kinds.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Ben LaGarde, Director, CVTFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13330527567450405140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138015658886662304.post-8596575858197892872012-07-20T13:11:00.001-07:002012-07-20T13:11:36.354-07:00PROPERTY VALUES AND TRAILS<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 21px;">Historically, the first knock on a proposed trail in most communities is that property owners adjacent to the trail fear that the trail will detract from the value of their residence. Several studies, both national and local, have proven that <b>exactly the opposite is true</b>. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">Close to home, a case study by the
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and the GreenSpace
Alliance* in late 2011 showed that residences throughout the area all benefited from close
proximity to open space. Homes in Radnor, PA increased an astonishing $69, 139
in value specifically due to their proximity to the Radnor Trail. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">Open space adds $16.3
billion to the value of southeastern Pennsylvania’s housing stock; that’s an
average of $10,000 additional value for each house. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">*</span><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Return On Environment- the Economic Value of Protected Open Space In Southeastern Pennsylvania</span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Publication No.:</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">11033B<span class="apple-converted-space">, 3</span>/2011</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 21px;">So, the next time someone expresses fear that a proposed trail will adversely affect their property values, tell 'em about the DVRPC study !</span>
</div>Ben LaGarde, Director, CVTFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13330527567450405140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138015658886662304.post-27659640549134910772012-04-02T19:51:00.001-07:002012-04-02T19:53:45.907-07:00THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE CHESTER VALLEY TRAIL<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">I wrote earlier (“History and Direction of the Project”) that I’m meeting with various business and community leaders here in Chester County to discuss the importance of the Chester Valley Trail to them. </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">One business leader I met with asked me to “help him sell” the Chester Valley Trail to his group by showing what the economic potential of the Trail is. That is a logical place to start the subject of our next topic: What is the economic potential of the Chester Valley Trail?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">To answer the question I had to wade through a lot of studies, some of which seemed biased to me, frankly. They were written by authors advocating for trails because it benefited the group they worked for, for instance. Some were subjective and lacked quantitative measurement: “Better quality of life through exercise by using trails” and that sort of thing. While those points of view might be true, what I wanted was measurement of the benefits to a community of a trail and preferably in dollars and cents. Those studies are out there and here’s what I found:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">First, there’s no question that trails provide economic benefits to communities; <u>all</u> the studies agreed on that, biased or not. The essence of those studies basically divided the economic benefits of trails into these groups:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Real Property Values</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Expenditures by Residents</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Commercial Uses</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Tourism</b></span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">How much and what type of benefits a trail might provide depends on the type of trail it is. Is it a trail through a rural part of the country that connects towns by traveling through open areas and wilderness where the trail itself is a tourist destination? Or is it a trail through a more urban area that is used mostly by local residents and commuters with only some travelers making the trail a destination? Can a trail combine both types of rural and urban trail?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">I’m going to provide more detail on each of these benefits in future posts on this blog. I’m going to cite only the most objective studies I’ve found and provide detail on what we might expect from the Chester Valley Trail as it connects King of Prussia and Valley Forge with the Downingtown area. In short, I’m going to give business and community leaders the sales tools they need to sell the Chester Valley Trail to their groups so that, together, we can build a better Chester Valley Trail and do it with more citizen and community support.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Ben LaGarde, Director, CVTFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13330527567450405140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138015658886662304.post-84880837261693763452012-03-22T09:51:00.001-07:002012-04-03T16:20:56.391-07:00HISTORY AND DIRECTION OF THE PROJECT<div class="MsoNormal">In today’s world of reduced funding at all levels of government, leadership is struggling with prioritizing the funds it has and is trying to find ways to make those funds do more. Inevitably, that means downsizing or, in some cases, eliminating monies for that which is not absolutely essential. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Faced with these budgetary realities, the Chester County, PA government was reluctant to abandon or downsize a project as important to its citizens as the Chester Valley Trail. It decided to launch a unique funding initiative that would enable the Chester Valley Trail to still move forward with construction and enhancements, ensuring that the Chester Valley Trail will become a first-class, highly-used rail-trail uniting the highly populated Chester/Montgomery county border area near Valley Forge with Downingtown in the central part of the county.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>THE PARTNERSHIP<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal">The <u>Chester County Commissioners</u> asked the <u>Friends of the Chester Valley Trail</u> (<a href="http://www.chestervalleytrail.org/">http://www.chestervalleytrail.org/</a>), a non-profit organization assisting the Chester County Parks and Recreation Department (<a href="http://dsf.chesco.org/ccparks/site/default.asp">http://dsf.chesco.org/ccparks/site/default.asp</a>) in maintaining and enhancing the Trail, to aid a partnership they wanted to form. They wanted <u>Natural Lands Trust</u> (<a href="http://www.natlands.org/">http://www.natlands.org/</a> ) to join this effort. The region’s largest conservation organization and a group dedicated to connecting people with nature, Natural Lands Trust would lend its credibility and expertise to a project that would solicit citizen and business support for the Chester Valley Trail. This effort would leverage the funds Chester County could provide, thereby strengthening the final product and improving time lines for completion.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>THE CHESTER VALLEY TRAIL FUNDING PROJECT<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal">The Commissioners asked a member of the Friends group, Ben LaGarde, to act as Director of the Project. After meeting with Chester County and Natural Land's Trust, they decided that the project’s focus would be divided into two main segments: one, funding enhancements to the existing trail segments that run from east of Exton to the border with Montgomery County near Valley Forge, known as Phases 1 and 2 and; two, funding construction of Phases 3 and 4 from east of Exton to Downingtown. In late 2011, the project received a boost when it obtained a grant from the William Penn Foundation and sponsorship from the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau to help pay for its expenses. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">During the coming months, Ben will meet with various local civic and business groups to discuss the importance of the Chester Valley Trail to their community and explore ways in which they can contribute to this important Chester County linear park. “Trails like the Chester Valley Trail have a demonstrated beneficial economic as well as recreational impact on people surrounding them,” Ben says. “The Chester Valley Trail will link central Chester County and Downingtown with the northeastern section of the County. This will connect Chester County to the Schuylkill River Trail and Philadelphia on the east and The Struble Trail on the west, thus helping form a valuable trail network. This network will act like a ‘new freeway’ would in a road-less area, bringing new visitors and businesses to serve them to the area surrounding the Trail. Such trails have been well documented in their beneficial economic effects on areas they touch.”<o:p></o:p></div>Ben LaGarde, Director, CVTFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13330527567450405140noreply@blogger.com