Newton Trails

Chances are, our Founding Fathers would have found much to like about the bicycle.  For, after all, what other invention since the birth of our nation has done more to preserve those inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?  To ensure life, one must start with health.  And, no mode of transportation is more health-preserving than riding a bicycle.  Liberty?  Anyone who rode a bike as a child remembers the instant freedom you felt riding away from home, around the the block, and off to some friend's house or the corner 7-11.  And, these days, commuting or running errands by bicycle means freedom from dependence on foreign oil lords.

It seems they can even show that happiness shines brightest on those who put their mettle to the pedal for their daily commute.  Or, at least that's what The Atlantic Senior Editor Richard Florida found when looking at the correlation between the frequency of cycling in major metro areas and other quality of life or health factors.  You can read his work here.

With Independence Day just around the corner, we could well declare that safe places to pursue our life, liberty, and happiness are fundamental to who we are as a nation.

I received an email this week with an interesting link to a pro-bike story from an unlikely source (someone on record opposing a rails-to-trails project in Newton County).  And, I enjoyed the piece so much, I wanted to share it with readers of the Trail Talk Blog.

In The Real Reason Why Bicycles Are the Key to Better Cities, Kasey Klimes sets aside typical talking points promoting cycling -- such as public health, economic impact, or environmental conservation.  Instead, he writes about the very different intimacy one experiences biking through a city vs passing in a car.

"On a bicycle, citizens experience their city with deep intimacy, often for the first time, Klimes writes.  "For a regular motorist to take that two or three mile trip by bicycle instead is to decimate an enormous wall between them and their communities."

For me, he nailed the one aspect of biking (and walking, for that matter) I have never managed to explain clearly to a non-cyclist.  And, I would expand his assertion to include not just cities, but the suburbs and rural countryside as well.  I often tell people I am not from Newton County, but I feel I know this place with an intimacy unknown to many born and raised here.  To travel through the towns and rural farmlands of Newton County by bike is to see, hear, feel, smell, and (almost) taste this place.  I've found old home places at the end of dirt roads off the end of other dirt roads that most people don't know exist.  I've had close encounters with life both wild and domestic.  My wife is a native born of multiple generations in this county, but I tell her about roads she could never find on a map or in a car.

Traveling by bike is also a trip into the past.  You experience the landscape at a pace and with an immediacy seldom felt since we started wrapping ourselves in cocoons of steel, plastic, glass, and leather before making any journey.  You get to see people, hear people, and talk to people.  While perhaps not physically, in many ways you touch and are touched back by those you meet along the way.  A wave, a smile, a friendly greeting, and sometimes a real conversation.  These are gifts seldom if ever found from the confines of an automobile.

I wonder, sometimes, if that allure for me is also what repels others?  Is eye contact such a rarity these days, that much of our society is now fearful of it?  Are we so isolated from nature in the 21st century, that the idea of being out there with only a bike frame and skinny rubber tires between us and Mother Earth is a frightening prospect?

It both hurts and frustrates me when I realize how sincerely some "old-timers" fear and loathe those of us who want to see more places to walk and bike in our community.  I know in my heart that I love this place as they do.  It is a deep, knowing love born of special moments spent up close and personal, immersed through a bike ride into the natural, cultural, and human splendor of Newton County, Georgia.  My relationship with this place is meaningful to me, because of the time invested in "getting to know each other."

Thank you, Nat Harwell, for sending me the link.  And, thank you, Kasey Klimes, for bringing me back fully to some really special memories of treasured moments.

Dear readers, if you haven't ridden a bike lately and are capable, get out and give it a try.  You'll be amazed by the wonders laying ever beneath our noses!

Buckhead Community Improvement District CEO Jim Durrett announced Tuesday night his group will co-sponsor the planned Georgia 400 Trail through Buckhead.  (Read about it here.)

This is huge news.  But, to explain the significance, I need to make sure readers know what a Community Improvement District (CID) is.  As allowed by the Georgia Constitution, when enabled by  counties and/or cities, a CID is a geographically defined district where commercial and industrial property owners vote to impose an additional property tax on themselves.   The proceeds are collected and used to fund construction and maintenance of  infrastructure within the district, as directed by an elected board of directors.  Those investments can include water, streets, transit, parks & recreation, storm water, etc.  In effect, CIDs are governmental entities in the eyes of Georgia law and they have the ability to tax, as well as to incur bonded debt against their future revenues.

The Buckhead CID is but one example of the many CIDs operating throughout metro Atlanta.  Gwinnett County has four CIDs, DeKalb County has several, as do Fulton and Cobb.  In Buckhead, businesses pay an additional 3 mils on their property tax.  In Gwinnett, each CID collects another 5 mil.  The following video gives a good overview of the role of CIDs in driving Georgia's economic prosperity.

The first important point is:  CIDs prove businesses value infrastructure that benefits the community at large, and they are willing to invest in it.  Contrary to some lines of thinking, low taxes are not always the answer.  These districts voted to increase their taxes to meet glaring needs and achieve a better overall outcome for the region.

The second important point is:  The Buckhead CID recognizes greenspace and bike/pedestrian accessibility as important elements of a thriving business district.  They see the trail not as something for use "by a few" but as a central element of what makes the region attractive to business.  This supports our assertion that greenway trails are very much an economic development investment and a driver of community vitality.

Warning:  This blog post contains graphic facts and figures and, as such, may not be suitable for persons prone to emotional decision making and/or those easily swayed by fear-based appeals.  Apologies for that.  But, I've been told more than once that "facts don't matter" when discussing a position these days.  I believe differently, and I suspect you do too.  If nothing else, you need clear, relevant facts to persuade your friends and neighbors.  But, you will have to focus.

So, here goes...

I love going public about trails -- speaking to civic groups or setting up a table as we did at Chimney Park Saturday.  It gives us a chance to listen to what really matters to people.  And, Saturday, we had a great discussion with a young woman who appreciates the health benefits of trails and greenways, but who also wonders if we can afford to spend money on them when our schools are facing such challenging times.  (With three youngsters in tow, she clearly had a vested interested in the health of our school system.)

So, really.  How, in good conscience, can we suggest spending money to buy a railroad and build a trail, when our school system is forced into serious measures to make ends meet?

Charlie Sheen...  William & Kate...

Sorry, just making sure everyone is still with us...

So, About those Facts & Figures

We advocate trails for many reasons, but a major element of the business case is the economic development impact.  To understand what that means for the Newton County School System, consider the Mineral Belt Trail in Leadville, CO.  (To read the full story, click here).  Leadville saw a 19% increase in sales tax revenue following the opening of that trail.  What would a similar boost mean for Newton County and especially for our schools?

Newton's 7% sales tax consists of 4% for the state, a 1% local option sales tax (LOST) split between the county & cities, a 1% Special LOST (SPLOST), and a 1% Education Local Option Sales Tax (ELOST).  Over the past six years, the Newton County School Board collected an average of $10M per year through the ELOST.  So, a 19% increase would yield another $1.9M per year to go towards running our schools.  Across the board, the county, schools, and local governments would realize $5.7M in additional revenues each year, without raising taxes a single penny!

If you wonder whether a 19% increase is realistic, consider this...  From 2001 to 2010,  the Newton County population grew by at least 61%.  (Note:  The county is challenging that the 2010 population is actually higher than what was reported by the latest census.)  Over that same time period, sales tax revenues grew by only 24%.  Our growth in commercial and industrial property did not keep pace.  If our sales tax revenues had grown at the same rate as our population, we would have added another $8.4M each year to our sales tax proceeds.

Or, consider the 2008 economic development study commissioned jointly by the City of Covington and Newton County.  (Access the plan details here.)  That study reported Newton County residents spend $1.5 billion annually on retail purchases, but that Newton County businesses take in only $750 million.  The net effect is $750 million of retail leakage to neighboring counties.  We forgo $22.5 million in sales tax revenues on that leakage -- $7.5M of which would go to our schools.

No matter how you measure it, our county is significantly disadvantaged when it comes to our retail economy.  It hinders our recovery and makes us especially vulnerable during economic downturns.  Trails are not the only answer, but they are a proven and vital element to creating a tourism drawn to boost sales for existing businesses, create new businesses, and attract major industry.  For many more examples, see our Economic Benefits Research Summary here.

Hey, you stuck with me!  I told them facts do matter!

Speak out for better walking and biking facilities locally or elsewhere, and the talk inevitably leads to questions about how we can possibly afford such investments in a down economy with so much of America's highway infrastructure already woefully behind and in disrepair.  But, a once-radical idea is taking root across America.  It's a simple solution to a complex problem:  tear down those highways!

Now wait.  Before you decide to stop reading the ravings of a lunatic, folks aren't talking about eliminating the entire interstate system.  Those roads serve this nation well for moving people and freight from city to city and state to state. But, large cities across America are finding plenty of good reasons to remove highways from their downtowns.

Watch the video below from the Streetfilms Series for a closer look at how and why places like New York, New Orleans, Buffalo, San Francisco, and Vancouver are finding they are better off without downtown freeways.

Still, you may ask:  "How much could we really save by just eliminating a few sections of freeway?"  Well, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has said you could build the entire 2,250-mile East Coast Greenway trail system from Key West to Maine for one-fifth the cost of one I-95 highway bridge over the Potomac River in Washington, DC.

We who advocate for a more balanced transportation system don't expect change overnight.  But, we do believe the time has come to recognize we should think twice before investing in more large-scale, astronomically costly highway projects that don't work.  In so doing, we can restore livability and commerce to our downtowns and save some money in the process.

I've spent a large chunk of the last three years talking to the people of Newton County about trails and greenways.  I've chatted with friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and strangers -- in groups and one by one -- explaining why developing walking and biking trails will be good for Newton County.  Over the years, I've amassed quite a large volume of data from case studies, research, and success stories of other communities.  But, as compelling as the facts and figures are, I was reminded while speaking to the Covington Lions last week that, in the end, it's still personal.

I can quote statistics about people who walk or bike for transportation, and how our roads make that more dangerous than it has to be for them.  But, what really matters is Jimmy from Butler street who bikes past my house on the sidewalk several times a day, often carrying a bag of groceries or something from the drug store.  It's illegal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk in Georgia, and I worry about a car exiting or entering a driveway striking Jimmy.  But, he is afraid to bike in the street.

There's also my neighbor who walks several miles to/from work each day at Riverside Nursing home.  They lost their car when her husband lost his job building houses.  And, there's my legally blind neighbor who rides an adult tricycle to/from the library and the Square, and who can't wait to ride to Ingle's on her own when the Eastside Trail is finished beneath the bypass.

Truth be told, people are walking and biking all around us everyday.  Most times, we don't even see them -- focused as we are on the other cars we jostle with on the roadways.  That's a major reason why an average of 20 cyclists and 150 pedestrians are killed on Georgia roadways every year.  Just this week, Newborn's 90-year-old Mayor, Roger Sheridan, narrowly escaped serious injury when struck by a car in downtown Covington.

You may not see fellow citizens who travel by foot or bike, but slow down long enough to take a look along the overgrown and littered shoulders of each of our state highways passing in and out of Covington.  There you can see the evidence of their existence in the well-worn, packed dirt footpaths they have worn.  Look long enough, and you'll also see the makeshift memorials -- the tattered wreaths and faded bouquets that mark the spot of a loved one's untimely demise.

No.  It's not about the numbers.  It's personal.

Likewise, regarding the health benefits of trails, I can quote you all the figures from the CDC and other health agencies about the obesity epidemic that threatens our young people.  I can tell you with much dismay that 32% of our youth are overweight and 17% are obese.  I can tell you health officials warn us children born today will be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents.  But, again those are numbers.  It's personal.  It's the story of my college friend Robert who moved away at the end of the 1990s a 320+ lb man and showed up several years later a fit and healthy 180 lbs, all thanks to riding a bike.  Or, I can tell you about the young African American woman I saw out walking with her son on the Arabia Mountain Trail in Lithonia.  Mother and child we both significantly overweight and laboring to climb a small hill.  But, this mother was making the commitment it took for she and her son to live a healthier life.  And, that trail was her pathway back to that existence.  For her, it was personal.

I can rattle of stories for hours about the economic impact of trails and greenways.  I can show you the academic and government studies that demonstrate how trails attract tourist spending, provide the incentive for new businesses, and  lure major industry.  But, instead, I like to think about Frankie Pence, the one-woman tour-de-force behind Frankie's Italian Restaurant along the Silver Comet Trail in Rockmart.  Her restaurant is a must-see destination for anyone riding the trail, and her relationship with the regulars and newcomers who stop in hungry from a bike ride or hike is genuine and personal.  If you want to see what kind of businesses a trail can generate, go see Frankie.

I'd still love for you to take the time to read the facts and figures, but don't let that get in the way of what matters most.  It's personal.

It's been a quiet January on the Trail Talk blog.  Once you get past reflections on the past year's accomplishments and dreaming of what we can achieve in 2011, you get back to the reality that it's winter.  It's a time for transitioning from holiday mode back to the daily grind.  It's a time for staying inside where it's warm and not outside where it's was cold and ICY for much of the month.  It's not been a time to think much about trails.

Which is why I was excited when the Covington Lions Club invited me to be guest speaker at their January 13 meeting.  And, lucky for me, when snow and ice forced cancellation, they invited me back last night, January 27.

Of all the things we do as advocates for trails and greenways, nothing is more important than the simple act of talking with our friends and neighbors.  We often assume everyone sees the same vision we do, but the reality is that dialog is what leads to understanding.  That's why I was so happy to discuss the reasons that I personally -- and Newton Trails as a community-focused organization -- believe trails and greenways are a great investment for Newton County.  We talked about health benefits, transportation needs, economic impact, property value stabilization, greenspace preservation, and the conserving of our history and heritage.

I'm grateful to the Lions for giving me that opportunity, for being great hosts, and for joining me in a lively, friendly chat about something that matters much to me.  It was a fun night, and I hope a productive one.  It was just what I needed to get reenergized and refocused on what we need to accomplish with trailbuilding in Newton County this year.

I encourage each of you to find times and places where you can have such conversations with your friends and neighbors.  And, if there's ever a chance I can join you, please let me know.

They say that these are not the best of times, but they're the only times I've ever known.

That opening from Billy Joel's song Summer Highland Falls sticks with me.  I'm not sure what Billy meant to convey, but the lyric reinforces my belief there's nothing to be gained by dwelling on the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  These may turn out to be good times or bad times years from now, in some historian's rear view mirror.  But, for me, they are only my times.  And, whether by divine purpose or simply the hand of fate, here and now is my one ride on the merry go round.

I thought about "these times" often this past week, as we all do, reading story after story about the monumental challenges facing federal, state, and local leaders as they wrestle with shrinking revenues, reduced budgets, and a stagnant economy.  Good or bad, one thing is certain:  these are tough times.  They are tough times for families to make ends meet, and they are tough times to advocate investments in our future.... such as a trail system.

But, saying these are "my times" is not just acknowledging the luck of the draw.  It's about ownership.  It's believing we take the cards we are dealt and we play the very best hand we can.  And, I believe, even in times like these, the winning hand is the one that builds a foundation for better days we hope and/or believe lie ahead.  Good things do not come to those who wait.  They come to those who create a world in which good things are inevitable.

Following the Dec 7 vote by the Newton County Board of Commissioners authorizing a grant request for the Eastside Trail that may require $100,000 in matching funds, I had a frank discussion with a fellow citizen.  This gentleman was clearly troubled by this action and felt the timing was all wrong in light of the county's budget woes.  While he accepted that trails might foster economic development to benefit the county, his analogy was basically that this was no time to go elephant hunting, when we needed to save our nuts to feed the hungry.

I took his argument to heart.  But, I countered with my view.  The problem now is there simply are not enough nuts to feed everyone.  Our explosive population growth and the skew towards a residential tax base -- with too little revenue to fund basic services and not enough good jobs to go around -- has put our county in a bad place.  We cannot rely on our available store of nuts to feed us until better days are here.  We must act now to foster economic development and attract commercial and industrial business to our community.  (I was pleased to see that, despite all the challenges he faces, our new Governor has put economic development at the top of his short list of protected funding.  It's a tough sell in a down economy, but it truly is our only hope.)

Trails are not magic.  A 10-foot-wide strip of concrete won't change the world, nor will it reverse our economic fortunes over night.  But, they are an important element in an overall economic development strategy to right our tax base and generate new revenue streams for our local economy.  The tourism impact of walking/biking trails is well documented across the nation.  And, increasingly communities are using greenway trails as a lifestyle draw for major new industries.  Chattanooga recently landed a $1B investment from Volkswagen of America that will create more than 2,200 new jobs.  And, part of their package to close the deal was a major park and trail system the city and county built on the site of the new industrial park.  In a competitive landscape, these are the things that set one location apart from another.  These are the indicators that tell a potential new industry that they can recruit and retain professional talent in one community better than in another.

Yes, these are tough times.  But, they are my times and they are your times.  May we continue doing that which much be done to bring us once again to good times.

Newton County Trail Path Foundation, Inc was incorporated in 1997 by a group of people advocating an extensive multi-use trail network through Newton County long before I ever considered this a cause I could champion.   Yet, there are those who know I am a cyclist and assume I must be interested in trails and greenways for my own personal use.  The truth is, however, I was not a trail proponent until about two years ago.

As a road cyclist, I had little use for off-road biking and walking trails.  I had everything I needed on the fantastic country roads stretching across Newton and surrounding Jasper, Morgan, and Walton Counties. This rural landscape is a bicycle rider's dream.  That all started to change, though, in the Fall of 2008.  That October, I and five fellow cyclists set out on a ride on the Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga Trails, from Mableton to Anniston and back. -- 184 miles, all on trails paved over converted railroad lines..

I'd ridden the Silver Comet twice before, but only on short segments within Cobb County.  This was different.  Leaving the congestion of Cobb County behind, we made our way through towns like Hiram, Rockmart, Cedartown, Piedmont, and Jacksonville.  The scenery was incredible.  The mix of users along the trail changed as we went along.  From joggers, triathletes, and dog walkers in Cobb, we soon made our way out into the hinterlands.  Before long, we were seeing Boy Scout Troops on a weekend hike or bike, couples making a vacation journey, and locals out for a Saturday/Sunday ride.  All along the way, we met Georgians in Alabama and folks from Alabama in Georgia.

In Piedmont, AL, we stumble into a Fall street festival, complete with bands, face painting, bake sales, and the like.  And there we were, joining right in.  We ate a full lunch at Frankie's in Rockmart, and we hit plenty of convenience stores and fast food stops in town after town, fueling us along our journey.  Including our overnight stay in Anniston, I figured we spent over $600 in total , or $100 a night per person.

Already a member of the Covington/Newton County Tourism Advisory Committee at the Chamber of Commerce, I was anxious to tell our story.  To me, the opportunity was clear.  In the months after that journey, I began researching and found community after community where trails and greenways had directly translated into tourism spending, profits for local merchants, and increased revenues for local governments.  I even found communities that had landed major new employers by recruiting industries that values walking and biking trails as an amenity to retain employees.

I've been an advocate every since -- solely because of the much needed economic impact.  Since that time, as I encourage more and more people of all ages to bicycle, I'm seeing the increased need to provide safe places to bike and walk in Newton County.   But, the beauty is we can build these places for our citizens, and generate economic prosperity for local businesses at the same time.  It's a win-win.