Organizers of tomorrow's Regional Trail Advocates Forum hope that the first ever event is the start of something big. With trail projects stretching from Washington to Wilsonville, the goals of our region's many advocates and volunteer activists might seem disparate and overwhelming; but put a bunch of dedicated people in one room and amazing things are bound to happen.

The event is being put together by the venerable 40-Mile Loop Land Land Trust (founded in 1981) and the coalition of public agencies, non-profits, and private firms known as the The Intertwine Alliance. (more...)

Did you know the new Trolley Trail
south of Milwaukie is almost fully complete?

In case you haven't noticed, there's a ton going on around our regional network of trails and multi-use paths* — a.k.a. "The Intertwine". To help get the public up to speed and foster collaboration and momentum on the projects, Metro and folks behind The Intertwine are hosting their 2nd annual Trails Fair.

The event is coming this Wednesday (4/25) from 1:00 - 3:00 pm (at Metro HQ, 600 NE Grand Ave). From the newly built Trolley Trail down in Milwaukie (yes, it's almost completed!), to the North Portland Greenway, and many others — this event will be the perfect place to hear the latest news on all the major projects. Metro promises about 40 agencies, non-profits, and trail groups will be on hand with exhibits and experts to share info about their programs and projects. (more...)

Five way-finding signs will be installed
in Tigard along the Fanno Creek Trail.
(Map courtesy City of Tigard)

Riding a bike on Portland's streets is made easier by the presence of way-finding signs.

Unfortunately once you get off the street and on to a trail you don't find many (if any) directional signs. That's especially true if you're riding on trails in Washington or Clackamas County.

The folks at The Intertwine are trying to fix the problem by partnering with local jurisdictions to install way-finding signs along the Metro area's trail network.

When I stopped by the future home of the signs yesterday there was one in place but just minutes after I arrived a crew came and took the sign down. They explained the signs were up as part of a "test run" and were being taken down to avoid vandalism until officials have a chance to view them early next week.
(more...)

The Waterfront path is the busiest in
the entire region.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Metro has released its "2011 Trail Use Snapshot" report. The report (PDF here) is an analysis of local trail usage data complied by the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project from 2008 to 2010.

Among the 25 multi-use paths (I prefer that term to trails) that were part of the analysis, several of them are key transportation routes for bicycling in and around Portland. In fact, the survey data (gleaned from 3,012 completed forms) makes a compelling case that paths like the Eastbank Esplanade, the Springwater on the Willamette, and the Waterfront Path are crucial bicycle transportation corridors. (more...)

Saving money.
(Photo © J. Maus)

A new report* estimates that our regional trail network saves us about $115 million per year in averted health care costs. The report (PDF) was done for Metro and focused on their interconnected system of trails, parks and greenways known as the Intertwine. The Intertwine (background story) consists of 1,250 miles of designated biking and walking trails, 12,000 acres of developed parks and 24,000 acres of maintained natural area and is visited by an estimated 8.3 million people each year.

In Physical Activity and the Intertwine: A Public Health Method of Reducing Obesity and Healthcare Costs, naturopathic doctor and public health expert Kurt Beil looked at the Intertwine as a public health asset. He analyzed the estimated amount of physical activity that occurs on the Intertwine and did some calculations to come up with health cost savings. Here's an excerpt from his report: (more...)

Detail of trail system plan. View larger version here.

(more...)