Loudoun Walking and Volkssport Club Bob Wright, president Loudoun Walking and Volkssport Club Bob Wright, president PROS Board presentation on March 14, 2019 Thank you for the opportunity to address the PROS advisory board regarding the BoS’ Linear Parks and Trail action from a walker’s perspective A walkable network is essential for getting county residents to walk more—to a park, shopping, school, for some recreation and relaxation. The county has made great strides since adopting the Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Master Plan in 2003; I’m proud to have been a member and a co-chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee. It spurred efforts to fill gaps in sidewalks, connecting communities, and creating linear parks, often along stream corridors. Citizens’ input to Envision Loudoun 2040 still stresses the strong interest in trails and bike paths. The Loudoun Coalition’s analysis of public input comments noted a strong desire for more trails (hiking, equestrian, walking), more bike paths and more parks. Similarly, a 2017 Virginia Outdoors Survey noted 53% of respondents identified open space as most needed, 51% parks, and 46% trails. A couple Footnotes: As a walker I have an expansive definition of trails—natural surface, hard surface, narrow and wide, for recreation and a purpose, so my suggestions will be equally broad. I included Notes on each slide with additional information. Educates Walkers, Advocates for Walkers and Pedestrians, Provides Walking Opportunities in Loudoun County

What areas do you feel should be addressed as gaps in connecting trails? (List three to five bulleted items below) Safety Challenge of crossing Route 7 in Sterling, Countryside, Ashburn; Route 28 in Dulles; Waxpool Missing links to parks C&O across Potomac River; access to the Appalachian Trail, Franklin Park, new state park Physical fitness opportunities Loops of 5 miles or longer length using trails, multi-use paths, sidewalks; links to parks (e.g., Franklin Park, Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, Beaverdam Reservoir) Metro station access Marked routes to get there; accommodations once there Identifiable walking routes connecting residential with other areas Mark, name routes that encourage people to walk to school, work, play, basic shopping While much has been done, much remains that could be done. Here are what I see as top priorities for addressing gaps in trails in Loudoun County: Make safe the barriers to walking: transportation should connect communities, not disconnect them; surmount major roadways cutting people off Add links to get to existing parks in the county and nearby to expand a network Create new opportunities with marked loops and long distance trails to complement what currently exists Facilitate getting to and around new Metro stations to reduce vehicular traffic—the draft Loudoun 2040 Plan acknowledges this need Take the built network and supplement it with designated trails, e.g., in HOAs and along VDOT rights-of-way, to identify and then mark trails between destinations Note that some recommendations fall under PRCS while others apply to DTCI, LCPS, NOAs, etc. or a combination of them. I wish you success with your task to devise a comprehensive, achievable plan and the means to implement it. How this Board action, and others similar to it, fare will determine whether efforts enable or impede our citizens’ ability to walk around. Thank you for this opportunity to present walkers’ ideas.

Additional recommendations (i. e Additional recommendations (i.e., tree or stream valley easements), and/or recommendations for implementation of the plan. Use rules-based requirements vice proffers to drive desired end result Set in Standards, Ordinances; don’t hope others will do so voluntarily Put Safe Routes, Complete Streets, Project Zero, 10-Minute Walk best practices into policies, ordinances Emphasize safe, ready, easy access to physical activity Widen stream valley corridors to 300 ft to better protect the natural environment when adding trails To constrain space you ask for now narrows future considerations Piggyback on all utility easements for longer distance multi-use trails Leverage power, gas, water line corridors to build out network, and sports fields And, yes, there is more that could be done. When you get a proffer, you know that you may not ever see it; put those things you really need into obligatory measures to take the guesswork out Many efforts are being put into practice in other communities; use their ready best practices in Loudoun County Safe Routes to School and Parks use surveys and community input to identify improvements to make unsafe routes safer Complete Streets promotes safety and calming measures 10-Minute Walk calls for parks for recreation within that convenient distance for everyone While the current 100-ft corridor suffices for a trail itself, what about the surrounding natural environment—that needs space too; 300 ft would accommodate both Why just stream corridors for linear parks when utilities cut large manmade swaths across the county; while they aren’t for permanent use (much is prohibited), they could be used for trails, and many have dirt roads in them already for this purpose. THIS SLIDE IS INFORMATIONAL ONLY. IT IS NOT INCLUDED AS PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT WILL BE REVIEWED SEPARATELY BY THE PROS BOARD.

This page is intentionally blank. No further slides.