Regional Greenways Plan

Planning for the Big Picture

As communities across Virginia seek ways to enhance and protect their unique sense of place, the establishment of greenways is increasingly being woven into the bigger picture. Local governments, elected officials and residents alike are looking at their communities as an inter-related system of housing, education, employment, commerce, transportation and recreation. Greenways can be an integral part of this system by linking people with activity centers and generally improving the quality of life in an area. They provide a variety of opportunities and benefits: increased opportunities for recreation, transportation and education, as well as benefits to the natural and man-made environment, and the local economy.

Through development of this conceptual greenway plan, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission has taken the first step towards developing a system of greenways within the region to help support local goals whether they be related to tourism and economic development, preservation, or simply making their communities a better place to live. This plan is intended to serve as a guide for localities in the future as they consider and plan for the development of greenways and trails within their boundaries and as they look towards their neighboring localities with an even greater vision for regional connections.

Greenways Overview

The word “greenway” is perhaps most often used to describe a linear corridor or band of open space. They are often located along or within existing corridors such as stream valleys and riverfronts, utility corridors, abandoned or active rail lines, roadway corridors, ridge lines, and canals. Found in both rural and urban settings, greenways often connect people with places

for recreational or transportation purposes. As such, they may incorporate paths and trails into their design to accommodate people travelling by foot, by bicycle, horse, or alternative modes of travel other than automobile. When located within an abandoned rail corridor, trails are often referred to as “rail-to-trails”; those adjacent to an active rail line are “rails-with-trails”. In some cases, greenways may even be set aside solely for ecological purposes with little or no public access.

While greenways are often used to describe naturally vegetated corridors with walking trails or shared use paths, they can also be used to describe linear urban corridors such as Richmond’s Canal Walk within the heart of the city’s historic downtown area. A local, regional or even multi-state greenway network may have connecting segments that vary, ranging from corridors with primitive foot trails, to multi-use crushed stone or paved paths that accommodate many users, to on-road bicycle lanes.

A similar concept, “blueway”, is used to describe a stream, river, or other water corridor used as a trail by people in watercraft (canoe, kayak, motorboat, etc.). Especially in places such as Virginia, greenways and blueways are being planned together to form interconnected linear corridors over land and over water.

Greenways have many potential benefits and can be managed for different purposes such as recreation, conservation, education, transportation, and economic growth.

Recreation

According to the 2000 Virginia Outdoor Survey, walking for pleasure is the most popular form of recreation in Virginia1. Greenways, with their off-road trails, paths, or sidewalks, provide an excellent opportunity for leisurely walking as well as more rigorous hiking. In addition, greenways can also be managed for other pursuits such as bicycling, wildlife viewing, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, etc. Since different recreational users have different needs, it is important to manage the greenway for its intended or desired users. In some cases, these recreational pursuits can be jointly accommodated on one multi-use or shared use trail. In other instances, they may be accommodated on separate facilities but within the same corridor.

Conservation and Preservation

Greenways may also be used as a means of preserving open space, thereby protecting undeveloped corridors from future development. Particularly in areas faced with intense development pressures, dedicated open space is often viewed as one way to protect diminishing areas of forest, pasture land, wetlands, or other sensitive features. By maintaining a vegetated buffer along stream corridors, greenways can help protect fragile aquatic ecosystems and entire watersheds. Undeveloped areas along a stream reduce the threat from erosion and sedimentation from surrounding land uses, thereby improving water quality and stream habitat. Especially in more developed areas, greenways can even be valuable corridors for wildlife, including migratory birds in search of food and cover. Green space can also provide a buffer between development and neighboring cultural and historic features, thus protecting such resources from physical or visual encroachment or even noise impacts.

Education

By incorporating informational kiosks or interpretive centers near natural, cultural or historic sites, greenways can be managed as an education tool for residents, school children, and tourists alike.

Transportation Greenways with hiking or bicycling trails can provide an alternative travel corridor for those wanting to walk or bicycle to work, to school, or other places within their community. Such alternative modes of transportation have positive health benefits and also reduce road congestion.

Economic Growth

Travel and tourism is a flourishing industry in Virginia. Many areas seeking to boost their economic vitality are looking to tourism to help achieve such goals. Greenways, either alone or in combination with other local attractions can provide an attractive recreational experience for travelers. Furthermore, trails and greenways are increasingly becoming desired neighborhood amenities, often increasing property values.

Regional Greenways Vision

During the early stages of developing this Plan, a series of visioning meetings, coordination meetings, and one on one discussions were held with various groups and individuals within the boundaries of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District. The purpose of this outreach was to characterize a regional vision for greenways in the area. While there were certainly different comments and ideas expressed in each locality, common themes that emerged from these meetings and discussions were:

• Desire for safe and litter free greenways;

• Greenways should be a combination of long corridors as well as shorter loops or segments;

• Greenways should provide connections to community activity centers,

  attractions and destination points;

• Development of greenways to serve a variety of functions in the region, with an emphasis on recreation, open space preservation, stream protection, tourism and

  transportation;

• Accommodation of many different users including hikers, bicyclists, equestrians, and the handicapped;

• Provide a quiet and scenic experience.