Community Corner
Are Multi-Use Trails a Good Use of Taxpayer Money?
The pathways can be used for walking, biking, jogging and rollerblading.
The city of Flowery Branch recently announced plans to study the feasibility of a series of multi-use pathways in Hall County.
The Gainesville Times reports a network of multi-use trails could eventually connect Hall and Gwinnett counties.
“In theory, you could get on a bike in the city of Gainesville and go south and take access to the parks in Gwinnett County, if you wanted to,” Flowery Branch Mayor Mike Miller told the Times.
Other metro area governments have constructed multi-use trails. Johns Creek has a network of multi-use trails and Gwinnett County has built trails both in and outside of its park system. The City of Dunwoody, which also has multi-use trails, lists the following benefits of such pathways on their website:
- Increasing connectivity and linkages between parks, neighborhoods, and area businesses
- Promoting healthy living - providing options for physical activity such as walking, running, and biking
- Protecting and preserving the natural environment - by controlling access to a designated path
- Increasing property values for adjacent residences and businesses due to added connectivity benefits
- Attracting active users, visitors, and participants who often frequent nearby businesses
- Improving community engagement by fulfilling plans and visions created by the community
Do you think multi-use trails are a good use of taxpayer dollars? Would you like to see more multi-use trails in your area? If a multi-use trail connected your neighborhood to a nearby park or business district, would you use the trail instead of taking your car? Let us know in the comments.
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