Communities and Trails: Making the Connection

Presented at the 2006 IMBA Summit/World Mountain Bike Conference

Speakers: Laura Woolner, IMBA; Cynthia Lovely, Coconino County Parks and Recreation, Flagstaff, Arizona; Mark Gullo, Flagstaff Biking in Flagstaff, Arizona; Carol Potter, Mountain Trails Foundation in Park City, Utah

Speakers shared success stories of cities that have adopted trails as an integral part of their community development programs.

Flagstaff has 40 miles of urban trails with more than a hundred more miles in proposition. With a population of 64,270 and 1,821,495 acres of land in Coconino National Forest, there is a huge expanse of public land at the city's disposal. In 1998, Flagstaff publicized their open space and greenways plan, which led, in part, to the development and legitimization of 350 miles of trails within Coconino National Forest.

Carol Potter, who works with the non-profit Mountain Trails Foundation in Park City, Utah, celebrates the fact that, by law, new developers have to leave open space on their land, designated specifically for public use. The city quickly realized the value of their trails. In 1992 there were only 10 miles of trails, and today Park City boasts 330 miles of trails. She explains that realtors happily allow for public land use, acknowledging the fact that land values rise in relation to its proximity to a trail system.

Park City shares many of the secrets to success with Flagstaff. It has numerous annual events including the Tour de Suds, multiple bike races, Hike your Hound Day (reaching beyond the mountain biking population), and an IMBA Epic Ride. More than that, Potter emphasizes good signage and interesting trail features. There are musical and artistic additions to some of the urban trails around Park City and Potter says that she is able to get art grants for those types of amenities.

Other IMBA Resources:

Building a Trails Community
Park City's Mid-Mountain Trail
Subaru Trail Crew Visits Flagstaff, AZ
Success Stories