Tallahassee – Leon County Greenway Program • Active since 1994. Started out as a City of Tallahassee program but is now a joint (City/County) program. • Primarily funded by Florida Forever with matching funds from City of Tallahassee and Leon County. • Implementation primarily funded by Local Extra Penny Sales Tax.
What are Greenways? • Greenways are corridors or areas of protected open space managed for conservation and/or recreation. • A greenway system can consist of larger hubs, smaller sites, and the links among them. • Greenways connect urban and rural areas, such as rivers and wetlands, parks, forests, and neighborhoods and other areas to create “green infrastructure.”
Accomplishments • 1st Greenways Master Plan adopted in 2004 & updated in 2013 and 2015. • As of 2012, approximately 7,467 acres of conservation and open space lands worth an estimated $67.3 million have been acquired with $21.6 million of local monies.
Tallahassee – Leon County Greenways Master Plan • Provide integrated natural resources management and protection • Resource-based recreation, educational, and historical interpretive opportunities • Increased opportunities for alternative modes of transportation and connectivity
Tallahassee – Leon County Greenways Master Plan Policies • Connect open space areas, including floodplains, natural drainageways, and bicycle trails, pedestrian pathways, and utility corridors. • Integrate the GMP in long-range land use, leisure, conservation, and transportation planning activities. • Write management plans & conduct ecological restoration of greenway land acquisitions.
Tallahassee – Leon County Greenways Master Plan Highlights • 32 major greenway projects • 156 miles of proposed new greenway trails • Coordinated with new bicycle route system • Includes estimated costs, design options, and management guidelines
Leon County Base Map
Local Acquisitions
State Conservation Lands
ConservationPrivate/Non-ProfitLands & Easements
Recent State Conservation Land Acquisitions, National Forest, & Local Parks
Proposed Greenway Trails
Existing Multiuse Trails & Tallahassee Municipal Limits
Proposed Bike Route System
Tallahassee – Leon County Greenways Master Plan Current and Future Activities • Continued coordination with City and County departments to design GMP projects and to update existing land management plans. • Continuing coordination with state and regional land acquisition programs, private landowners, and NGOs. • Likely update of GMP in the future
Thank You! Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department 435 North Macomb Street • Tallahassee, FL 32301 850.891.6400 • Planning@talgov.com • Talgov.com/Planning
Mike BlueprintAlfano,Principal Planner
Implementing the Greenways Master Plan • Implementing the Greenways Master Plan • $15.8 Million over 20 Years | $790,000 Annually
GWMP Project Overview • 32 Projects • Approx. 156 Miles • Estimated Cost $50 Million (GWMP) Spring 2020 • What is the status of each project, since 2015? • How to Prioritize for Annual Funding?
AGreenways:Blueprint IA Priority • 16 Projects • Approx. 55.4 miles • Prioritized by IA Board of Directors • Included in Larger Blueprint Projects
AGreenways:Community Focus • 11 Projects (some overlap) • Approx. 25 miles • City of Tallahassee • Leon County • Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency (MPO) • FL Dept. of Transportation • Private Developers • Efforts Ranging from Full Implementation to Feasibility Studies
Remainder for Prioritization • 24 Greenways Projects/Proj. Components • Approx. 88.4 miles (56%) Mid-to-Late 2020 • What is the status of each project, since 2015? • How to Prioritize for Annual Funding?
Proposed Prioritization Criteria
Prioritization Results Criterion Points Allocated Safety 2 Points Population Density 1 Point Connectivity 5 Points Equity 3 Points Funding/Leveraging/Other Plans 5 Points Ecotourism 2 Points Total 18 Points • ~89 Miles of Greenways Projects Underway or Receiving Future Funding • ~67 Miles of Greenways Projects Prioritized but Unfunded
Benefits of Greenways:
• NW Arkansas Reports $27 Million in Cycling Tourism Annually
• $3:$1 Return on Investment for Trail Systems in health savings
blueprintia.org/greenways-benefits/
Economic$5000Benefits
• Proximity to trails à increased property values up to 20%
Historic Tallahassee-St. Marks Trail
• Those who exercise regularly have 14% fewer healthcare claims, 30% fewer days in the hospital, and 41% fewer claims over
Potential Safety Concerns
Health Benefits
• Two case studies found no changes in area crime rates after trails were constructed nearby.
• 2017 report: Outdoor recreation contributed $887 Billion to the U.S. economy, annually, in consumer spending
Miccosukee Greenway
Blueprint IA @blueprintia2020blueprintia2020blueprintblueprintia2020-ia www.Blueprintia.org
Janice Walker Black Girls Do Bike
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Black Girls Do Bike
Tallahassee Chapter Efforts 39
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Advocacy with BGDB
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AccomplishmentsBGDB • Bike Saint Award • Partnerships across the community • Input shapes local projects • Bike Rides (including virtual rides!) 44
Get Involved! Website www. blackgirlsdobike.org Facebook BlackGirlsDoBikeTallahasseehttps://www.facebook.com/groups// Strava Andbikewww.Strava.com/clubs/black-girls-do--116537onTwitter,Instagram,Tumblr 45
