Personal Benefits of Trails Use

2.1 - Problem Identification

Major Public Concerns

General Problems | Bicycling | Horseback Riding and Hiking

• Funding for the establishment and maintenance of trails and necessary support facilities in limited. Potential trails development funding is automatically not available to Counties which lack an adopted trails plan.
• Access routes for students walking and bicycling to certain County schools is considered to be inadequate, particularly at the elementary school level. Students choose not to ride or walk or are not allowed to by parents and/or school administrators (Ref. 2.5.6 for a discussion on school access).
• Although the majority of proposed trail routes are located along roads or within public lands, trails in certain situations may be desirable on private lands. This poses problems such as property damage, vandalism, livestock harassment, maintenance, and other related concerns (Ref. 2.2.1).
• No County-wide trails network exists which connects destination points such as communities, business districts, and recreational sites.

• Natural deterrents exist to bicycle use for year around transportation and recreation purposes. Weather, terrain, and distance generally restrict day-to-day use of the bicycle given current facilities.
• Road conditions are generally inadequate for safe and pleasurable bicycle travel. Many potential cyclists refuse to ride for this reason.
• Although transportation and recreation bicycle use is beneficial in terms of physical and mental health and environmental quality, social attitudes toward bicyclists and bicycle use do not generally reflect these benefits.
• Written information on recreation oriented cycling routes is not readily available.

• Although equestrians and hikers are generally aware that existing trails are available within local, State, and Federal public lands, information on specific trail routes is in many cases not readily available.
• Use of existing State and Federal trails generally requires extensive driving-trailering time, and by definition, are not intended to serve community day-use needs. Particularly with equestrians, the limitations of trailering have restricted or eliminated horseback riding activities.
• Although residents in certain area of the County have expressed the need for easily accessible, day use oriented trails which require no driving, community trails of this nature are extremely limited.
• Opportunities to preserve and/or develop existing and desired community trail routes are rapidly diminishing as urbanization occurs within or adjacent to residential areas. Furthermore, where residential lot size in below one acre, home owners are not allowed to board horses due to County Ordinance No. 519, Section 604 which prohibits horses and other nondomestic animals on residential property under that size.

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