Trail Network Planning

 

Webinar Summary

Building a trail is much easier than making sure that trail fits into a cohesive and progressive network. Good network planning takes strategy, intention and a whole bunch of brainstorming. This is Magi Scallion’s favourite job at McElhanney, an engineering firm with a specialty division in trail planning and design. She has developed trail network plans for organizations across the country including for Parks Canada, Alberta Parks, and many municipalities and not-for profit-clubs.

For the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC’s August webinar, Magi presents a master class in trail planning 101. Her presentation includes the difference between trail design and trail planning; the importance of a long-term vision and community support; and the value of identifying the best use of an area. For any organization that builds or manages trails, this is an opportunity to hear from a professional on how to set yourself up for success.

Watch the webinar

View Magi’s slides

key takeaways:

What:

Trail Network Planning or Trail Master Planning is looking at a collection of trails with a macro or zoomed out lens.

Considers:

  • Who the users are? What they want? Where the trails are? How they fit with other existing trails? Constraints and opportunities?

  • Contrasts with Trail Design, which is more granular, focused on the ground planning and lay out.

Why:

Having a Trail Plan brings legitimacy, funding, process and efficiency.

  • Reassures land managers

  • Shows commitment and long term vision

  • Clearer next steps

  • Opportunity to align all stakeholders to pull in the same direction

  • Think beyond the network to access points, connections to other recreation assets, transportation routes and more.

Necessary with new reality of less land and more users

  • Harder to get approval for new infrastructure: have to do more with what you have

  • Multi-use: how to balance different user groups, share infrastructure safely

  • New demands: accessibility, First Nations and reconciliation, archeological study requirements

  • Climate change impacts

Eg: At Alberta’s Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park MacElhanney completed a $50,00 trail network plan. Since 2016 it has led to $2-million (and growing) in provincial funding and grants for trail development.

Eg. Canmore Nordic Centre relies on government funding. Every March funding freed up, but never knew how much going to get. Scramble to find something to do with money. With trail plan already had projects in mind, knew what needed, what to spend money on.

How:

In depth and nuanced process. Best done with the help of a professional consultant.

4 legged stool analogy: When balance all four key aspects of trail planning it is at its most stable.

  • Social - the people

  • Physical - the trail tread

  • Ecological - the surrounding environmental

  • Managerial - funders and land managers

Three steps to build Trail Plan Base:

  • Engagement: Interviews, surveys, studies, cell phone data. Stakeholder consultation: including non-trail rec users (eg. Hunters), forestry, mining, etc. Need real data, not anecdotal observations or assumptions.

  • Background review: Collect and analyze existing information. Official Community Plan, environmental assessments, existing plans and policies, stakeholder research, etc.

  • Professional observations: Site visit, inventory of trails, understand mix of users, what exists, how fits into local trail inventory.

Tools:

Advice:

Secret to success is execution

  • Commit to timelines, commitments, budgets. 

  • And communicate successes.

Hire outside help

  • Better to hire consultant to help. 

  • Complex task, specialized skills, time consuming for volunteers

  • Outside eyes, help see needs and gaps

  • External support, removes biases and assumptions

  • Neutral party, easier to bring stakeholders together

Appoint single point person

  • Simpler to have one person main contact with contractor

Cost

  • $30,000 minimum for small network of 15 to 20 kilometres

  • Up to $500,000 for Canmore area trail strategy for 6,000 trails

Contact:

Magi Scallion
403-621-1449
mscallion@mcelhanney.com
trails@mcelhanney.com 

Stay Connected

Don’t miss the next webinar! Stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter. It’s the best way to hear about upcoming webinars, events or outdoor recreation news. Or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

Questions, comments, or webinar topics you would like to see? Email us at info@orcbc.ca

Support Our Work

We can’t do any of this without you! As a non-profit organization, we rely on donors to keep our programs, resources, and advocacy going so that B.C. can have enjoyable and responsible outdoor recreation opportunities. A tax-deductible donation today makes a big impact for the outdoors tomorrow.