August 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 50

OPERATIONS
Barriers to Trail Implementation
By Ylda Capriccioso, AICP
T
Trail implementation is
like a to-do list, and seeing
what needs to get
done and knowing how
to scratch the barriers
off the list can help to
guide the path forward.
rails provide a multitude of benefits for communities, including
recreation, health and wellness opportunities, economic development,
transportation, parkland access, environmental protection
and sustainability. Despite the benefits, trail projects can pose
challenges for agencies. These challenges, which can range from " not in
my backyard " (NIMBY), funding or land access to political, environmental
or other issues, can seem like perpetual barriers.
to residents' concerns go a long way.
Internal agency actors and factors
also can act as barriers. Agency staff,
from field operations to executive
leadership, must have a good understanding
of the project vision and expectations
to believe in a project and
adjust resources to make it possible.
Often, institutional barriers, such as
inter-departmental strife (e.g., parks
versus public works) can lead to a
rivalry for resources. Who sets the
standard, who maintains resources,
and which department receives them?
Acknowledging
these
Once you understand the barriers
to implementing trail projects, you
can prioritize them and assess how
much control or influence capacity
is available, either by you or other
actors. Through this process, you can
seek out strategies, propose solutions
and develop a timetable for success.
Much like a to-do list, identifying
barriers and understanding their significance
will guide the path forward.
Political Barriers
Political actors can include supporters,
opponents, elected officials, staff
and the public. Who are the local advocates?
Which elected officials does
this affect? What is the motive for
opposition or support? While overcoming
the NIMBY mindset can be
daunting, collaborating and listening
institutional
barriers can lead to improved collaboration
and citywide effort to bring
multidisciplinary projects forward.
Societal Barriers
This barrier focuses on what is happening
in the community. Are there
other factors influencing the public
perception? Are there larger external
struggles at play? How does this trail
impact a neighborhood? Acknowledging
that a trail may not be priority
for a community is important. Garnering
community support is critical
to success. Knowing when to support
the community's needs first can aid
in future support of the trail project.
Relevancy Barriers
How relevant is the project? Does
the community want this project?
50 Parks & Recreation | A UGUS T 2 0 22 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
Physical Barriers
These barriers are either humancaused
or natural. In the natural
context, slope and topography can
make a trail project challenging.
While it would be nice to always
have a trail run along the creek
or through
a bluff,
Other
these
include property ownership.
Resource Barriers
Funding is always a barrier to implementation,
but what is more
challenging is the ongoing need for
funding, staff and policies to ensure
a sustainable project that is a
valuable asset and not a burden to a
department or community. During
the master planning process or preliminary
design, assessing ongoing
maintenance needs, trail policies and
volunteer requirements can provide a
neutral forum for discussing how to
operationalize needs and concerns.
Identifying barriers takes some
effort and patience, but this assessment
can help your community, department
or group determine where
to focus efforts and how to prioritize
the challenges within trail projects.
During this process, the barriers become
major milestones of achievement
once conquered. Again, trail
implementation is like a to-do list,
and seeing what needs to be done
and knowing how to scratch the
barriers off the list can help to guide
the path forward.
Ylda Capriccioso, AICP, is Park
Development Manager for City of New
Braunfels, Texas (ycapriccioso@nbtexas.org).
can
be cost prohibitive, unsafe and
unmanageable.
barriers
PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS
August 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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