Cyclists and pedestrians may soon be able to cross the U.S.-Canada border by trail, if a rail-trail alternative under consideration for the Champlain Islands Trail in northern Vermont is selected.

The trail would follow the Noyan Branch RR off the Island Line RR, both of which been abandoned. Local border officials have said security should not be an impediment for a trail crossing on the Noyan Branch if it's developed. The Champlain Islands Trail would link the islands to Burlington in the south and Montreal to the north. From Alburg, Vermont the trail will connect to Quebec’s popular La Route Verte.

Alta Planning + Design is the prime consultant on the Champlain Islands Trail Feasibility Study, for the Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce and the Island Line Steering Committee. Three trail alignment alternatives were developed and presented to the public at a meeting on November 13th, based on initial analysis and meetings with the steering committee and local residents:

• The first alternative makes maximum use of portions of the Island Line rail corridor contingent on the support of the towns and private property owners.
• The second uses some rail-trail but mostly low-volume local roads including West Shore Road in each of the communities.
• The third alternative follows the existing Champlain Bikeway on low-volume local roads and portions of US 2 a moderate to high speed two-lane road linking the islands.

A preferred alternative will be developed in a draft report to be presented at a public meeting in Spring 2004. Alta Planning + Design is assisted on this project by Wilbur Smith Associates and the Rails to Trails Conservancy. For more information, contact Alta Principal Paul Smith.

  For most moderate and large US cities, proximity to water was historically necessary for the movement and processing of goods and materials. To this day, most US cities have an active industrial district situated where it developed first: on the water.

Of course, waterways also provide near-perfect corridors for communities to enjoy a trail. The adjacent land is generally flat, they have outstanding scenic qualities, and they provide access to wildlife and nature. They can also provide excellent corridors for connecting to other cities and towns on the river, providing a wonderful travel environment free of auto traffic. But what happens when the waterway is also the industrial district? Can trail users peacefully coexist with heavy machinery and river-dependent industry?

Alta Planning + Design has started the Swan Island River to Bluff Initiative Action Plan, which looks at trail connections into and through man-made Swan Island, an industrial district on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. The proposed trails intend to connect the 7,000 Swan Island employees to their places of work and throughout the island, provide a better connection to the river for residents living on the bluff, and provide a regional greenway trail along the banks of the river.

Issues surrounding the plan include ADA access, on-street connections and continuity, conflicts with river dependent industry, high volumes of heavy truck traffic, environmentally sensitive riparian areas, contaminated industrial parcels, railroad crossings, and trails on steep slopes and in constrained areas. For more information on this project, contact Alta Planner Allison Wildman.

  Nationwide, states are shifting their bicycle, trail, and pedestrian planning into high gear.

Although many states have bicycle plans, most lack pedestrian plans (with a few exceptions such as Washington and Georgia). States often don't see a role for themselves in this area, as pedestrian facilities tend to be localized. With the first AASHTO guide to pedestrian facilities still under development, states have had few resources to rely on for pedestrian design standards.

Nonetheless, states do have a strong role to play in bicycle and pedestrian activities, such as:

• designing pedestrian friendly Main Streets on state highways running through small towns,
• ensuring bicycle and pedestrian facilities are provided on all their roadways,
• developing guidelines or standards to ensure pedestrians and bicyclists are accommodated or considered in highway projects,
• developing guidelines for dealing with unusual situations,
• ensuring guidelines, policies, and programs are institutionalized throughout State government,
• setting a leadership standard,
• providing training tools, and
• providing standards to ensure compliance with the ADA.

In recent months, Alta has worked on plans for Minnesota, Arizona, California, Nevada, and New Hampshire; we'll soon be starting work in Tennessee. Alta also recently developed a pedestrian and bicycle Technical Resource Guidebook, training program, and interactive web site for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). These and other State plans are helping improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities on some of our most problematic roadways. For more information, contact Alta Principals Michael Jones or Mia Birk.

When approaching a trail project, trail designers and local agency representatives often assume their trail will be surfaced with asphalt or perhaps concrete if budget allows. These are some of the most common and acceptable materials used, but they may not be what local residents had in mind when the trail was initially conceived. Or, local residents may not have considered the trail surface until a specific surface was proposed, and then suddenly everyone has an opinion. Trails typically serve a transportation function, but many residents and trail users often do not want a trail to appear as a mini-roadway.

These conflicts often lead designers into exploring possible trail surfacing options (of which there are more every year), including:

• rubberized surfaces, such as "Nike Grind"
• permeable asphalt and concrete
• traditional asphalt and concrete
• commercial soil stabilizers
• geotextile confinement systems
• organic surfaces such as bark mulch
• wood (in the form of boardwalks)

In arriving at a recommended trail surface, several key criteria should be considered, including:

Initial Capital Cost - Material costs vary dramatically and dollars to build trails are scarce. Construction costs include excavation, subbase preparation, aggregate base placement, and application of the selected trail surface. Costs can range from $2.00/SF for a bark mulch trail, to $12-$13/SF for a rubberized surface.

Maintenance and Durability - The life of a trail surface can vary from a single year (bark surface in a moist climate) to 25+ years (concrete). Also, different surfaces have different needs, including cleaning, inspection and repair.

Anticipate Use/Functionality - Will your trail surface need to accommodate equestrians, wheelchairs, maintenance vehicles, bicycles, in-line skaters, etc.? If a single trail surface may not meet the needs of all users, consider making the shoulder area wide enough for use by those preferring a softer material.

Funding Source - The funding source for the trail may dictate the trail surface characteristics. If the trail has federal funds and is being administered through a state DOT, the state DOT will need to review and approve the selected trail surface.

Aesthetics - Each trail surface has varying aesthetic characteristics that should fit with the overall design concept desired for the project.

This is a portion of an article by Alta Principal George Hudson, who has designed numerous trails in a wide variety of environments throughout the western United States. For the full version of this article contact Alta Planner Daniel Lerch.

Organized car-sharing began in Switzerland in the late 1980's. The concept was simple: a car is used more efficiently (and thus costs can be saved) if it is shared among many people, instead of many individuals each owning their own car.

Today, car-sharing is firmly established in the U.S. and growing rapidly, from Los Angeles to Colorado to Boston. Flexcar, the nation's largest car sharing service, now has over 20,000 members in over 15 cities across the country. Zipcar, serving the Northeast, boasts over 5,000 members. Both allow members to reserve and use cars for under $10 an hour (varies by region); the price covers insurance, maintenance, and even gas. Other companies, non-profits and cooperatives offer car-sharing in many other parts of the U.S. and Canada.

Zipcar claims that individuals' car usage is reduced by as much as 50%, as members' cost-awareness encourages using the most efficient means of transportation for the task: walking, biking, public transit, taxi, or carshare. Flexcar claims many of its members no longer own a personal vehicle, and rely primarily on mass transit, bicycles and their feet for day-to-day transportation. Flexcar is also seeing growing interest among businesses and government agencies, such as the Portland (OR) Office of Sustainable Development, which is reducing its internal fleets and signing up to use Flexcar's shared fleet instead. Both Zipcar and Flexcar have partnered with public transit providers, public associations and private companies -- including the Washington D.C. Metro, Amtrak, and Hostelling International -- to offer members special incentives and discounts.

For more information on car-sharing, visit www.flexcar.com, www.zipcar.com, or www.carsharing.net.

• Pro-Bono Assistance: Alta staff are available to help community groups and agencies on a pro bono basis, whether it is answering questions or assisting with research. Every year we donate hundreds of hours to help our colleagues in a variety of areas. Call an Alta professional today to find out more about this, or come into one of our offices and use our library of resources.
   
• Conference Support Program: Alta offers help to deserving individuals who wish to attend conferences in fields related to bicycles, pedestrians, and trails. This may include plane tickets, other travel costs, and conference costs. Contact Alta Principals Michael Jones or Mia Birk to find out more about this program.