July 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 57

Operations
Trail Safety: The Perception
and Reality
By Mark Alan Young

t seems that every spring, as soon as the weather warms and bicyclists,
walkers and joggers hit recreational trails, a spate of stories hit the media
warning us of danger along our trails. An article published in The Washington Post April 22 reported multiple incidents of violence on D.C. area trails. The
article, titled " Assaults on D.C. region's trails reported as more people head outside, " cautioned trail users to be wary of lurking dangers. These stories get your
attention and can create the perception that our recreational trails are not safe.
Recreational trails are proliferating across the country, connecting
urban centers, suburban communities and rural areas. When park
and recreation agencies update their
master plans, greenway trails and
rail-trails are ranked as highly desirable amenities by community members. Increasingly, cyclists and walkers are using trails for transportation
to businesses, schools, parks and the
workplace.

Trail maintenance crews can increase safety
for trail users by reducing dense vegetation
along pathways, which provides cover for
visitors with malicious intent.

Are trails safe? There is the perception and there is the reality. Both
are important to today's trail manager. The most recent comprehensive
trail safety report was issued by the
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in 1998
when the trail movement was in full
stride (www.railstotrails.org/resourc
es/documents/resource_docs/tgc_
safecomm.pdf). The RTC study included major crimes such as assault
and minor crimes against property

including graffiti and sign damage.
Overall, the results from the study
indicated that trails are safe places to
be. Of the 372 trails surveyed in the
study, only 3 percent experienced any
type of major crime. The RTC study
found the crime rate on urban trails
surveyed was very low compared
to the national crime rate for urban
areas. It's a reassuring report, but
trail managers take both major and
minor crimes seriously. Trail managers are taking measures to prevent
accidents, injuries and crimes - and
promote an enjoyable and safe trail
experience.
Design for Safety
Trail safety begins with thoughtful
engineering and design. From the
Requests for Proposals through engineering and design, personal safety must be a trail sponsor's highest
priority. Crime Prevention through
Environmental Design (CPTED)
is a concept that takes a multidisciplinary approach to deterring criminal behavior in the design process
(www.americantrails.org/resourc
es/safety/designcrime.html). While
its roots are in the 1960s, CPTED is
being embraced by more and more
park and recreation agencies. CPTED designs the built environment
to mitigate the occurrence of crime
and the perception of danger. Jim
Schneider, former trail manager at
Greene County Parks in southwest
Ohio, oversaw 60 miles of multiuse trails, including the highly ac-

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