Tom Mappes, David Carter - the Director of Wake County's Parks & Rec. Dept., Harrison Williams - a TRTC Board member, and Bill Renfrow of Durham's Parks Dept. spent a whole day touring the Washington & Old Dominion trail and discussing trail operations with trail staff. This report summarizes some key facts and observations and points out some ways in which this trail is similar to and different from the American Tobacco Trail (ATT).

Information and Facts

- 45 miles long -- Trail starts in Arlington, VA and heads west
- Parallel equestrian trail (gravel) for all but 14 miles
- Six jurisdictions (3 counties, three small cities)

- East end is urban
- Middle section is a rapidly growing suburban area
- West end is a rural area

- 2 million users annually (counted with infra-red devices)
- 2% equestrian, 15% in-line skaters, > 80% bicyclists/pedestrians
- Bicyclists/pedestrians represent a variety of users (from strollers & handicapped to long distance "spandex crowd" and commuters; also many lunch walkers from nearby employment centers)

- There are three transit stations along the urban trail (with bike racks and lockers)
- All jurisdictions stacked hands on prohibiting new at-grade crossings
- There have been no new at-grade crossings in last 15 years
- minor road crossings are prohibited
- major roads have to bridge over trail
- Trail staff includes 4 full-timers and 5-7 seasonal; staff is totally dedicated to trail (not shared)
- One centally located maintenance facility/office (pickups, lawn-mowing, spare signs, etc.)
- Budget of $300,000/year (doesn't include capital costs and administrative overhead)
- Totally pooled funds (among the six jurisdictions), contributions based on population
- Annual income of $400,000 per year from utility license fees (fiber optics cable run under portions of the trail)
- Trail makes net profit (not a burden on jurisdictions)!!!

- Rangers NOT deputized (do not have police powers)
- Local jurisdictions add uniformed police bike patrols on top of ranger patrols (in urban areas only - suburban/rural areas do not need police patrolling)
- crime very low (but not absent)
- Biggest public safety problem is auto/user conflicts at at-grade crossings
- Crime is a distant second
- User collisions and other medical problems are another concern

- All medical & crime emergencies handled by staff (or citizens) calling local 911 agencies
- Public safety is also addressed by engineering/maintenance (striping trail, miniature traffic signs, cutting back brush that would hide "undesirables", maintaining good sight lines at crossings, etc.)
- Public safety is also addressed by institutional controls (trail is closed at night, rules are posted, safety fairs are held on or near the trail)

Similarities to ATT

- Similar number of participating jurisdictions
- One end urban, middle suburban, other end rural
- Explosive development occurring along corridor
- Equestrian use permitted on 2/3 of trail
- Crime a worry prior to construction
- Neighbors worried about privacy (prior to construction)

Differences from ATT

- A regional parks authority existed prior the the trail (now manages 19 parks, including W.O.D.)
- Volunteer group did not exist until years after trail ("Friends of W.O.D." formed only last year!)
- Authority has set a standard of minimum 10 foot paved for entire length, parallel track for equestrians, 12 foot bridges on non-equestrian areas, 20 foot in equestrian areas!!!

Lessons Learned in 14 years (final mile was completed 14 years ago)

- Shared crews not successful
- Trail head parking needs to be separated from trail
- Street crossings must have good sight lines (both ways - good sight lines for cars, good sight lines for users); must also have a trail stripe to help avoid user accidents

- Drainage is biggest maintenance problem
- Trail repairs (to prevent hazards to users) and vandalism/graffiti are second biggest problems
- Mow only 3 feet on each side of trail (every 2 weeks during growing season); "Boom mow" a wider swath annually to nip woody growth

- Encroachment/damage by new development, utilities, & street projects must be patrolled
- Must also be vigilant aginst encroachments by neighbors enlarging yards or dumping clippings
- Fences are for safety only (for fall protection at high embankments); fences are not installed for privacy or crime prevention. Shrubs and tree plantings preferred for privacy
- Discourage homeowners from installing fences

- Many user conflicts are addressed by widening old sections of 8 foot trail
- User conflicts in highest use urban areas occasionally require 12 foot trail
- Rural user conflicts addressed by adding parallel equestrian path (used also by joggers)

More on Public Safety

(The following experiences were learned over 14 year period, with 2 million users per year)
- In more than 14 years, one bicycle/auto fatality (no helmet); three "reported" non-fatal, but serious bicycle/auto collisions (all wore helmets)
- One homicide in 14 years on a connecting city greenway (not on W.O.D. proper)
- One "reported" stalker accosted several women; each time he was scared away by other users (plain clothes police staked area out and caught the individual)

- No special education programs have been set up for female users; same common-sense rules apply to all users (don't walk alone if area feels unsafe; lock cars at parking areas, carry no unnecessary valuables)
- Conventional common-sense rules for children also apply on a trail; "never go alone", "stay away from strangers", etc.; the only trail-specific advice given to children is bike safety
- Property crimes are generally committed from autos; perpetrators want a fast getaway and a way to carry the loot

- Only one burglary documented to have been facilitated by trail (he was also caught too)
- Graffiti and vandalism are a moderate problem
- No "Peeping Toms"

- Heavy trail use deters crime; "trail watch" programs can also help
- Police commitment to and familiarity with the trail is the key
- Robberies are rare (criminals know that typical users carry few valuables or jewelry and are surrounded by numerous witnesses)

- Bike theft is the most common property crime (almost always an unlocked, unattended bike)
- Gangs and drugs are not absent in urban areas, but have not been a big problem on the trail
- Police learned quickly where the most frequent problems occur, and adjusted patrol frequencies accordingly; they have also responded to unusual situations with special details (including plain clothes operations)