Trails Touted at Meeting
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
Trails bring in tourists. Tourists bring in money.
That was one of the messages the Tuna Valley Trail Association had for Bradford City Council Tuesday night.
Mike Glesk said one of the objectives of the association is to be a "Trail Town USA."
He said that kind of designation "brings in tourism. Tourism brings in money," which would help the Just Riding Along bicycle shop, restaurants, hotels and other businesses in the community.
He said the trail association has brought in about $31/2 million in grant money for the trails. About $600,000 has been invested in gardens, memorial benches and markers along the trails.
Glesk said there is federal and state money designated just for trails so "Why not Bradford?"
The trail system, he said, is just one thing that will "make Bradford a better place."
He stressed, too, that the trails are not just for tourists.
"If we make this a beautiful place to live work and play, and tourists come, it's also a beautiful place for us," he said. "It's very beneficial to the community" for health reasons and economic reasons.
He also talked about Jack Schultz of the Boomtown Institute who, during his presentation last month, was impressed with the fact that one of the association's goals is to see that, eventually, every resident in the Tuna Valley is within five minutes of a trail.
Rick Esch explained that, from the time the association started 11 years ago, the plan was to have the city trails – the proposed Community Parks Trail – as the hub of the system.
The other trails would be "spokes off the hub."
He said they're hoping to have a design in less than a year, and that it will incorporate the input of residents, city council, the hospital and the school district.
Tom Urban and Dr. David Godfrey addressed council saying they are very much in favor of the expansion of the trail system.
Urban, an avid bike rider, told the story of a West Virginia coal mining town that went bust but, after that, developed a trail system. He said the owner of a restaurant told him before the trail system started, she had 50 to 60 customers a day. Now, on weekends, she serves 400 to 500 people a day because of the impact of the trails.
"I think there's a real economic impact that trails can have on a community like this," Urban said.
Godfrey talked about, before he moved to Bradford, living in other cities that had trail systems.
"It's really exciting for me to see this occurring in Bradford and the valley, he said, adding that with the new proposal more people from the hospital, school district and other businesses will have better access to the trails.
Having "all the great parts of our community come together … is really phenomenal," Godfrey said.
OECD Executive Director Sara Andrews said the proposal was instrumental in the John Williams Pastry Shop plans to expand, and a state loan the business is getting for that expansion.
"I think that's a perfect example of a how a business can expand and grow," she said.
Council did authorize a grant application to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the part of the trail that would turn the Pine Street Bridge back into a pedestrian bridge.
Mayor Tom Riel stressed that, contrary to rumor and speculation, none of the routes for the trail are "locked in."
WESB/WBRR News Director
Trails bring in tourists. Tourists bring in money.
That was one of the messages the Tuna Valley Trail Association had for Bradford City Council Tuesday night.
Mike Glesk said one of the objectives of the association is to be a "Trail Town USA."
He said that kind of designation "brings in tourism. Tourism brings in money," which would help the Just Riding Along bicycle shop, restaurants, hotels and other businesses in the community.
He said the trail association has brought in about $31/2 million in grant money for the trails. About $600,000 has been invested in gardens, memorial benches and markers along the trails.
Glesk said there is federal and state money designated just for trails so "Why not Bradford?"
The trail system, he said, is just one thing that will "make Bradford a better place."
He stressed, too, that the trails are not just for tourists.
"If we make this a beautiful place to live work and play, and tourists come, it's also a beautiful place for us," he said. "It's very beneficial to the community" for health reasons and economic reasons.
He also talked about Jack Schultz of the Boomtown Institute who, during his presentation last month, was impressed with the fact that one of the association's goals is to see that, eventually, every resident in the Tuna Valley is within five minutes of a trail.
Rick Esch explained that, from the time the association started 11 years ago, the plan was to have the city trails – the proposed Community Parks Trail – as the hub of the system.
The other trails would be "spokes off the hub."
He said they're hoping to have a design in less than a year, and that it will incorporate the input of residents, city council, the hospital and the school district.
Tom Urban and Dr. David Godfrey addressed council saying they are very much in favor of the expansion of the trail system.
Urban, an avid bike rider, told the story of a West Virginia coal mining town that went bust but, after that, developed a trail system. He said the owner of a restaurant told him before the trail system started, she had 50 to 60 customers a day. Now, on weekends, she serves 400 to 500 people a day because of the impact of the trails.
"I think there's a real economic impact that trails can have on a community like this," Urban said.
Godfrey talked about, before he moved to Bradford, living in other cities that had trail systems.
"It's really exciting for me to see this occurring in Bradford and the valley, he said, adding that with the new proposal more people from the hospital, school district and other businesses will have better access to the trails.
Having "all the great parts of our community come together … is really phenomenal," Godfrey said.
OECD Executive Director Sara Andrews said the proposal was instrumental in the John Williams Pastry Shop plans to expand, and a state loan the business is getting for that expansion.
"I think that's a perfect example of a how a business can expand and grow," she said.
Council did authorize a grant application to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the part of the trail that would turn the Pine Street Bridge back into a pedestrian bridge.
Mayor Tom Riel stressed that, contrary to rumor and speculation, none of the routes for the trail are "locked in."
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