Assistance & Resources

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Downtown view of the West Orange Trail in Winter Garden Florida

The Office of Greenways and Trails coordinates and provides assistance to implement the Florida Greenways and Trails System Plan.

If you need assistance or are seeking useful resources to advance a greenways and trails project in Florida, please contact the appropriate Greenways and Trails coordinator. Your coordinator can also discuss how a trail or greenway project relates to the Florida Greenways and Trails System Plan.

Accessibility

ADA Requirements: Wheelchairs, Mobility Aids, and Other Power-Driven Mobility Devices (OPDMD), U.S. Department of Justice.
American Trails Accessibility Resources - American Trails.
Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access, Federal Highway Administration.
Equestrian Design Guidebook for Trails, Trailheads and Campgrounds - Chapter 11, U.S. Department of Transportation.
E-Bike Fact Sheet, Federal Highway Administration, 2023
National Trail Surfaces Study, National Center on Accessibility.
Outdoor Developed Areas: A Summary of Accessibility Standards for Federal Outdoor Developed Areas (by U.S. Access Board).

Design, Planning, Construction, Maintenance and Operation of Trails

Paved Trails/Rail-Trails/Shared Use Paths

Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities, Florida Department of Transportation.
Building a Bicycle-Friendly America, League of American Bicyclists.
Complete Streets Implementation, Florida Department of Transportation.
Conflicts on Multiple-Use Trails, Federal Highway Administration.
Designed to Move: Active Cities, Active Living Research, 2015.
Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access, Federal Highway Administration.
Florida Bicycle Friendly Communities, League of American Bicyclists.
Florida Department of Transportation "Florida Greenbook" which covers shared-use paths within highway rights-of-way.
Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, AASHTO (to purchase).
Guidelines for a Quality Trail Experience, mountain bike trail guidelines, International Mountain Bicycling Association, 2018
How Smart Language Helped Seattle Defeat Transit Tribalism, The Tyee.
Methodology for Linking Greenways and Trails with Public Transportation in Florida, National Center for Transit Research, 2016.
National Trail Surfaces Study, National Center on Accessibility.
North Florida TPO Studies and Initiatives, October 2013.
Park Rules and Trail Etiquette, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks.
Parks, Trails and Health Workbook, National Park Service and Centers for Disease Control, 2015, 2020.
Planning for the Many Benefits of Nature-Based Recreation, Taylor Stein, IFAS, 2016.
Rail-Trail Maintenance Practices and Costs, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
Recreational Carrying Capacity Guidelines, Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Road Diets, Bicycle Trains, and Walking Audits Can Transform Your Neighborhood, Blue Zones, 2022
Shared Use Path Level of Service Calculator, Federal Highway Administration.
Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks, U.S. Department of Transportation, December 2016.
Trail-Building Toolbox, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
Trail Planning, Design and Development Guidelines, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (to download or purchase).
Unpaved Non-Motorized Trail Guidelines, Office of Greenways and Trails and Florida Greenways and Trails Council, 2017.
What's Under Foot? Multi-use Trail Surfacing Options , George Hudson, Alta Planning & Design.

Unpaved Trails (Hiking, Biking, Equestrian)

Trail Design and Construction, American Trails Resources and Library.
Best Management Practices Manual for Non-Commercial Horse Owners, Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Equestrian Design Guidebook for Trails, Trailheads and Campgrounds, USDA Forest Service and Federal Highway Administration.
Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas, U.S. Access Board, 2014.
Accessibility Guidebook for Outdoor Recreation and Trails, U.S. Forest Service.
Managing Mountain Biking, International Mountain Bicycling Association (to purchase).
Natural Surface Trails by Design, Natureshape (to purchase).
Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack, International Mountain Bicycling Association (to purchase).
Trail (Unpaved) Construction and Maintenance Notebook - 2007 Edition, U.S. Forest Service.

Paddling Trails

Canoe, Kayak Launch Sites and Accessibility, Office of Greenways and Trails.
Demographic Trends and NMB Launch Designs, Office of Greenway and Trails.
Establishing and Promoting a Paddling Trail or Blueway System, Office of Greenways and Trails.
Establishing and Promoting Paddling Trails, Office of Greenways and Trails.
Guidelines for Creating Paddling Trails presentation, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Guidelines for Developing Non-motorized Boat Launches in Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Iowa DNR Water Trails Design, Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Paddler Fatality Statistics, U.S. Coast Guard, 2016.
Paddlers and Manatee Guidelines, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Prepare To Launch! Guidelines For Assessing, Designing and Building Access Sites For Carry-In Watercraft [PDF], National Park Service.
2019 Special Report on Paddlesports & Safety, Outdoor Foundation

Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs)

Management Guidelines for Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation, National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (to purchase or download).
Park Guidelines for Off-Highway Vehicles, National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (to purchase).

Economic Impact of Trails and Greenways

2023 Outdoor Recreation Economic Infographic for Florida, Florida Office of Greenways and Trails.
2022-2023 Economic Assessment Report, Florida State Parks
2022 Outdoor Participation Trends Report, Outdoor Foundation
Advocacy - Outdoor Recreation Policy and the American Economy, Outdoor Industry Association.
Best Practices for States to Fund Outdoor Recreation, Headwaters Economics, 2017.
Bicycling Moving America Forward, Bikes Belong Coalition.
Boomers Prefer Suburbs and Cul de Sacs [trails rank #3 or #4 of desired community features among all generations], National Association of Home Builders, 2016.
Economic Analysis of Florida's Big Bend Region, The Conservation Fund and Southwick Associates, 2015.
Economic Impact of Local Parks, National Recreation and Park Association, 2023
Economic Impact of Outdoor Recreation, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Economic Impacts of Saltwater Fishing, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Economic and Health Benefits of Bicycling in Northwest Arkansas, Walton Family Foundation, 2018.
Economic Impact Analysis of Orange County Trails, Headwaters Economics, 2011.
Economic Impact Study of Bicycling in Arizona, Arizona Department of Transportation, 2013.
Economic Impact of Outdoor Recreation Activities in Florida, 2018 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP); (scroll halfway down page for links).
Economic Value of Walkable Neighborhoods, Sohn, Moudon and Lee, Urban Design International, 2012.
Evaluating the Economic Contribution of shared Use Paths in North Carolina, NC State, 2018
Evidence of Many Varieties of Economic Benefits Linked to Trails, Stuart Macdonald, American Trails.
Foot Traffic Ahead, Ranking Walkable Urbanism in America's Largest Metros, Leinberger and Lynch, George Washington University School of Business, 2014.
Opportunities for Growth: A Summary Economic Analysis of Florida's Big Bend Region, the Conservation Fund and Southwick Associates, 2015.
Outdoor Recreation 2017 Economic Report, Outdoor Industry Association.
Outdoor Recreation 2017 Economic Report for Florida, Outdoor Industry Association.
Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account for Florida, Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2022
Paddlesports Special Report 2015, Outdoor Foundation.
Pathways to Prosperity: The Economic Impact of Investments in Bicycle Facilities, North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts, University of Massachusetts.
Recreation Counties Attract New Residents and Higher Incomes, Headwaters Economics, 2019.
St. Johns River Economic Study, University of North Florida Coastal Biology, 2015.
State of the Outdoor Market, Outdoor Industry Association, Fall 2022.
Suwannee River Wilderness Trail Economic Impacts, Florida Park Service, 2014.
"Trail Towns" on Great Allegheny Passage benefit from visitor spending, Hosted by AmericanTrails.org.
Trail User Survey and Economic Impact - A Comparison of Trail user Expenditures, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
Trails-Economic Powerhouses, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
Tweetsie Trail: Economic Impact Study, Batsula et. al.
Visit Florida 2023-2024 Marketing Plan, Visit Florida.
Visitor Spending Effects in Florida National Parks, National Park Service.

Ecological Greenways

Green Infrastructure Case Study: Florida's Ecological Network, The Conservation Fund.

Grant Funding for Trails, Greenspace and Recreation Areas

Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding Opportunities: Federal Transit and Federal Highway Funds, U.S. Department of Transportation: Federal Highway Administration.
Community Planning Technical Assistance Grants, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP), Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Recreational Trails Program Grant (RTP), Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Transportation Enhancements & Alternatives Primer, National Transportation Alternatives Clearinghouse, May 2013.

Trails and Health and Safety

A Walking Revolution: A Movement Making Americans Happier and Healthier, everybodywalk.org.
Association between active commuting and incident cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality, BMJ Journal, 2017.
Bicycle Safety for Kids: Handling Concussions and other Common Bicycling Injuries, Zocdoc, 2023.
Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2018 Benchmarking Report - This report examines bicycling and walking transportation across the U.S. and how these trends relate to public health, safety, and social and economic well-being [PDF], Alliance for Biking & Walking.
CDC Guide to Strategies to Increase Physical Activity in the Community, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dangerous By Design 2019, The most dangerous metro areas in the United States, Smart Growth America.
Even a Little Walking May Help You Live Longer, American Cancer Society, 2017.
From Fitness Zones to the Medical Mile, Trust for Public Land.
Getting to School Safely-Walk, Bike, or Ride, Stein Law.
Health Benefits of Horse Riding in the UK, The British Horse Society.
Here's What 'Ecotherapy' Means, The Healthy, 2022
How to help your teen get moving, CNN Health, 2022
Hurricane Planning & Preparation, Florida Division of Emergency Management, 2024
Improving Public Health through Public Parks and Trails: Eight Common Measures, National Park Service and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017.
Link Between Bikeability and Health, Blue Zones, 2022
Nature saves us trillions of dollars in healthcare, Popular Science, November, 2019.
NCDOT's Vision for Healthy Communities Through Sustainable Transportation, North Carolina Medical Journal, 2012.
New Walking and Cycling Routes and Increased Physical Activity, American Journal of Public Health, April 2014.
Pedestriation and Bicyclist Safety Around University Campuses, University of California, 2014.
Power of Trails for Promoting Physical Activity in Communities, Active Living Research.
Promoting Active Transportation: An Opportunity for Public Health, American Public Health Association.
Residential green space in childhood is associated with lower risk of psychiatric disorders from adolescence into adulthood, National Academy of Sciences, 2019.
Rider energy expenditure during high intensity horse activity and the potential for health benefits, International Journal of Exercise Science.
The Benefits of Vitamin D from Head to Toe, Says Science, The Healthy, 2022
Therapeutic and Health Benefits of Horse-Human Interactions, Chelsea Wiley, Wester Oregon University, 2017.
Transportation and Health, American Public Health Association.

Trails as Transportation

Active Transportation for America, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
Active Transportation Beyond Urban Centers, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
Community & Transportation Preferences Survey, National Association of Realtors and Portland State University, 2015.
Promoting Active Transportation: An Opportunity for Public Health, American Public Health Association.
Bicycle-Friendly City Infrastructure Significantly Increases Cycling to Work, Obesity Society.

Office of Greenways and Trails Quick links