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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.
- 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.
Design, Planning, Construction, Maintenance and Operation of Trails
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Trail Videos from Public Sources
Other Resources and Articles
- Advocates Make Case for Bike Lanes on State Road A1A, Sun Sentinel.
- Best Mountain Bike Trails in Florida, Single Tracks Bike the Net.
- Bike Pods - BikePortland.org.
- Biking the Florida Keys, FloridaRambler.com, 2016.
- Environmental Science Careers, EnvironmentalScience.org.
- Go Green With Your Career, Let's Go Solar.
- Green Career Guide, MoneyGeek.
- Rail-Trail Supreme Court Decision - March 2014, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
- Revealing Motivations for and Conflicts Associated with Recreational Horseback Trail Riding [PDF], Society of American Foresters.
- Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail, Rails to Trails Magazine, Winter 2016.
- The New Majority: Pedaling Toward Equity, League of American Bicyclists and Sierra Club.
- Wildlife Viewing Ethics, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
- Youth Initiative Connecting Millions of Young People to America's Great Outdoors, U.S. Department of the Interior:
Secretarial Order [PDF].
Youth Initiative Video.
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