Purpose
The Regional Greenways and Active Transportation Plan aims to create a vision for the next five to ten years of conservation, recreation, and active transportation planning throughout the North Central region.
Goals
• Improve trail connectivity by closing existing gaps and identifying areas suitable for additional connections
• Connect population centers to local and regional outdoor recreation amenities
• Identify opportunities for conservation
• Create a reference resource for conservation planning efforts
• Increase awareness of trail use policies and best practices for management
• Ensure the availability of informative resources for recreation system users and maintenance organizations
• Encourage collaboration between organizations involved in recreation planning and management at county and regional scales
• Identify key projects to advance outdoor recreational opportunities and local regional connectivity
Recommendations
The project recommendations aim to guide the planning and development of recreational and active transportation amenities throughout the North Central region over the next seven to ten years. The recommendations were created and refined through conversations with the Steering Committee and various stakeholder groups, in addition to the mapping and analyses conducted throughout the plan’s development. Incomplete projects of exceptional priority from the 2010 Regional Greenways Plan have also been included.
Click the criteria below to learn more about the factors that influence the county recommendations.
▼ County
Identifies the county/counties affected by the tasks. Projects that affect more than one county will be listed on both counties’ tables.
▼ Status
Reflects the completion status of the recommended task at the time of report development. “Potential” indicates that the recommendation has not yet been initiated.
▼ Project Priority
• Short-term: Highest-priority task that should be addressed in the next 2-4 years
• Mid-term: High-priority task that should be addressed in the next 5-8 years
• Long-term: Moderate-priority task that should be addressed in the next 9-12 years
▼ Potential Cost
• ( $ ) – Lowest cost relative to other recommendations, likely $50,000 to $100,000
• ( $$ ) – Moderate cost relative to other recommendations, likely $100,000 to $150,000
• ( $$$ ) – High cost relative to other recommendations, likely over $250,000
▼ Supports Active Transportation
Projects that could support the development or encourage the use of pedestrian or bike connections between destinations.
Click a county below to open a sheet with their strategic recommendations.
Full Regional Greenways and Active Transportation Plan
View and download North Central’s 2023 Regional Greenways and Active Transportation Plan below. For a more interactive display of the plan, click here.