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How important are political will
and leadership to get trail networks
on the ground?
Developing rail-trails always depends on
a combination of political leadership and
citizen leadership. Take the Katy Trail.
Te governor supported it. Even though
one of the prime opponents was the
Missouri Farm Bureau, which he relied
upon for political support, he bucked
them on this issue. Citizen support gave
him and members of the legislature the
political will they needed to push the trail
project through.
What benefts come from having
a good trail system within a city
like yours?
If you go just by property values, people
pay a premium to live near a trail. Of
course, Columbia has a reputation for
having this good trail system, and that
is an indirect economic beneft that is
very powerful. People who have a choice
of where to live look for a location that
ofers the quality of life they want. Tey
want quality schools, a downtown that is
fun to be in, good restaurants, places with
sidewalk eating, cultural opportunities.
And believe it or not, they want a place
with a great trail system—a bicycle- and
pedestrian-friendly city. People approach
me all the time and tell me the trails are
what keep them in Columbia.
In 2006 Columbia was one of four
communities awarded $25 million
as part of the federal Nonmotorized
Transportation Pilot Program.
How important was that funding
in enhancing Columbia’s already
impressive system of trails, parks
and bikeways?
Te idea of an interconnected system, for
both transportation and recreation, was
among my major goals while I was mayor.
We worked out a program that we thought
would take 25 to 30 years to put into place.
It was going to cost well over $25 million.
But the $25 million grant sped us along.
Te pilot project in Columbia is called
GetAbout Columbia. We’re using that
$25 million for things like striping bike
lanes and bicycle parking, bike routes and
more trails. It’s a transportation program
more than a parks program.
How can local residents get
involved in the process?
Without citizen support, a trail program
just isn’t going to happen. People have to
speak out. In Columbia there has been
a grassroots movement called PedNet.
Tese people saw that their trail system
needed to be not just recreational but
also an alternative transportation system.
Tey have been a political force. Teir
support was critical, along with that of
the political leadership, in getting the
$25 million for the pilot project.
Do you see themomentumfor trails
changing nationwide due to the
economy? One of themain criticisms
I hear is that trails are frivolous.
No question these are difcult times
and, as for the future, I don’t know. But
trails are by no means frivolous. Just
think about it. We’re spending all kinds
of money on roads. Well, if you can get
some cars of the road and get people rid-
ing their bicycles or walking, it reduces
congestion.
And we are spending all kinds of mon-
ey on health care that is necessary because
people aren’t getting enough activity in
their lives. Te president of the Cleveland
Clinic said that 75 percent of our medical
costs could be avoided if people were to
do three things: quit smoking, diet and
become physically active.
People around Columbia see you
riding quite a bit. How often do you
take your bike out for a spin? And
describe your wheels.
Oh, every day. While I was mayor, I rode
every day, and I was wearing my business
clothes. I have an old bicycle, a mountain
bike that I’ve modifed to be a commuter
bicycle. It has panniers on back and
pouches up front. It’s unbelievable what
you can carry in that.
An avid cyclist and trail user, Mike Hendricks is
a reporter at The Kansas City Star.
You’ve spent decades
promoting trail
development. What
sparked your interest?
My father was a professor
of physical education, so I
was always a great believer
in people being active
and having recreation in
their lives. I recognized
that walking and bicycling
were wonderful forms of
recreation. Yet we weren’t
building our cities to pro-
vide those opportunities.
You believe in
promoting a variety
of benefts to
persuade people
to support trail
construction:
recreation,
connectivity, health,
environment. Does
one approach sell
better than the
others?
It’s the combination. What
rings one person’s bell won’t
ring the next guy’s. But
economic arguments are
also good. Te Katy Trail
has an international reputa-
tion. It helps sell Missouri,
so there’s an economic
beneft to the state. Tere’s
also an economic beneft
to communities along the
trail. Some started of as river towns. A lot
of them resulted from the railroad. But
when the river ceased to be a commercial
beneft and the railroad closed down, what
was left? If a town was lucky, it might
become a bedroom community for a
larger city. Otherwise it would have been
doomed without the trail.
So the trail created a tourism indus-
try where one didn’t exist before?
Tat’s right. Te Katy Trail has been the
catalyst for reviving the economies of
those towns.