amenities to tourists and to locals.
What are the major challenges of bringing
projects like these to Huntingdon, and how
can they be overcome?
Sometimes, local governments don’t see a
project’s potential, and sometimes it’s orga-
nizational, in that the groups pushing for a
project aren’t as organized as they could be.
Of course, funding is an issue, and it’s
always going to be an issue. ere’s always
going to be competition for the funds we
have available from tax revenue, as well as
challenges that come with what we want to
do versus what the priorities are that day.
Anytime we see a project move forward,
it’s because there’s an advocate behind it.
For example, we have an active group in
one of our school districts working on a
Safe Routes to School project. ey are
vocal and organized, and they just keep at
it. If they get pushback, they don’t stop…
they keep moving forward. One woman is
a tremendous PR rep; she’s always putting
out press releases and social media.
Whenever there is an opportunity for
HCBI to speak on their behalf, we do. We
are typically in front of state legislators on
a regular basis.…We present the work of
these groups and make those connections of
“
Here’s what they’re doing, and here’s why
it’s important [for the county].”
Whenever there is a funding opportu-
nity, through PennDOT’s Transportation
Enhancements program, for example, we
help walk groups through the application
process. We aren’t the solution…but we are
a connection and referral source.
I wasn’t initially supportive of trails
and active-transportation projects. I was a
roads and bridges person. But when I really
got to examine the benefits of what active
transportation could do from a residential
and business perspective, I said, “Ah, this
is a part of the puzzle, part of the whole
solution.”
Sometimes I think we are our own worst
enemies. We don’t look at potential solu-
tions that are right before us.
Amy Kapp is editor-in-chief of
Rails to Trails
magazine.
What made the Keystone
Coalition so effective in getting
Act 89 passed?
Because of its diverse member-
ship [
which includes health orga-
nizations, public agencies, AAA,
highway construction groups, labor
unions, bicycle, pedestrian and
land-use advocates, air and seaport
organizations, chambers of com-
merce, tourism agencies and freight/
passenger rail organizations
],
it’s
often looked at as a role model
for what can be done when you
put your heads together. And the
sheer number of our members
helped us get started at the leg-
islative level. e legislators realized how
many of us there were and said, “Maybe we
should [listen and] do something.”
Active transportation was always part of
the conversation. We agreed from the very
beginning that that’s how it was going to
be, and none of the members turned their
backs during any part of the process. No
matter what legislators did at times to try
and turn us against each other, we never
did. We all realized we needed each other.
How do you feel that active-transportation
infrastructure will help spur economic
development in your county? And what
makes active transportation a logical
solution?
It’s a safety issue. Anybody with a fam-
ily wants a safe place to raise their kids.
Development is going to occur. It’s abso-
lutely important to make sure we do it
safely and correctly from the get-go. It’s
also about cost effectiveness; you don’t
want to do a project…and then put in
active transportation after the fact. It’s not
cost-efficient.
We are also finding that the younger
demographics want the ability to walk safely
to downtown areas. Twenty-four-year-olds
aren’t buying cars the way previous genera-
tions did. Older historic downtowns are los-
ing populations to larger areas because they
don’t have the amenities they want…and
walking and biking are a big part of that.
Retaining is a big part of it, too. We have
Juniata College, as well as a community col-
lege and a business college. Many students
come here for an education and then leave
for economic opportunities elsewhere. We
feel that [walkability and bikeability] are
part of the long-term solution [to keeping
them here].
What things do you think would be most
effective right now for Huntingdon, and for
similar counties, to boost development?
How are you facilitating more opportuni-
ties for active transportation?
Connecting the dots is going to be impor-
tant for us.
ree communities in our county
recently received designations as Blueprint
Communities by the Federal Home Loan
Bank of Pittsburgh for their potential for
connectivity. Our ultimate goal is to cre-
ate a continuous connection between our
downtown areas [that will help spur eco-
nomic revitalization]. We are in the very
early stages of figuring out the best way to
connect all of them and make the corridor
walkable and bikeable.
On a more basic level, we’ve also got
individuals interested in seeing bike paths
made out of the alleyways in our downtown
area so they have a safe way to get to work.
Outdoor recreation is a huge deal here,
and many businesses are seeking new
opportunities around that. We have a
30-
mile lake that was created in the 1970s
by the Army Corps of Engineers on the
Juniata River, for flood control. It’s a beau-
tiful asset that gets more than 2 million
visits annually. e county also has many
state parks, and fishing and hunting are big
draws. One claim to fame is that Trough
Creek and Spruce Creek were favorite fish-
ing destinations of President Carter.
e Lower Trail is a great pathway
between Canoe Creek State Park in Blair
County and Huntingdon County, but part
of the trail is not complete. ere is a push
to finish the trail, but the project is encoun-
tering issues related to property ownership
and rights-of-acquisition. [ ere are always
challenges.]
I think we will continue to see economic
opportunities arise as we promote these
ED STODDARD (2)
rails
to
trails
winter.15
15