Connecting our City and advancing our Trail Town creates benefits for the entire community whether you use the trail yourself or not.
High quality city trails strengthen our local economy and make our region thrive. In the new competition between cities for talent and business, our region’s superior advantage can be lifestyle and active living.
High quality city trails build on our community interests and assets because active living is part of the essential character of the North State. Relaxed outdoor living is a part of the history and culture of the place we live.
High quality city trails reduce local cost-of-place by reducing cost of driving. This frees money for essentials and builds prosperity for families, young professionals and seniors. People in Shasta County now face exceptionally high cost of transportation since there is no other choice but to drive for every trip.
Creating protected, safe facilities for biking and walking ensures public safety because traffic deaths are not accidents. By designing our streets for safe movement by people walking and bicycling, we join other regions that are successfully ending the epidemic of traffic deaths and serious injuries of recent decades.
Creating connected bike networks and walkable neighborhoods accelerates the transition to a low carbon world. 40% or more of car trips are 3 miles or less, most people can ride a bike 3 miles in 20 minutes. Enabling people to make some trips walking or biking, reduces pollution from passenger vehicles that today contribute 1/3 of the emissions that cause climate change.
Keeping people out of traffic improves individual health, because barriers to movement create disease. Shasta County has unacceptably high rates of debilitating health outcomes directly related to inactivity.
Encouraging people to walk and bike in city neighborhoods creates civic engagement and empowers democracy. Because culturally rich communities are built with vibrant, people-friendly public spaces that embrace diversity.