Local Rotary Club “hits the trail”
L. Neal Brady, Rotarian and Executive Director of the Miami and Erie
Canal Corridor Association (MECCA) discussed the positive impact of natural
trails on communities where they exist. In 2005, Brady worked on the Trails
for Ohio program with Governor Bob Taft, and enjoyed a successful career
working for the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources in our state parks.
Brady began with an example from the local community where the village
of New Bremen will pave the towpath along the Miami and Erie Canal from
downtown up to Lock Two. “This
project will cost about 1.6 million dollars from a Federal Transportation
Enhancement Grant,” said Brady. “So,
real money is coming into the area for these projects.”
“The number one thing Trails for Ohio set out to accomplish is fitness
and health,” said Brady. “Sixty-five
percent of trail users identified health and fitness as their reason for being
on the trail.” Brady noted that
much of the money that helps develop and improve natural trails comes from
public tax dollars. Most of the
rest of the funding comes from private and corporate donations.
“The question is: What are we really getting for our tax dollar
investment from the trails systems,” Brady noted.
Brady listed ten areas in order of impact where trails can have a
positive impact including tourism, events, community development, community
improvement and historic preservation, property values, health care costs, job
and investment, environmental protection, general consumer spending and
quality of life.
Brady explained his
ten points from the point of view of economic impact, noting how much money is
drawn to an area because of a strong trails system.
Brady cited several examples from communities along the Miami and Erie
Canal Heritage Corridor. Tourism
topped Brady’s list because people are drawn to recreational green spaces,
and they spend money where they visit. “Donna
Grube (Director, Auglaize-Mercer Counties Convention and Visitor’s Bureau)
probably holds ten or more bus tours each year to New Bremen to visit the
canal and the Lockkeeper’s House,” said Brady.
“Tourism impacts our communities with dollars.
For every dollar that comes into the community, it will turn over
roughly eight times, according to a study we did while working on a state park
project.” Brady listed several
communities around the state of Ohio he described as “booming” because of
summer tourism on their natural trail systems.
Brady noted of 23
different events on the Grand Lake Road to Fitness, 15 of them were being held
on natural trails. “Recreational
Trails enhance the quality of life, provide healthy recreation options, and
lead to community development and historic preservation in the communities
where they are located,” said Brady. “Restaurants,
ice cream shops, bicycle rentals and other storefronts all pop up in the
communities where these trails exist. Businesses
see natural areas as an opportunity for expansion and development.”
Brady noted that there appears to be a premium to property owners along
recreational corridors. “Values seem to be higher, homes sell for more, or
sell more easily along recreational corridors,” said Brady.
Brady noted that MECCA works on various projects from Delphos to Piqua,
along the Miami and Erie Canal Heritage Corridor that preserve local history
and help develop and maintain natural trails.
“We have to get people out on the trail so they understand what the
canal was and what it means to the communities,” said Brady.
“Historic preservation helps people understand what the canal means
to their community.” Brady also noted
that local businesses often use the canal corridor and natural spaces to help
attract employees, and demonstrate the quality of life and safety of a
particular community. “Quality
of life increases job attractiveness, it’s as simple as that,” said Brady.
Hosting Rotarian: Neal Brady
