APPENDIX E EXAMPLES & REFERENCE MATERIALS • E-1: Cost Reference Materials • E-2: Complete Streets Reference Materials • E-3: Ebike Reference Materials • E-4: Whitefish Planning Reference Materials APPENDIX E - 1 COST REFERENCE MATERIALS Unit Cost Data Contingency Total Bike Route Signing/Sharrows (epoxy) 1 sign @ $300 + 1 sharrow @ $25 per 300 LF $ 1.08 LF UNC Highway Safety Research Center * ($25K/mile) $ 4.75 LF Average Cost $ 2.92 LF 10% $ 3.21 Bicycle Boulevard UNC Highway Safety Research Center * ($200-650K EA) Bike Lane Signing/Pavement Markings (epoxy) 2 - 6" lines @ $0.82/LF + 1 sign/300' @ $300/sign $ 1.82 LF UNC Highway Safety Research Center * (painted curb/sidewalk cost) $ 3.06 LF Average Cost $ 2.44 LF 10% $ 2.68 Cycle Track Signing/Pavement Markings (epoxy) North Reserve Master Plan (estimate) $ 25.00 LF UNC Highway Safety Research Center * ($240K/mile) $ 45.00 LF Average Cost $ 35.00 LF 10% $ 39 Shared Use Path (Asphalt Surface) Lolo Trail (8 miles @ $4.5M) $ 107 LF Grant Creek Trail (2 miles @ $1.4M including r/w and a bridge) $ 134 LF Milwaukee Trail (1 mile @$850K including r/w) $ 161 LF UNC Highway Safety Research Center * ($481K/mile @ 8' width) $ 91 LF Average Cost $ 123 LF 10% $ 136 Urban Trail (Gravel Surface) 4" Crushed Base Course @ $10/SY x 4' width $ 4.44 LF UNC Highway Safety Research Center * ($121K/mile @ 8' width) $ 23.00 LF Average Cost $ 14 LF 10% $ 15 Sidewalks (Concrete Surface not including curb) Mary Avenue Extension ($5/SF @ 5' width) $ 25 LF UNC Highway Safety Research Center * (5' width) $ 32 LF Average Cost $ 29 LF 10% $ 31 Curb, Gutter and Sidewalk (Concrete) Mary Avenue Extension $ 50 LF UNC Highway Safety Research Center * $ 50 LF Average Cost $ 50 LF 10% $ 55 Crosswalk Signing/Pavement Markings Mary Avenue Extension (2 lines @ $5.51/LF + yield symbols @ $12.35/4 LF + signs @ $300/40$ LF) 16.10 LF UNC Highway Safety Research Center * $ 8.51 LF Average Cost $ 12 LF 10% $ 14 Crosswalk RRFB Whitefish 5th/Spokane LF UNC Highway Safety Research Center * $ 22,250 LF Average Cost $ 22,250 LF 10% $ 24,475 Bicycle Racks Mary Avenue Extension $ 525 EA UNC Highway Safety Research Center * $ 660 EA Average Cost $ 593 EA 10% $ 652 Bus Shelter UNC Highway Safety Research Center * $ 11,560 EA Overpass/Underpass Russell St. Milwaukee Trail Underpass $ 5,000 LF UNC Highway Safety Research Center * (Overpass $150-250/SF @ 14' width) $ 2,800 LF UNC Highway Safety Research Center * (Underpass $120/SF @ 14' width) $ 1,680 LF Average Cost $ 3,160 LF 10% $ 3,476 * Costs for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Infrastructure Improvements ; Authors: Max A. Bushell, Bryan W. Poole, Charles V. Zegeer, Daniel A. Rodriguez; UNC Highway Safety Research Center; Prepared for the Federal Highway Administration and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its Active Living Research program; October, 2013 W:\Projects\151115\Docs\Cost Estimates\Planning-Level Costs.xlsx Maintenance Practices and Costs of Rail -Trails CONTENTS Executive Summary .................................................................4 Methodology ��������������������������������������������������������������������������7 Major Maintenance Tasks ��������������������������������������������������������8 Administration ��������������������������������������������������������������������8 Vegetation – Grass, Trees, Herbicides and Invasives! ������������9 Surface – Repair, Clearing, Snow ���������������������������������������14 Drainage ���������������������������������������������������������������������������18 Trailhead Amenities �����������������������������������������������������������19 Sanitation �������������������������������������������������������������������������21 Signage ����������������������������������������������������������������������������22 Access Control ������������������������������������������������������������������23 Trail Features ��������������������������������������������������������������������24 Other ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������25 Conclusions ��������������������������������������������������������������������������27 Appendix A: 2014 Survey Results ������������������������������������������30 Appendix B: List of Participants ............................................ 42 Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, NY. ABOUT US Rails-to-Trails Conservancy serves as the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy voice for more than 160,000 members and Northeast Regional Office supporters, 30,000 miles of rail-trails and 2133 Market Street, Suite 222 multiuse trails, and more than 8,000 miles of Camp Hill, PA 17011 potential trails waiting to be built, with a goal of Tel 717.238.1717 / Fax 717.238.7566 creating more walkable, bikeable communities National Headquarters in America. Since 1986, we have worked from 2121 Ward Court, NW, 5th Floor coast to coast, supporting the development of Washington, D.C. 20037 thousands of miles of rail-trails for millions to Tel 202.331.9696 / Fax 202.223.9257 explore and enjoy. railstotrails.org TrailLink.com 2 / Maintenance Practices and Costs of Rail-Trails ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Produced by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Carl Knoch Tom Sexton June 2015 The team wishes to recognize and thank RTC staff and others who contributed to the accuracy and utility of this report. Thanks to the trail managers and RTC staff who contributed photos for this report. This study was made possible by the generous support of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation, Community and Conservation Partnership Program. Allegheny River Trail, PA. Rails to Trails Conservancy / 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY or the past three decades of rail-trail development, In the 10 years that RTC’s Northeast Regional Office has maintenance costs have generally been seen as being tracked technical inquiries, there has been a steady decline expensive. These expenses, however, have remained in the number of maintenance-related request. There are Flargely untracked on a state or national basis. Further, a likely several reasons for this decline. Rail-trail managers comprehensive breakdown and ranking of maintenance and others share maintenance methods through a variety priorities did not exist. of networks, in addition to providing direct assistance to one another. Earlier documents on maintenance best To better understand this issue, RTC conducted a management practices have also likely been helpful. In comprehensive survey of trail maintenance costs. Results addition, many individual trails have been combined into of this study show that, contrary to popular belief, larger systems, thus creating economies of scale. Volunteer maintenance costs are not as high as many perceive them programs also have grown in size and dependability and to be. In fact, when taking into account for volunteers, have taken on more responsibility. this study found that maintenance costs on average range from $500 to $1,000 per trail mile per year depending on Finally, it is evident that maintenance also has been surface. deferred. Therefore, it is possible that although maintenance costs have declined over time, perception of those costs has remained the same. Trail managers and local stakeholders often cite the need for dedicated state or federal funding to help pay for trail maintenance. Up to this point, RTC has lacked sufficient data to make that case effectively to decision-makers at the state or federal level. This study was initiated to bring some clarity to this issue. Whether in a town hall meeting or a discussion with a member of Congress about the reauthorization of federal funding, more accuracy regarding rail-trail maintenance costs is required. Because funding for rail-trails is difficult to secure, over-estimating maintenance costs can inadvertently give opponents easy leverage to speak against rail-trail development. In addition, funders often question if all aspects of any community development project should be funded by state and federal grants, particularly maintenance-related costs, which are often perceived as a “local issue.” This study presents a more comprehensive understanding of rail-trail maintenance, as has been done for other rail- trail issues such as construction costs, economic impact and rails-with-trails. Such an approach enables the rail-trail community to focus its limited resources more effectively on addressing the most critical issues. St. John Valley Heritage Trail, ME. 4 / Maintenance Practices and Costs of Rail-Trails This publication is the third in a series of similar works Of all the 2014 participants, 37 percent represented rural prepared by the RTC Northeast Regional Office. The rail-trails, 14 percent urban, 13 percent suburban and 36 first was released in 1996 in collaboration with a U.S. percent mixed. The mixed category contained primarily a Department of Agriculture AmeriCorps staff member rural/suburban combination. based in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The second was released in 2005 and, as with this document, was In addition to identifying the types and frequency of made possible through a Growing Greener grant from maintenance tasks, this study sought for the first time to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of secure data on the cost of rail-trail maintenance. Almost Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation 50 percent of the 200 trail managers provided a total and Conservation. maintenance cost, though far fewer had an actual budget. With the help of several veteran trail managers, RTC went