FALL LINE PACKS BIG POTENTIAL
From health, to safety, to economic impact and more, there are plenty of reasons to fall in love with the Fall Line.
HEALTH
Trails increase a community's opportunity to get outside, be active and stay healthy.
SAFETY
Dedicated biking and walking infrastructure ensure that our most vulnerable transportation users can travel safely. [read more]
CLIMATE BENEFIT
In Virginia, vehicle travel is the top producer of greenhouse gas emissions. Biking and walking are zero-emission travel methods.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Multi-use trails encourage activity, tourism, and stimulate job creation. [read more]
MULTI-MODAL
The Fall Line will contribute to a network of safe biking/walking infrastructure and connect with transit.
GREEN SPACE
The Fall Line courses through natural landscapes. In urban corridors like Commerce Road and Route 1, linear parks like the Low Line can be introduced. [read more]
CASE STUDIES: TRAIL TRANSFORMATIONS
Multi-use bicycling and walking trails not only provide safe, separated spaces for people to get around or enjoy being active outside, but also can offer profound economic boosts to an area. The Indianapolis Cultural Trail in the heart of Indianapolis’ downtown opened in 2008, and since then the area has experienced over an estimated 11,000 jobs have been created and $1 billion estimated economic impact.
(Indianapolis Cultural Trail: Virginia Avenue before on left and after on right. Photos courtesy of Brian Payne, Indianapolis Cultural Trail Foundation)
In Minnesota, the Minneapolis Midtown Greenway opened its first segment in 2000 and was fully opened in 2007. It generated at least 11 separate projects (10 of which are residential) between 2004 and 2014, resulting in more than $750 million worth of new housing.
(Minneapolis Midtown Greenway: before on left and after on right.)
Of course, Virginia has its own example in the Virginia Capital Trail. Since its completion in 2015, the Capital Trail has been a major asset as recreational site for residents, destination point for bicycling tourism, and transportation connector for people actively commuting in and around Richmond. According to its latest economic impact study, the trail generated $8.9 million in economic activity and $5.3 million in value-added effects during the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
Like these transformative trails, the Fall Line not only presents an opportunity for recreation, but also has the potential to connect people to jobs, shopping, colleges, and transit along the corridor. The Fall Line would also become part of the East Coast Greenway alignment, which seeks to connect 15 states from Maine to Florida.
(Virginia Capital Trail)