WALK – BIKE – HIKE
Calaveras County Active Transportation and Recreational Trails Plan
The goals of this plan are:
- Identify opportunities for more bicycle, pedestrian and hiking facilities in the County!
- Create project lists for all the improvements.
- Position the region for funding infrastructure and programs that improve the walking, biking and hiking experience in the County.
- Build upon previous efforts to identify future active transportation and recreational trails needed in Calaveras County, and to help offer improved mobility and additional modal choices for the community.
- Identify gaps and barriers in the existing active transportation network and identify priority projects with a specific focus on connecting underserved communities with daily services such as schools, jobs, shopping, transit, and parks.
- Identify and evaluate opportunities to expand upon the existing recreational trail network and trailhead amenities.
Recreation Bicycling vs. Transportation Bicycling
Recreational bicycling refers to the activity of riding a bicycle for leisure, exercise, or enjoyment, rather than as a means of transportation or competition. It can encompass various forms of cycling, such as road cycling, mountain biking, touring, and leisurely rides in parks or scenic areas. Recreational cycling is a popular way for people to stay active, enjoy the outdoors, and explore new places. It can be done individually or as part of a group or club.
Transportation bicycling refers to the activity of riding a bicycle as a means of transportation. This includes using a bicycle (road bicycle, electric bicycle, etc.) to move from your starting place or your origin to your ending place or your destination. This trip is purpose driven. An example of this would be a daily commute to work: occurring on a regular basis as you travel between your origin and destination. Transportation bicycling is a great way to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.
Recreation
Trails create healthy recreation and transportation opportunities by providing people of all ages with attractive, safe, accessible and low- or no-cost places to cycle, walk, hike, jog or skate. Trails help people of all ages incorporate exercise into their daily routines by connecting them with places they want or need to go. Communities that encourage physical activity by making use of the linear corridors can see a significant effect on public health and wellness.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 25% of Americans are inactive and that increasing our physical activity is one of the best things we can do for our health. Findings from the Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends parks, trails and greenways as infrastructure interventions that increase physical activity. These improvements, however, need to be combined with community engagement to increase awareness, expand programs and enhance access. Trail-based activities offer many health benefits including improved cholesterol levels and protection against chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Outdoor exercise also can improve mood, restore attention, and decrease anger, depression, and stress.
Trails positively impact individuals and improve communities by providing not only recreation and transportation opportunities, but also by influencing economic and community development. Some of the many trails benefits include:
- making communities better places to live by preserving and creating open spaces;
- encouraging physical fitness and healthy lifestyles;
- creating new opportunities for outdoor recreation and non-motorized transportation;
- strengthening local economies;
- protecting the environment; and
- preserving culturally and historically valuable areas.
Today, for millions of Americans, trails are a link to the outdoors, providing opportunities for recreation, exercise, and transportation.
Commuting/Transportation
Much research on the health benefits of bicycling focuses on “active commuting” which entails walking or cycling to work or other places that usually involve driving. These studies find that cycling reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and early deaths, and may prevent weight gain or obesity. Most of the research is observational or cross-sectional, using self-reported surveys of cycling frequency. A possible bias in these studies is that cycling requires a minimum level of existing physical fitness, so adults who are healthier at baseline may be more likely to choose cycling or active commuting than less healthy individuals, which may affect mortality and disease rates. [4]
Bicycling for transportation, such as commuting to work, provides the benefits of incorporating exercise into everyday life, reducing costs associated with driving a car or taking public transportation, and lessening road congestion and air/noise pollution, as seen in urban areas. [2] In one survey of cyclists, 21% reported biking to work. [3] Studies show that people who bike to work are more likely to meet national physical activity guidelines. Due to the intensity and energy expenditure of cycling, they are also more likely to meet recommended guidelines for cardiovascular fitness and health benefits. [3]
- Thompson WR. Worldwide survey of fitness trends for 2022. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal. 2022 Jan 1;26(1):11-20
- Grøntved A, Koivula RW, Johansson I, Wennberg P, Østergaard L, Hallmans G, Renström F, Franks PW. Bicycling to work and primordial prevention of cardiovascular risk: a cohort study among Swedish men and women. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2016 Oct 31;5(11):e004413.
- Nehme EK, Pérez A, Ranjit N, Amick BC, Kohl HW. Sociodemographic factors, population density, and bicycling for transportation in the United States. Journal of physical activity and health. 2016 Jan 1;13(1):36-43.
- Burtscher J, Millet GP, Burtscher M. Association of Cycling With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Among Persons With Diabetes. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2021 Dec 1;181(12):1678-.