Sheet 4: Managing Trail or Bikeway Opposition

Changing attitudes
Opposition to your proposed trail or bikeway may rise particularly from adjacent homeowners. But remember that trail opponents often become trail supporters. In Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, a study was done of adjacent homeowner attitudes toward development of a new trail. Of those originally surveyed, 48% were not looking forward to the trail being developed, but of those, 54% changed their minds and had positive attitudes after the rail was built.¹ Managing opposition can be difficult in the early stages. Here are some tips to help you:

• Share the information in this packet with them - that is the primary reason we have provided it to you. You can request complete copies of any studies cited or mentioned in this packet from The Conservation Foundation's Trail Project by calling (630) 428-4500. (See enclosed list for more resources.)

• Provide a venue for the opposition to be heard, but seek out supporters to voice their opinions at the same time. These people can be found within bicycle clubs, park and forest preserve district volunteers, and organizations like The Illinois Prairie Path. As you know, people rarely speak up in support of a project unless they're asked, but they're out there!

• Listen to, write down, and discuss comments made by people who have concerns about a project. Show people that you understand their concerns - be careful to not gloss over them. Concerns from the opposition will most likely involve security, hours of operation, maintenance, lighting and vandalism.

• Utilize other support organizations who have experience in this area. No matter what the argument of your opposition, there are resources to help you resolve issues. For example, if there are concerns about handling conflicts between driveways and bike routes, there are publications written which explain different solutions and can help determine which is best for your municipality. The Conservation Foundation's Trails Project is a local organization available to provide presentations or other forms of support as needed. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a national organization which can provide support by calling 1-800-888-7747. (See enclosed list of resources for more sources of support.)

¹Douglas, Turco, "In My Back Yard: Homeowner Attitudes Toward Rail/Trail Development," paper presented at the Leisure Research Symposium, Illinois Parks and Recreation/Illinois Association of Park Districts Conference, Rosemont, Illinois, January 12, 1996.