Leveraging Technology: Saving Time & Money in Trail Design
In recent years, trail networks have experienced significant growth in both usage and development. This has been attributed to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and recognition of the environmental, physical and economic benefits associated with trails. Trails offer many advantages to communities, leading them to expand their trail and park networks. As communities seek to add or improve their trail networks, technology can play a significant role in preserving the natural environment, saving costs and producing a higher-quality trail design. This includes geospatial platforms, such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and drones.
Cost & Time Savings
Integrating technology in trail design significantly reduces consultants' time on-site, leading to cost savings in the design process. The Trimble Catalyst is a GNSS concept that simplifies the way precise location data is delivered. Using this tool during the site survey reduces costs by focusing on small areas. Most obstacles are avoided in this pre-design stage, eliminating the need for larger alignment changes. This precision reduces design rework, allowing for real-time adjustments in geospatial platforms like ArcGIS, moving the project into detailed design more quickly.
Before platforms like GNSS, designs were made before walking the path, leading to adjustments after encountering trees and additional costs to remove them. Drones can also make site visits shorter and more efficient by providing aerial imagery, allowing consultants to view the entire path from above. This helps to efficiently mobilize equipment at the project site. ArcGIS maps help input tree locations and diameters while tracking the user's walking path, documenting available paths to avoid trees and reducing environmental impacts from the start.
A Wholistically Better Product
This technology not only enhances design efficiency but also improves accuracy. The Trimble Catalyst connects to the GNSS, providing high-accuracy location data without formal survey equipment. Early identification of trail impacts makes design easier with fewer environmental modifications. This fosters forward-thinking planning, allows natural surroundings to be incorporated into the trail design and creates sustainable recreational areas while preserving the environment.
Technology in the Field
Here are just a few examples of how B&N has applied this technology to trail projects throughout Ohio to streamline the trail design process.
Big Walnut Trail
Once complete, the Big Walnut Trail will extend 2.5 miles from Winchester Pike to Nafzger Park in Columbus, Ohio. This trail extension will traverse a heavily wooded corridor, almost entirely within the floodway or floodplain. A Trimble Catalyst and an ArcGIS mobile application called Fieldmaps were used to avoid large trees and wetlands during the initial study. The alignment was provided to Columbus Recreation and Parks via Fieldmaps which they used to walk the trail independently. Using a "streaming" feature in Fieldmaps, they were able to track the path and make in-field adjustments to the trail alignment.
Mad River Trail
This 1.25-mile trail extension will start the connection between the existing Buck Creek Trail east of Springfield, Ohio, and the Springfield trail network to the City of Dayton trail network. The project corridor was divided into three segments, with several potential alternatives identified for each one. GNSS and ArcGIS were used to provide the geotechnical subcontractor with a path to access the site to drill test holes. This helped mobilize the team and equipment and provided an easy route to the site during design, minimizing costs and shortening time on site.
St. Paris Bike Trail
B&N led a preliminary engineering study for a bike trail along a 14-mile abandoned railroad corridor. To facilitate data collection, B&N used drone flights and photos to capture images of the abandoned right-of-way, a landslide area, multiple culvert and bridge crossings, and roadway crossings. This examination featured five bridges, eight culverts, wetlands and 10 roadway crossings. A full drone video of the trail was captured in one day.
