Greens bring Green$ – Observer-Reporter

When Kathy Boff moved her restaurant from Weirton, W.Va., to Washington County last October, she thought it would be the perfect opportunity to relax and rest awhile.

“We were wrong,” laughed the owner of the Paradise on the Trail. “I didn’t realize how many people rode their bikes here.”

Boff said she credits the location for the success of her restaurant, located at the old Burgettstown Train Station, right next to the Panhandle Trail.

“It’s been so much better than what I expected it to be. I can’t believe how many people ride their bikes coming off the trail. It’s been amazing,” she said.

Nature trails like the Panhandle and Montour can offer obvious benefits such as a free place to exercise or a venue for community events; but, they can also provide an economic boost to the areas they run through. Local businesses near or along the have the potential for increased sales, and property values in trail areas can also increase, officials said.

An impact study conducted by WeConservePA, a nonprofit advocacy group for conservation in Pennsylvania, found that, on average, owners of businesses near or along a trail indicated that one-quarter of their gross revenue was directly attributed to trail users and two-thirds reported that they experienced at least some increase in gross revenue because of their proximity to a trail.

Over one-quarter of all businesses surveyed said they “have expanded, or plan to expand, their operations” because of the revenue increases, according to the survey.

Similarly, the latest The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Economic Impact Study found that since the GAP was completed in 2013 an estimated $121 million dollars is spent annually on tourism benefiting Fayette, Allegheny, Westmoreland and Somerset counties.

Eric Snyder, director of outdoor recreation for the National Road Heritage Corridor said trails like the Panhandle, also located in West Virginia, and Montour trails in Washington County become a destination for people from all over the country, which means more money being brought in from outside the communities.

“(These trails) become the link that ties all these states together,” said Snyder.

The 63-mile Montour Trail connects to the 26-mile Panhandle Trail near McDonald.

“The trails are a huge asset because they bring people all around the world and then come into these towns and spend money,” Snyder said.

Snyder also stated there are underlying factors that don’t necessarily show up on a budget sheet, like promoting healthier lifestyle and having better air quality due to the reduction of vehicles in the area.

According to a National Park Service study, communities compared people who lead sedentary lifestyles to those who exercise regularly. The exercisers filed 14% fewer health care claims, spent 30% fewer days in the hospital, and had 41% fewer claims greater than $5,000.

“It makes a difference,” he said.

Scott Cavinee, founding broker for SWC Realty in Uniontown said it’s apparent that trails have become commodities to the surrounding community.

“The Sheepskin Trail ends right where my office is,” Cavinee said, referring to the Fayette County trail. “And I see every day how it brings people downtown. I see there’s people walking, jogging, running, strolling with their kids, and it’s something that we have not seen in a very long time.”

Cavinee said realtors view living next to a trail as an amenity, often highlighting the “next-to-trail” feature in their advertising.

“People love biking and strolling outside with their kids,” he said. “The trails invite them outside to be part of nature.”