The Prince William County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has done detailed homework and identified 84 “low hanging fruit” trail segments in Pathways 2035. Those segments require the least amount of additional planning, and are most suitable for volunteers to construct.
For the low hanging fruit projects, no new property acquisition is required. All such segments would be natural surface trails, with minimal effort required to provide stream crossings.
Once the Board of County Supervisors confirms that the DPR Director has the authority to engage volunteers to build new trails which were approved in Pathways 2035, there is a clear opportunity to start expanding the bike pedestrian network – even before substantial new funding becomes available.
Even volunteer-built trails are not free. DPR staff time is required for guidance and oversight, and DPR is short-staffed for trails development and maintenance. Lumber, gravel, and other materials will be needed for almost every new trail, however the fruit hangs from the tree.
To facilitate quick completion of the low hanging fruit projects, supervisors may use their discretionary resources such as Transportation and Roadway Improvement Program (TRIP) funding. However, new funding is essential for completing the other 85% of the planned bike/pedestrian network.
Millions of $$$ are committed each year in the county budget to enhance the roadway network to move cars. Land acquisition and building infrastructure to expand the bike/pedestrian network will require allocating resources to “work the plan” and create live-work-play communities in Prince William County.
Without such an investment, the county will not achieve its Mobility goal in the 2025-2028 Strategic Plan:
“Foster an inter-connected and accessible transportation network that advances the County’s mobility infrastructure, broadens transportation choices, and enhances safety.”
County staff have identified low hanging fruit projects ranging in length from 0.01 miles to 3.32 miles. There is a total of 61.31 miles of such segments in all seven magisterial districts is:
Brentsville – 24 segments, 17.88 miles
Coles – 8 segments, 5.21 miles
Gainesville – 23 segments, 18.65 miles
Neabsco – 9 segments, 3.23 miles
Occoquan – 1 segment, 1.21 miles
Potomac – 15 segments, 13.51 miles
Woodbridge – 4 segments, 1.62 miles
Volunteers may end up proposing to construct segments not included on the initial list, including:
- Flat Branch trail
- natural surface trail in the Davis Ford Park Master Plan
- trail within Braemar Park
