Conservation organizations statewide partner through the Virginia Conservation Network (VCN). The 2027 Our Common Agenda published by the VCN includes a Blazing Trails for Recreation and Transportation section.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) published a Statewide Multiuse Trails Plan in 2026. However, “Our Common Agenda” notes:
The Virginia General Assembly’s one-time investment of $79 million in multi-use trails in 2022 (FY23) reflected growing recognition that trails are important economic, transportation, health, and tourism assets. However, no additional dedicated funding has been provided since then, and that fund is exhausted, leaving six major trail projects incomplete and the rest of the state-wide network unaddressed.
Trails are not free. Expanding the highway network receives substantial investment each year, but statewide trails funding is close to zero now. The Greater Prince William Trails Coalition is a member of the Our Virginia Outdoors coalition, which is championing the Virginia’s Great Outdoors Act to address the shortfall.
More funding is an essential part of achieving the state’s objectives for multi-mobile transportation, creating bike/pedestrian alternatives rather than incentivizing the addition of more cars to clogged highways.
VCN recommends:
Establishing a transparent, metrics-based framework for evaluating trail investments, similar to SMART SCALE or DCR’s Recreational Trails Program would help Virginia make the best prioritization decisions and help local efforts compete for funding. Evaluation scoring should consider connectivity, safety, economic impact, access to underserved communities, projected usage, tourism potential, and cost-effectiveness.
