Building trails is not a liability. It is an investment, as so clearly demonstrated by this recent economic impact study about The Great Allegheny Passage. As Fourth Economy has recently reported, in 2019, “tourism along the trail created an economic impact in 2019 of more than $121 million.” That figure “translates to over $800,000 per mile” for every year the trail remains in operation. As one observer explained, “For the communities along the way, that’s an economic highway.”
As we have demonstrated, securing the Black’s Run Bridge will cost approximately 22 cents per Beaver County resident per year. Failure to create trails through the heart of Beaver County is not merely about recreation; it’s about small mom and pop shops, local businesses, downtown corridors, and more. Simply put: an investment in trails is an investment in the sustainable financial future of communities throughout our region.
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