In 2022 the Virginia General Assembly directed the Department of Transportation (VDOT) to establish a State Trails Office (STO) and for the STO to develop a Statewide Trails Plan. This plan will inventory existing and proposed multi-use trails in the Commonwealth, identify key gaps in Virginia’s network of multi-use trails, and outline the next steps and best practices in trail development. While Virginia has many different types of trails, the Statewide Trails Plan will focus on multi-use trails that preferably are separated from motor vehicle traffic; preferably have a hard surface; strive for a grade of less than 5%; preferably are wide enough to enable a wide variety of non-motorized users to operate safely; strive for regional connectivity by linking people to places and other trail facilities.
The State Trails Office is seeking public feedback in the form of a 5-minute long online survey. The survey is open to all and seeks to gain input from trail users, non-users, those who are “trail-curious,” and the community at-large. Click here to take the survey through October 22, 2023.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about how to get involved in the planning process, please reach out to statetrailsoffice@vdot.virginia.gov. Thank you so much for being a part of the first Statewide Trails Planning effort in Virginia!