Leave it better: finding a link: a new 41-mile trail brings together Fairfax County, Va., connecting local parks along the way.

Project:

Cross-County Trail, Fairfax County, Va.

Background:

Fairfax County is a booming metropolis of more than a million residents, shadowed by the nation's capital to the north. Despite its fast-growing population with a hunger for development, the county boasts a whopping 23,500 acres of parkland and open space.

Problem:

The county already contained miles of trails in existing parks and along roads. But they were disjointed and needed to be linked so users could move from park to park more freely.

Partnerships:

Jenny Pate, Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) trails coordinator, says the idea for a "spine" for the trail system came from the citizen group Fairfax Trails and Streams in 1995. "They recognized that there were a lot of trails within the county, but they didn't connect. And in between some trails was public parkland and some that wasn't public parkland and some that wasn't public land at all," Pate says. FCPA Director and NRPA Trustee Michael A. Kane recognizes that the project was a group effort. "Creating a 41-mile trail in a rapidly urbanizing area took foresight and cooperation from citizens, trail enthusiasts and volunteers, the Park Authority leadership and staff and local elected officials," he says.

Solution:

Once it was decided that the county should build a continuous trail running from the Occoquan River in the south end of the county to the Potomac River 41 miles north, Pate said there was as much to investigate as there was to construct. The county determined what land was public and then acquired the missing links through easements. Pate says the park authority had a simple set of goals. "We said we would have it mapped, we would have it in public ownership, we would have it marked so that people could find their way, and we would have ways to cross the streets and the streams."

Lead Time:

The feasibility study was requested in late 1999, with construction beginning in 2001 to link existing trails into the giant Cross-County Trail. The trail system was completed in December 2005 and finishing touches were made for an official grand opening "Trailfest" on May 6.

Cost:

The county designated $900,000 for a feasibility study. Trail construction, signage and mapping cost between $5 million and $6 million. However, Pate recognizes that a great deal of the work was provided by volunteers.

Community Impact:

Considering more than 10,000 people showed up for the grand opening, the trail is already a local success. "More people use trails than any other kind of activity in the county, so if you think about a facility that's 41 miles long, that's a heck of a lot of resources," Pate says. "We have the potential for it to have huge use."