News

Is It Safe?

October 11th, 2013

What happens to a neighborhood when an abandoned railway becomes a public pathway? In this video, three urban pathway neighborhoods talk about crime and perceptions of safety on the trail, and how community fears were addressed through design, engagement, stewardship, and police intervention.

From 1979 to 1997 four separate studies concluded rail-trails do not increase crime. In 1995 and 1996, Rails to Trails Conservancy studied 372 trails and found that only 3% of trails experienced major crime (10 and 11 trails respectively). Statements from law enforcement agencies that rail-trails do not encourage crime, and cite heavy trail usage as a crime deterrent in areas of former isolation. Read the full report here