Who are you and what are you doing?
We are a group of volunteers that have come together to build a county wide walking and biking trail from Napa to Calistoga. See our current members on the Roster page.
Where will the trail go, specifically?
We are investigating all possible routes at the moment, including along Silverado Trail, along Highway 29/Wine Train right of way, along the Napa River and mid valley among the vines. As soon as we have a postable map it will be added to the Vine Trail Route page.
Is a trail an asset or a liability to Napa Valley?
We think most people will agree that having such a trail would be a huge benefit for the community. Many studies of existing trails have shown that. They are used extemsively by both local residents and visitors and they generate economic benefits on the order of $50 per use. They also have recreational, health, environmental and social benefits. We cite several studies of other trails on our links page.
How are you going to get property owners to agree to this?
Studies have shown that before a trail is put in, there is usually substantial concern on the part of property owners or neighbors over crime, real estate values, privacy and liability issues (the "CRPL" four that can cripple a trail's development). These studies also demonstrate that these fears are unfounded. Crime along trails is lower than the the area average. Real estate values are marginally higher for properties on the trail. Privacy issues can be minimized through proper design. Liability is low in theory and lower in practice around exisiting trails, and landowners are specifically protected in California by Civil Code section 846. See the link to the 372 trail study on our links page. We hope to educate property owners on the real world results in other areas and to win them over to helping us provide the benefits to all our community.
How much will it cost and where will the money come from?
See the cost estimate page for the latest estimate of how much the trail will cost. There are a number of federal and state sources of funding for trails. We hope to create a compelling story to win access to funds for at least half of the project. Fund raising events and donations will be needed for the other half.