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Parks & Rec Business
| Trail Lights If you ask the folks in Grand Forks, North Dakota, they’ll tell you – they’ve seen the light! By Brandy Chaffee Walking is one of the top recreational activities in the U.S. and our city, Grand Forks, North Dakota, is no exception. Located just 60 miles south of the Canadian border, with an estimated population of 50,000 people, Grand Forks boasts 22plus parks. Like you, we’re always looking for ways to improve the parks and the experience of our residents when using them. Recently, we decided to shine a little light on the subject – allowing our users to enjoy their favorite activity, walking, deep into the night. The park district had a clear understanding of the project. We theorized that by adding lights throughout the trail system, and by adjusting the width of the pathways from five feet to eight feet, we would see an increase in park users; provide better passive recreational opportunities and aid in the reduction of common vandalism. Testing The Theory To test our theory, we selected three distinctive sites and initiated a pilot project plan that included a proposal to the City of Grand Forks for financial support through the city’s special assessment fund. Three parks were included in the pilot project: 1. University Park Adjacent to the University of North Dakota, this park is heavily used by university students (providing a passageway for those who live off campus), neighborhood residents, and grade school children from a nearby, large middle school. 2. Sertoma Park / Japanese Garden Near a public hospital, this park is used by patients, visitors and nearby residents. This park experiences consistent, around-the-clock activity. 3. Optimist Park Located in the heart of a residential area, near various elementary schools, this park is used by local residents and school-age children. Looking For Immediate Impact For the most part, leading up to the project, both park district and city officials received positive feedback from community members. There were, however, a few concerns from citizens who lived next to or very near the trails that were going to be lit. Some felt the light, shining through their windows, would be disruptive to their lives and the enjoyment of their homes. To address their concern, the park district held two public meetings to share information on the specific lighting system they were planning to use. The district showed citizens how the new technology allowed them to focus light in a specific direction, allowing for less light spillage into neighboring yards or residences, and how the system offered two, unique timing options. One option, controlled by a photocell mounted to each light post, allowed for a “nightlight” effect and was automated by the sun – automatically turning the lights on and off at dusk and dawn. The other option operated on a time clock – allowing park staff to program specific on and off times. The Final Product With citizen concerns alleviated, construction moved forward, and by midyear (2005), all three parks’ lighting systems were operational. We quickly learned our theory was correct. The lights were a significant, positive addition. Residents were enthusiastic about the changes, and vandalism declined noticeably. The lighting also seemed to add a warm, aesthetic value, which brought a calming sense of security. This pilot project, proven a success, is now being applied to our ambitious 20-mile greenway trail project, which is nearing completion. As I type this, a plan is being considered that will install lighting in many areas of the trail. I guess you could say, here in Grand Forks, we’ve seen the light! Brandy Chaffee is the Communications Specialist of Grand Forks (South Dakota) Park District. She can be reached via brandyc@gfparks.org. |
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