Network Capacity Study Recommendations are In

Feb 08, 2021

We need your input!


Over the past year, a Network Capacity Study has been conducted of the Kingdom Trails network and its supporting infrastructure. This study was intended to address issues relating to crowding, congestion, safety, and general pressure being placed on the local communities. Kingdom Trails and the Burke Area Chamber of Commerce, through a USDA Rural Business Development Grant, retained the services of SE Group, a recreation and community planning firm located in Burlington, VT to conduct the study. The study examined the existing conditions, determined capacity of the trail system and supporting infrastructure, identified a suitable location for a future welcome center, and developed strategies around better managing parking, dispersing use and economic impact, and offering a positive impact to the trail network’s host communities. Throughout the study process, public engagement has been a key component, from a large visioning in-person open house in February 2020 to virtual stakeholder meetings and online engagement due to the pandemic.

The study document is a virtual “storymap” available at www.kingdomtrails.org/networkcapacity and a video of the study’s presentation to the Burke selectboard is also available at that site. At this time, members of the public are invited to review the study recommendations and identify key priorities for Kingdom Trails in an online survey. The survey will remain open through the end of February 2021. 

The capacity analysis determined that the trail system has sufficient capacity, but there are imbalances, pinch points, and opportunities to better disperse use. For example, there are many miles of trails on the southern end of Darling Hill, with very limited immediate parking and Burke Mountain offers hundreds of available parking spaces that have been underutilized. There is also a shortage of parking in the village, given the level of use in that area.

The study recommended locating the new welcome center in East Burke village, on the KTA-owned property where the balance bike pump track is currently located. This location was selected due to its connectivity to the trail system, existing KTA-ownership, topography, proximity to village businesses, and the importance of the welcome center remaining in East Burke. This new welcome center could offer guest services and office space, programming and events space, ample parking, a picnic area and river access, and other amenities. This new welcome center could act as a portal and tourist information center for both the trail system and the Northeast Kingdom more broadly. Additionally, a crosswalk was recommended in the village across Highway 114 in a location that would not result in the removal of on-street parking. 

The study also offered potential designs for enhanced road-trail crossings, a new village trailhead, and mobile welcome center units. The mobile welcome centers would be “food truck-style” trucks or vans located in satellite parking lots that offer the indoor/outdoor service typically found at the Welcome Center, along with ambassador presence, membership, merchandise, and map information. The study also recommends better messaging around parking, alerting visitors to available parking spaces and satellite lots via additional website information, signage, and an integrated phone app. 

A key community priority that emerged was dispersing users and spreading the economic impact of the trail system. There are several opportunities to do so in the Town of Lyndon. The land surrounding the new Kingdom Campground and the Lyndon Outing Club could be developed with 10 to 15-mile trail networks, and Northern Vermont University would be an excellent partner for future events and programs, given their campus and educational opportunities.

BACKGROUND
Kingdom Trails is a world-class trail system deeply intertwined with the local community. Local community members have banded together to develop the 100+ mile trail system and 100 private landowners allow trails to pass through their property. The user experience extends well beyond the trail network itself to the community fabric and tourism infrastructure that surround it. Users drive and ride along local roads, visit lodging and restaurants, and can overflow the village parking areas.

Over the past few years Kingdom Trails has become one of the most popular mountain bike destinations in the United States, with over 100,000 visits per year and visitation is growing sharply annually. With this growth, the community has experienced increasing impacts – both positive and negative – from the increasing number of users of the trail system. The trail system generates tremendous economic impact for the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and is a fantastic recreation resource for the community. However, the existing level of use places pressure on the community, its infrastructure, and the landowners. 

In early 2019, KTA, in conjunction with the Burke Area Chamber of Commerce, applied for and received a USDA Rural Business Development Grant to help fund a Kingdom Trails Network Capacity Study to help provide an understanding of the capacity of the trail network and associated community infrastructure and contemplate strategies to address the growing number of users and address capacity imbalances in the system with an eye towards improving quality of life in the region. 

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions by email to info@kingdomtrails.org or during business hours at (802) 626-0737.
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