A Study of trail impacts on property values, noise and crime
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| Keywords | crime, Florida, local business, Pinellas County, privacy, property values |
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A study was done on impacts of the Pinellas Trail in Pinellas County (Tampa/St Pete), Florida. Some information on the study (from Whit Blanton of Renaissance Planning Group, which conducted the study) is included below:
In 2000, the Pinellas County MPO commissioned Renaissance Planning Group of Orlando to conduct a study of the community impacts associated with the Pinellas Trail, a 34-mile converted railroad in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area of Florida. The MPO was planning extensions of the trail and connections to it from other communities, and had encountered opposition from homeowner groups and others about potentially negative impacts on property values, noise and crime. The study was intended to evaluate economic impacts in terms of residential property values, business investment, and crime statistics, and included a household survey of residents living within 1/4 mile of the trail. The trail was divided into segments to better capture the effect of surrounding land use and crime characteristics. A national literature review was also completed.
Major findings
The literature review concluded that trails have a deterrent effect on crime, a neutral or slightly positive effect on property values, and bring new money into the local economy. This was borne out by the local analysis.
For all trail segments studied, the median home sale prices adjacent to the trail are escalating faster than countywide. The rate of increase was particularly high in certain areas. The results indicated that the trail does not negatively impact property values and suggested that it may help increase property values by roughly 2 percent to 3 percent annually over inflation.
In St. Petersburg, it was determined that crime rates for “trail tracts” were not statistically different from citywide crime tracts. Accordingly, the Pinellas Trail does not contribute to crime rates. Peaks in crime rates seem to be related to the character of the area rather than to the existence of the Pinellas Trail. Generally, the 1993, 1995, and 1999 crime statistics support the finding that the trail has not exacerbated criminal activities. Factors external to the trail are better indicators of crime rates.
There were several important findings from the residents’ survey. The most negative perceptions of the trail are held by the 5 percent of residents who have never used the trail. Even though infrequent users gave the Pinellas Trail a negative overall rating, their composite score was not as low as the score given by residents who had not been on the trail. Infrequent users were primarily concerned about the trail’s adverse impact on crime, privacy, and noise. As a group, they still rated the trail as having a positive impact on property values, accessibility, and neighborhood acquaintances. Daily users had the highest composite rating of the trail; however, they were still marginally concerned about crime (0.09) and privacy (0.05). The single strongest indicator of trail perception is trail usage and, because of the high use of the trail (66%), the overall perception of the trail is positive.
While the trail is generally seen as a community asset, the neighborhoods that are the most concerned about the Pinellas Trail are those who perceive inequities between communities in the way that the trail is constructed, maintained, and policed.
Realtors were surveyed as well, and 90 percent said that home sales had increased significantly or increased somewhat in areas near the trail versus other areas in the market.
The business survey revealed that a majority of businesses near the trail were expanding their facilities or experiencing increasing sales, and generally reported positive impacts from their proximity to the trail.
Copies of the report can be obtained by contacting Al Bartolotta of the Pinellas County MPO (727-464-8200; abartolo [at] co [dot] pinellas [dot] fl [dot] us). RPG contact is Whit Blanton, wblanton [at] citiesthatwork [dot] com.
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