Quantifying the Health, Transportation, & Economic Equity Impacts of Completing the East Coast Greenway in the Delaware River Watershed
Background
The East Coast Greenway(ECG)is developing into one of the nation’s longest continuous biking and walking paths, connecting 15 states and 450 communities from Key West, Florida, to Calais, Maine. This report looks at the impact of the East Coast Greenway within the Delaware River Watershed specifically, not the entire regional trail network. The figures, analysis, and mapping in this report examined the ultimate, fully built East Coast Greenway route across Delaware, Pennsylvania, and South Jersey, which is in various stages of planning, design, and construction. The East Coast Greenway travels through the core of several major cities while also connecting to some of the most ecologically diverse sites in the Delaware Watershed. From Wilmington to Center City Philadelphia and north to Trenton, the ECG connects smaller neighborhoods and towns to the region’s major employment centers. The ECG also connects residents and visitors to numerous state and local parks, waterways, and open spaces. The Greenway’s connections to other major trail and passenger rail systems make it an important part of the area’s transportation system. This research examined transportation and safety benefits, economicbenefits and planning for equitable development, along with health and environmental benefits of abuilt out greenway. It also includes three case studies.

Methodology
Economic benefits: Within an interconnected economy, each dollar of direct expenditures generates multiple waves of spillover impacts through spending on goods and services purchased within a given region (indirect impacts) as well as spending resulting from the labor income generated by the initial activity that ripples through the region (induced impacts). IMPLAN modeling software was used to estimate indirect and induced impacts, and added to the direct activity to produce total economic impacts. Using a combination of data from planned trail construction and industry estimates, an average per mile cost of construction was calculated for the remaining ECG (the direct expenditure). This estimate is conservative, as elements such as signage, placemaking, and fixtures are not included in the costs. Construction costs were divided into hard and soft costs before using IMPLAN to calculate the economic impact of construction at the Philadelphia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) level.

Healthcare cost savings: Healthcare cost savings are calculated using 2018 average annual daily bike and pedestrian counts from Delaware Valley Regional Planning Council (in the example of the Jack Markell Trail, those counts are based on the time the trail has been open and extrapolated to the users over a full year based on average users), adjusted for out and back trips, and accounted for frequency of trail users. Then using the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Residents’ Survey on Outdoor Recreation, we determined the number of people who use the trails and are also considered active (active is defined as engaging in three sessions per week of 30 minutes of physical activity). Finally, using average reported expenditure differences in healthcare spending between physically active people and inactive people, we calculated the healthcare savings accrued from people spending less on healthcare expenses due to their physical activity. Data also came from a study from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25559060).

Environmental benefits: The acreage of ecosystems within a quarter mile of the East Coast Greenway was determined using land cover imagery from the Multi-Resolution Land Cover Characteristic’s 2011 National Land Use Land Cover in ArcGIS. Using this acreage by ecosystem, the environmental services benefits were calculated using values from previous externality valuation studies, which estimate the average per-acre value of 10 different ecosystem services. These values were used to calculate the total annual ecosystem service benefit for open space along the East Coast Greenway. In order to estimate carbon sequestration benefits, the i-Tree Vue model developed by the U.S. Forest Service was used to estimate the air pollution removal and carbon sequestration and storage benefits of the preserved open space along the trail.

Conclusion: This report quantifies how completing the East Coast Greenway would benefit the lower Delaware River Watershed region. While the infrastructure investment is significant, these findings project the Greenway would generate a more than ten-fold return of over $3 billion in public health, environmental, and economic benefits. Partners in the region have set a goal of completing their part of the East Coast Greenway by 2025. They will need a new influx in resources to make that aggressive timeline possible. Visionary elected leaders, agencies, private sector partners, and philanthropists have the opportunity to increase the quality of life for millions of people throughout the region. Completing the East Coast Greenway will provide safe access to nature and active recreation. By synergistically aligning the biking and walking route with regional transit, we canimprove access to low-cost transportation while decreasing congestion and carbon emissions. As with many growing cities in today’s strong economy, planners and advocates need to focus on equity and inclusion throughout the greenway development process to ensure the benefits are shared across the diverse population who live, work, and play in the corridor.

Full report available at: www.greenway.org/impact

Presenter: Daniel Paschall
Agency Affiliation: East Coast Greenway Alliance

Presenter Biographical Statement: Daniel is the Mid-Atlantic Coordinator for the East Coast Greenway Alliance in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, DC. He works to raise awareness, build partnerships, and advocate for the planning and development of the East Coast Greenway in the region.