GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As executive director of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, Stacy Bare knows how important it is to spend time outside. He says the health benefits of spending even a little time outside each day can be amazing.
"We know from research that I've been a part of, and research that is out there, that there's an 18% reduction in stress, up to 30% reduction in post-traumatic stress symptoms," he said.
"It also improves cardiovascular health. It improves connection. It improves curiosity. You sleep better when you spend even 20 to 30 minutes outside, three to five times a week."
Friends of Grand Rapids Parks is working with the city's Park and Recreation Department and the International Mountain Bike Alliance to make it easier for people in the city to spend time outside. They'd like for 90% of Grand Rapidians to live within 10 blocks of a trail. To accomplish this goal, they're asking for community feedback through the Grand Loop Stakeholder Survey. They'd like to hear from hikers, bikers, trail runners, birders, adaptive users and more.
"We want to know what are the features people are looking for in a trail? Are they looking for adaptive trails? Are they looking for biking trails or hiking trails? And when they are looking at a biking trail or even a running trail, what kind of features are they looking for? Do they want big berms up on the side? Do they want some drops? Do they want more progressive features? Do they want flow, more cross-country trail? And the amazing thing about our landscape is we believe we have space for all of that," he said.
13 ON YOUR SIDE interviewed Bare in a wooded area next to Kensington Park on the southwest side of the city, which is one of the spots where new trails are being considered.
"There's already 15 miles of natural surface trail within the city, and this will take us to somewhere between 25 and 30 miles, depending on how we build it. And there's not a lot of places where more than 90% of the city is going to be able to access at least a couple miles of dirt trail within 10 blocks of their house. That's really taking us up to that next level of an outdoor, trail-focused, healthy, active city."
The survey has been active for a few weeks now and nearly 300 responses have been recorded.
"Overwhelmingly, the response has been positive. Yes, we need more trail. Yes, we need more trail and more places throughout the city, and we want that trail to provide different opportunities, so that it's not just the same thing everywhere you go," Bare said.
Friday, Nov. 1 is the last day to access the trail. Once the feedback has been collected, a plan will be put together, followed by a fundraising effort to secure the money to create the trails.
