Paradise Coast Trail Case Study
Florida’s SUN Trail – Paradise Coast Trail Corridor
Paradise Coast Trail Corridor | Photo courtesy Naples Pathways Coalition
Connecting Collier County With Florida’s Paradise Coast
Project Details
Lead Authority: Florida DOT, Collier County Transportation Department, Naples Pathways Coalition
Total Project Cost: $25,000,000
Funding Pledged to Date: $100,000
Federal: $0
State: $250,000 pending; additional $1,100,000 requested
Local and Private: $100,000+
Shovel-Ready: 5 years or less, pending easement approval
Type: Urban, suburban, and rural
Transformative Impact
Job Creation: An estimated 425 jobs directly1
Transportation: The Paradise Coast Trail corridor will connect schools, employment centers, state parks, beaches and Collier Area Transit, providing non-motorized transportation options for residents across the city of Naples and Collier County to get to work, school and recreation.
Economic Impact: The trail is slated to stabilize active tourism as Naples beaches suffer from red tide, providing more economic stability to a region heavily dependent on tourism dollars. The trail will further enhance and integrate into the Paradise Coast Sports Complex, a large-scale sporting events facility including a stadium, 18 playing fields, lakes and trails.2
Project Description
The Paradise Coast Trail (PCT) extension—a component of the Shared-Use Non-motorized (SUN) Trail project—will serve as a key active transportation connection on Florida’s Paradise Coast, connecting the Naples, Ave Maria, Immokalee and other areas within and beyond Collier County.
The PCT will play a vital role in the county’s plans to create a connected active-transportation system, from the coast to the rural inland communities, expanding transportation options, improving health and wellness, reducing the region’s carbon footprint and providing a destination to experience the Paradise Coast’s unique beauty. The trail will also drive quality of life and healthier lifestyles, yield countywide economic benefits and create safer routes for recreational and commuter bicyclists. Of note, the PCT allows for non-motorized access to and within the state of the art Paradise Coast Sports Complex, which—set to open in 2020—will become the epicenter of sporting events in the region.
The SUN Trail program is the refined implementation plan for the Florida Greenways and Trails System to advance economic development, tourism, transportation equity, health, recreation and quality of life for all Floridians.3
SOURCES
1 Estimated at 17 jobs per $1 million spent, according to a study commissioned by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) job creation; jobs in terms of full-time equivalents.
2 “Paradise Coast Sports Complex,” Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau, https://www.pradisecoast.com/paradise-coast-sports-complex.
3 “Shared-Use Nonmotorized (SUN) Trail Program,” Florida Department of Transportation, http://floridasuntrail.com.
Donate
Everyone deserves access to safe ways to walk, bike, and be active outdoors.