SHUSTER WAY HERITAGE TRAIL
NEWS
As an Eagle Scout project, Max VanDeventer has installed a bike fix-it station at the Omni Bedford Springs Trailhead of the SWHT. Max is shown here with the Omni Springs Resort in the background.
Transportation Improvement Program Funding of $2.5 Million awarded to BJMA for Construction of the North Trail Extension from Fort Bedford Park to Old Bedford Village and Weber Lane.
We are so excited for the new North Trail Extension and are thankful for all the wonderful community members that put this project into motion. Keep an eye out for updates as the members of the Bedford Joint Municipal Authority continue their great work on this project.
Special Thanks to the following people for the North Trail Extension of the Bedford Heritage Trail project: Congressman Bill Shuster, PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards, and District 9 Executive Tom Prestash, The Bedford Joint Municipal Authority members: Brian Sell, April Ressler, Brad Koontz, Mary Jo Casalena, & James Fungaroli
BJMA POLICY ON GATHERING TRAIL USE INFO
BJMA Policy on Gathering Trail Use and Security Information
It is the intent of the Bedford Joint Municipal Authority (BJMA) to periodically gather information regarding trail usage. Information to be collected include counts of the numbers of trail users as well as selected information regarding that use such as where users are from; how often they use the trail; the times of greatest use; the days of the week of greatest use; purpose of trail use; incidental spending related to trail use and so on. The data will serve three purposes:
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Enable comparisons between actual usage to estimates done prospectively before trail construction and actual versus prospective estimates of economic impact.
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Used to aid future extensions, improvements, and/or maintenance needs related to the trail.
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Help with trail rule compliance.
BJMA will use different methods for collecting data including, but not limited to, the use of one or more cameras, and in person surveys approved by BJMA and conducted by volunteers.
In regard to the use of trail camera(s), the BJMA policy is as follows:
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The trail is public space and most legal decisions hold there is no inherent right to privacy when using a public space.
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The reason for using a trail camera is the cost effectiveness of this method of data collection.
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The camera(s) will collect data periodically, not continuously; in order to obtain sample data that BJMA can use to project aggregate information.
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Data collection will occur across a spectrum of time during the day.
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Data collection will occur so that representative samples are available for each day of the week.
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Data collection will occur so that representative samples are available for each month of the year.
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The camera operator will review the pictures, eliminate duplicates, and record selected information such as the number of users, whether they are walking, running or biking, whether they have dogs and what directions they are going when they first appear in the picture.
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The operator will distribute the pictures to BJMA members and Borough police only in cases where illegal activity is suspected.
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The operator will delete extraneous pictures from any device so that only the data needed by BJMA for operational purposes.
The BJMA amended this policy August 12, 2022.
EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING IN BEDFORD
In 2017, the Authority accepted from Keller Engineers an updated plan to expand the trail over 2 miles from Fort Bedford Park, passed Old Bedford Village where it crosses the Juniata River where it then follows the river to its northern terminus at Weber Lane. This plan updates the 2007 Bedford Heritage Trail Master Plan. 2007 Bedford Heritage Trail Master Plan. The revised plan takes into account several major changes that have occurred since 2007: (1) ownership of newly constructed portions of the trail by the Bedford Joint Municipal Authority; (2) the recently constructed portion of the trail from the Omni Bedford Springs Resort and Spa to Bedford Borough; (3) revised cost estimates for this trail segment; (4) slightly revised trail alignment for this segment; and (5) more details in regard to the connection between Old Bedford Village and Weber Lane.
