ENROLLED
2020 Second Extraordinary Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 22
BY REPRESENTATIVES TRAVIS JOHNSON, ADAMS, BRASS, BRYANT, BUTLER,
GARY CARTER, CORMIER, COX, CREWS, DUPLESSIS, FREEMAN,
FREIBERG, GADBERRY, GAINES, HARRIS, HUGHES, JAMES, JEFFERSON,
JENKINS, MIKE JOHNSON, JONES, LACOMBE, LARVADAIN, LYONS,
MOORE, NEWELL, CHARLES OWEN, SELDERS, THOMPSON, TURNER,
AND WILLARD AND SENATOR JACKSON
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, office of tourism,
in consultation with the Department of Transportation and Development to study the
feasibility of creating a bike and walking trail along the Mississippi River spanning
approximately eighty miles, beginning in Vidalia, Louisiana, and ending in East
Carroll Parish in Lake Providence and make recommendations in regards to the
creation.
WHEREAS, according to the Adventure Cycling Association, a leading organization
that works with government officials, several states have commissioned studies and surveys
on the economic benefits of bicycle and trail tourism, which contributes significantly to
economies nationally; and
WHEREAS, the BBC Research and Consulting company conducted a recent study
in Arkansas concluding that bicycling in Northwest Arkansas provides an economic benefit
of $137 million, with bike tourism serving as an economic driver from tourists spending $27
million at local businesses each year; and
WHEREAS, the research also concluded that houses within .25 miles of the
Razorback Regional Greenway sell for an average of nearly $15,000 more than houses two
miles from the trail; and
WHEREAS, the Silver Comet Trail Economic Impact Analysis and Planning Study
concluded that, in its current state, the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia produces
approximately $120 million in total expenditures annually throughout the state, supporting
approximately 1,300 jobs and earnings totaling $37 million; and
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WHEREAS, the Outdoor Industry Association released a study, The Outdoor
Recreation Economy, finding that bicycling participants spend $83 billion on bicycle tourism
and generate $97 billion in retail spending; and
WHEREAS, additionally, the findings concluded that bicycle recreation spending
contributes to the creation of 848,000 jobs; and
WHEREAS, the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis included outdoor
recreation for the first time in its 2018 study, estimating the economic output of outdoor
recreation to be $734 billion, surpassing multiple industries such as agriculture, petroleum
and coal, and computer and electronic products; and
WHEREAS, the Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates bicycling contributes to $96
million in annual retail sales; and
WHEREAS, in a recent study, the Active Transportation Transforms America
estimated an economic value of $34 billion with active transportation infrastructure in its
current state, based on the economic value derived from trails from retail sales, tourism, the
increase in property value, and the attraction from companies desiring to do business in these
up-and-coming areas; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define active
transportation as any human-powered means of transportation, such as walking or bicycling,
and link physical inactivity to the steady rise in rates of chronic health conditions in the
United States such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and strokes; and
WHEREAS, trails provide affordable exercise and recreation opportunities within
the community and can aid in increasing the overall health of people in communities due to
an increase in outdoor activities; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana is one of the most beautiful places in the country,
encompassing the mighty Mississippi River, countless lakes, and all of the magnificent
wonders of nature right at our fingertips, and an increase in tourism would provide an
economic increase to further beautify this great state; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's next big project, "DELTA TRAIL...On the Mississippi
River", a bike and walking trail along the Mississippi River, will attract a huge amount of
tourism to Northeast Louisiana and will be built along the levee, allowing people to see more
of Louisiana in all of its facets throughout numerous parishes; and
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WHEREAS, the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, office of tourism,
in consultation with the Department of Transportation and Development shall provide
information and make written recommendations on the creation of the DELTA TRAIL in
Northeast Louisiana, beginning in Vidalia, Louisiana, and ending in East Carroll Parish in
Lake Providence; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, office of tourism,
in consultation with the Department of Transportation and Development's recommendations
shall include the following:
(1) Identification of bicycle tourism trail routes and the benefits of bicycle tourism
trails.
(2) Design criteria.
(3) Estimated costs.
(4) Ideas for stakeholder engagement.
(5) Sustainability and best practices.
(6) Challenges with bicycle planning and development.
WHEREAS, the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, office of tourism,
in consultation with the Department of Transportation and Development shall address
objectives for the tourism trail routes that establish the criteria for route locations, maps
routes, and connect existing bicycle, transit, rail, vehicle, and pedestrian networks with
potential tourism trails; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, office of tourism,
in consultation with the Department of Transportation and Development shall address
objectives for fostering the development of safe bicycle tourism trails that establish the
design criteria for various bikeway accommodations, provide guidance to identify or
coordinate bikeway connections statewide, and provide guidance to identify costs associated
with development of various bikeway accommodations; and
WHEREAS, the DELTA TRAIL will span approximately eighty miles long, with
five rest areas along the way for campers, RVs, and vehicles to enjoy; and
WHEREAS, the trail will also include strategically placed benches and historical
markers throughout Concordia, Tensas, Madison, and East Carroll parishes; and
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WHEREAS, the DELTA TRAIL will be a tourist attraction that yields a large
economic benefit for the state of Louisiana derived from retail sales and tourism, serve as
an active transportation tool to aid in increasing the overall health of people in the
communities, attract companies desiring to do business in these up-and-coming areas, and
increase property values in Northeast Louisiana.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, office of tourism, in
consultation with the Department of Transportation and Development to study the feasibility
of creating a bike and walking trail along the Mississippi River spanning approximately
eighty miles, beginning in Vidalia, Louisiana, and ending in East Carroll Parish in Lake
Providence and make recommendations in regards to the creation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Culture, Recreation and
Tourism, office of tourism, in consultation with the Department of Transportation and
Development shall submit a written report to the House Committee on Transportation,
Highways and Public Works and the Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways, and
Public Works detailing its findings and recommendations for the creation of a bike trail
along the Mississippi River in Northeast Louisiana prior to March 1, 2021.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to the secretary of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, office of tourism, and
the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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