Municipal winter trail design standards: includes a winter trail design standards GIS analysis of the city of Prince George city-wide trail system master plan

Many cities in Canada have trail systems that provide recreational and commuting opportunities for their residents and visitors but have not developed or maintained their municipal trail system for winter snow-based trail activities. Trail standards exist for many types of trails, uses and environments but an integration of standards for winter recreational activities with that of municipal seasonal trail standards currently in use is necessary to encourage planning, design and maintenance of winter trails at the community level. Using a mixed-methods approach, research was conducted through a focused synthesis, questionnaires and a focus group towards developing an understanding of the existing level of winter trail planning knowledge and determining what the issues and desires of trail users are in regards to municipal winter trails. The results showed that very good standards exist for winter snow-based recreational and utilitarian purposes and that existing municipal multi-use trail standards only require maintenance to allow for snow-based trail activities. A GIS analysis of the city of Prince George was then conducted to illustrate the recommended winter trail standards from this research that can be used as part of the planning process to aid in the development of a winter trail system at the municipal level.