Today, June 1, is National Trails Day, as designated by the American Hiking Society. Yet, for residents of the master-planned community of Summerlin, every day feels like National Trails Day given the community’s 200-plus mile Summerlin Trail System connecting neighborhoods and residents with parks, shopping centers and schools, providing miles of uninterrupted scenery for walkers, strollers and runners — promoting a healthy, active lifestyle, according to Julie Cleaver, senior vice president, commercial and residential planning for Summerlin. “Walkability and connectivity have long been pillars of Summerlin’s community planning and design philosophy, influencing the design of the Summerlin Trail System from the community’s inception,” Cleaver said.
“It’s no surprise that trails consistently rank as residents’ top Summerlin amenity in community surveys and have become one of Summerlin’s most celebrated hallmark design features.” In a growing area of the community west of the 215 Beltway, multi-modal trails and a central urban trail are planned to expand access for cyclists and pedestrians, connecting them to a planned urban center. An emerging trend nationwide, “complete street” design accommodates multi-modal transportation in a more integrated and safe manner.
According to Cleaver, the urban trail was developed with input from several focus groups made up of mountain bikers, serious cyclists and casual riders. “Our design was guided by sensitivit.
