Trail Connectivity & Access

A section of writing taken from a recent Open Space & Trails Master Plan update undertaken for the Town of Marana, AZ.

In the years since the 2010 Master Plan the number of privately owned trails has expanded through provisions by developers of new residential neighborhoods in negotiated agreements with the Town. These trails are maintained by housing associations, and have been developed primarily to serve the residents of these neighborhoods. When connected to the shared network of the Town, mobility and access to parks and recreation facilities throughout the region are improved for all.

The above map provides a network connectivity analysis of the current trail network for the Town. Service areas along the network of trails and roads that are within a 5, 10, or 15 minute bike ride of a park or regional trail connection are identified. It measures approximately how far a person traveling at an average speed of 10 miles per hour would be able to travel along the network in order to reach a point of access to one of these amenities. The most populated areas are fairly well-connected to parks within reach of any given neighborhood.

At the last estimate in 2010, the Town owned and maintained just upwards of fifty-seven miles of paths and trails, with an additional one hundred and twenty miles being proposed. Trails currently owned by the Town include back-country trails in the Tortolita Mountains and Fan, and the Santa Cruz Multi-Use Path. However, if considered to include all non-street pathways traversable on foot or by bicycle, both paved and unpaved, publicly or privately owned, the trail inventory available to Marana residents for recreational hiking and biking is already well over 150 miles in length.