How can I preserve my privacy and protect my property against personal attacks, vandalism and theft by trail users?
According to a National Park Service study The Impacts of Rail-Trails, most adjacent owners experience minimal loss of privacy when a rail-trail is developed. Generally, a thick row of already established trees and shrubs covers the 40 feet between each edge of the right-of-way and the trail. Additional vegetation can be added to the unused portion of the right-of-way if needed to protect privacy. Fencing is expensive and rarely necessary except to contain livestock, because the vast majority of trail users are law-abiding citizens who have no interest in trespassing or mischief. Virtually no crimes occur along trails in Oakland County, where the Paint Creek Trail has been in operation for over 10 years. Owners of property along trails throughout the state find that access to the trails is of more interest to them than is protection from trail users. On the other hand, the present right-of-way, as abandoned private property that is not patrolled by police or sheriffs deputies, can easi
