BBC Research & Consulting

The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) released a study conducted by BBC Research & Consulting in January 2022, to analyze the health, social equity, and economic impacts of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (PHNST) in Northern Virginia. In Northern Virginia the trail network spans 140 miles through the Town of Dumfries, the Town of Occoquan, the Town of Leesburg, the City of Alexandria and the Counties of Loudoun, Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William. More on the study here: https://lnkd.in/eH4Pm4aN We wanted to remind folks about that study and the key findings of the report as we continue our trails related work. Our team of Jill Kaneff, Rebecca Murphy, Linnea Stewart and Debbie Spiliotopoulos have done outstanding work on this project and continue to provide additional support to ongoing projects in the region. Key Findings - Trail Use. In total, trail users walk 13.6 million miles and bike 45 million miles each year. On average this represents 100,000 miles of walking and 300,000 miles of biking for each mile of the completed trail. - Health. Regional residents see a $349 million in annual benefits due to decreased mortality from the trail and $55 million annually in reduced healthcare costs. - Economic Development. The trail corridor boasts more than 250 restaurants and retail outlets representing more than $86 million in annual revenues. Each year, tourists take 680 thousand biking trips and 720 thousand walking trips along the trail. On average, a tourist to the region spends more than $300 during their stay including $36 in local taxes. - Transportation. Residents commute more than 6 million miles annually along the trail. If replaced with personal vehicles, this would result in an additional 2,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e0) in the region each year and a savings of more than $4 million annually in environmental and personal vehicle costs. - Equity. Benefits of the trail are not equally distributed. Users are more likely than regional residents to identify as white or black, while users are less likely than regional residents to identify as Hispanic. Areas along the trail with a higher concentration of socially vulnerable residents typically have fewer access points, more gaps (unfinished segments) in the trail and more traffic safety issues than those neighborhoods with less socially disadvantaged residents.

NEW: Businesses can now take the 2024 DC Small Business Census online!   DC-headquartered businesses can now participate in DC’s Small Business Census in just 3-5 minutes online at DCSmallBusinessSurvey.com. Each business that responds is helping District Government make smarter investments in our small business community. That's because the data business owners provide will be used to identify areas that may need support, evaluate the success of our existing grant programs, and share more grant and community-building opportunities with our small business community.   Business owners may have already received a call or visit from a member of the DC Small Business Census team since April. If your business has already participated in the survey this year, you do not have to do so again.   Please help us to ensure that business owners of all backgrounds can thrive in our city. Learn more at dmped.dc.gov/sbc, and participate in the Small Business Census today at DCSmallBusinessSurvey.com before October 31. Please feel free to reach out to project lead Hannah Eli at hannah.eli@dc.gov or the project team at DCSmallBusinessCensus@bbcresearch.com with any questions. 

Calling business owners! Provide your input in one of three upcoming public meetings and share you experiences with City contracting. Your insights will help the City continue to improve its efforts to increase contracting opportunities for small-, women-, minority- and veteran-owned businesses. The meetings offer in-person and virtual options. Read more at https://bit.ly/3XFrdLb.