HOLLIDAYSBURG — Recreational trail supporters and users urged Blair County commissioners on Thursday to move forward with an effort to create leadership and coordination for future recreational trail development.

About 60 people attended Thursday’s meeting set up by the commissioners, who are showing interest in forming an independent authority to spearhead future trail development and to pursue grants.

“It’s clear that we need a kind of central point of contact,” Commissioner Laura Burke said after hearing representatives for trail organizations describe their desire for connections between existing recreational trails, development of multi-use trails and for bicycle trails that connect communities by providing a safer alternative to riding on the road.

Burke, along with Commissioners Chairman Dave Kessling and Commissioner Amy Webster, showed interest during the meeting in creating an authority but didn’t restrict their options.

“Whatever we create, we need help from each (trail) group because they’re the ones who know their trails best,” Webster said.

If commissioners decide to form an authority, they would need to take steps similar to ones taken by former commissioner boards, which created an airport authority and a convention center authority.

Jennifer Barefoot, a member of the Central Pennsylvania Rails to Trails organization which created the Lower Trail in the 1990s from an abandoned railroad track in Blair County, thanked the commissioners for showing interest in a coordinated effort.

“All north, east, south and west needs to come together,” she said.

Barefoot and fellow member Karl King were among those pointing to neighboring counties where coordinated trail development efforts are boosting their economies by drawing in visitors.

“In Blair County, there’s been no coordination,” King said.

Representatives of Explore Altoona and the Allegheny Ridge Corp., two agencies that have a history of supporting the development of recreational trails, also attended Thursday’s meeting and offered support to the commissioners.

Mark Ickes, executive director of Explore Altoona, spoke in favor of creating an authority to oversee outdoor recreation and trail development in the county. He said it’s proven to be an effective model in the region and across Pennsylvania.

Commissioners, who thanked people for coming to the meeting, said that while they realized that there was interest in recreational trails, they did not anticipate the amount of response to their announcement of Thursday’s meeting.

“For me, it’s been overwhelming, heart-warming,” Kessling said.

In addition to those who attended, Kessling reported receiving about 25 written comments. He said that included three who objected to the recreational trail development, one because of the potential increase in real estate taxes.

Kessling, who said he doesn’t intend to raise taxes for this pursuit, spoke of the grant money that’s available to governmental entities for this kind of development.

Webster added that if matching money is needed to secure a grant, perhaps the county could reallocate a portion of its hotel tax revenue toward that obligation.

Others at the meeting also spoke of the need for better marketing and communication about existing trails and the need to educate local residents about what’s currently available so they can share with others.