Safety is of serious concern to Parkway users venturing into the area closest to the confluence with the Sacramento River, defined by the Lower American River Task Force—the ongoing multi-agency collaborative working group who develops the Lower American River Management Plan—as Reach 1 or the Lower Reach (from Discovery Park to Paradise Beach); Reach 2 (Middle Reach) is from Paradise Beach to Gristmill and Reach 3 (Upper Reach) is from Arden Bar to Sailor Bar.
This fact sheet focuses on the importance of safe parks for teens, in particular those from lower income, ethnic families, which includes the adjacent communities to the Lower Reach of the Parkway, long suffering from being unable to safely access the nicest park (in terms of size, beauty, and habitat) in their community because of the presence of large-scale illegal camping by the homeless and the attendant crime.
Center for Parks and Health Park Safety Fact Sheet
TPL's Healthy Parks, Healthy Communities program recognizes the established link between safe, crime-free, and well-maintained parks with increased park usage. In order to promote increased physical activity in urban parks, safety concerns, both actual and perceived, must be addressed. This fact sheet provides information on park safety and its relation to physical activity.
