Sometimes you show up to a public bathroom in Europe, and there’s an ancient person sitting on a plastic chair outside the entrance, and next to them is a small tray with scattered coins and bank notes. The implication is clear. If you’re going to use this bathroom that I have to clean everyday, please toss a a coin or two my way.
It’s hard not to do so, assuming you’re a halfway-decent human being. And a city in Colorado, Steamboat Springs, has recently brought a similar game plan to its miles of hiking trails. Earlier this month, the city transferred 10 parking meters to trailheads across Emerald Mountain. They painted each orange, and equipped them for credit cards, which require a $5 minimum.
Emerald Mountain gets a ton of traffic — local hikers, bikers, dog walkers use it constantly — and the trail needs a ton of maintenance. The folks behind the initiative, the Trail Maintenance Endowment Fund, want to raise $1.5 million by 2026, and they’ve already raised over $1,000 in two weeks. They’ve got a while to go, but who knows? It’s already made the local news, and other trails in the area want to add the meters, too.
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