Pat Northey, a longtime Volusia County councilwoman and advocate for trails, oversaw the county’s first mile of trail near Gemini Springs in the mid-1990s.
Now the 74-year-old can’t help but grin when tallying up the miles of paved trails that run through DeBary and Deltona, plus the paths that take tourists up and down the East Coast. According to the Volusia County Trails Master Plan, there are now more than 92 miles of paved trails.
Though Northey no longer serves on the council (she termed out after serving 20 years total in two separate stints), she’s still very involved in overseeing the continuation of her life’s work. On a sweltering August day, cicadas singing their summer song in the background, Volusia County’s “Trail Queen” sat down for an interview at Green Springs Park.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Question: When did your career in public service start?
Answer: I go back to the middle of the ’80s when my kids were in school at Deltona Lakes Elementary. I was active in PTA. We would go to Tallahassee and meet with our legislators. I knew at age 12 that I would run for office. I was voted into the Volusia County District 5 seat in 1992. I served from 1993 until 2004. I took two years off, served a year at the Chamber of Commerce and then ran for office again in 2006. I took office in 2007 and termed out in 2014.
Q: Whenever you first took office in Volusia County, were there any trails here already?
A: There were no trails at all. There was a program called ISTEA, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. It was a federalized program with money that was set aside for transportation other than roads. We had three projects: revitalizing the DeLand train station, revitalizing the Wilbur Boathouse and building the first mile of trail across Gemini Springs.
Herb Hiller [a Florida ecotourism advocate] had this vision of doing the St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop. He called me and we worked together on acquiring right of way. The program really came to life when Cindy Coto [former Volusia County manager] said, “What if we took part of the ECHO (environmental, cultural, historical and outdoor recreational) money and set aside $1 million a year that would go directly to trails?”
Q: What has happened with trails since you started?
A: Now, Volusia County has more than 90 miles of trails. I call it a 25-year overnight success story. Part of my enthusiasm and interest in trails came from the fact that they brought something home to my community. Here in District 5, which has DeBary and Deltona, we felt like the red-headed stepchildren of the county. Daytona was getting everything and we weren’t getting anything. I had an opportunity to change the footprint of my community and I did that.
Q: How much of the planned 260-mile St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop is complete at this point?
A: About 50 percent is completed. You can ride from Green Springs to De Leon Springs now. The St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop Alliance has people working in Putnam, St. Augustine, Flagler and Brevard. FDOT has been good to work with; they have embraced trails. We’re going to get the loop done.
Q: People are realizing there’s value here.
A: I chaired the reauthorization of Volusia ECHO funds in 2020. It was 75 percent approval from voters for Volusia Forever, the land-buying program, and 72 percent for ECHO, which is environmental, cultural, historical and outdoors. Since the pandemic, people want to get outside. We’re now going back and asking how we can make trailheads and infrastructure really viable.
I think we’re a healthier community than when we started. There’s an economic benefit in bringing people to the community, selling bikes and welcoming people to our businesses.
Q: Whenever you started serving on the county council, did you ever think trails would be your main mission?
A: I never thought about it until it became an obsession. The idea was a gift from my staff. I went out and talked to people, other elected officials and people from FDOT about why this was important. I developed an army of people who believed in this. Fellow council members would roll their eyes when there was a segment on the agenda. They would look at me and I said, “Don’t you dare not vote for this.” Elected officials now talk about these trails like it was their idea.
Q: The St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop Alliance has you labeled as the “Trail Queen.” Is that an accurate nickname?
A: Big John, the late Volusia County councilman, served with me on council and called me “Trail Queen” as if I would get offended. I actually embraced it. After that, we became friends and he became an advocate. He would also call me ‘Princess Patty’ on occasion. I answered to either; that’s what made him mad.
I tell people that my skin is so thick that arrows bounce off of it, which you need when you’re in politics. But if you work together, you get a lot more done.
Q: What do you think are the keys to making things happen?
A: I think you have to be transparent, trust people and talk to them. You have to be a part of the community. You can’t just show up when you want people’s votes. Funding is always good. But this whole trail system has taken on a life of its own.
Q: How do you want people to remember your legacy?
A: I am moved that there are two segments of trail that were named in my honor. The beauty of the trails is not just about biking. It’s about the kid on the scooter, the parent who brings their child in the stroller, it’s about runners and walkers. What got me into this is that every element of outside activity you can do on a trail.
I have a granddaughter who is a senior at university this year. I think about her and her friends. These trails aren’t going to go away; they’re going to be here. Between the county and FDOT, we’ve invested the money to make sure that the trail network grows and is maintained.
Q: How do you make sure this work continues into the next generation of leaders?
A: I have stayed close with county council members. Whenever there is anything on the agenda that relates to trails, I have their cell phone numbers and I text them all the time. I feel like I have to keep going until I die or until I can’t. This is my community. You owe it more than your tax dollars; you owe it a piece of yourself to make it better.
Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com.
