I have done an experiment over two seasons on the volley ball to road section at Mercer.
The soil is heavily sand based with deciduous tree cover. I raked half of the trail in the late fall and half in the spring to see how it faired throughout the year. Note that leaves were not raked as soon as they fell with generally at least a few weeks on the ground.
Raking in the late fall:
Produced superb winter conditions, only
Noticeable downside was in partially thawed conditions, the slide was worse on the surface. Through the year, this section seemed to dry out faster in the summer, leading to sandy/loose conditions (which is tropical for Mercer).
Raking in the spring:
Led to winter conditions where leaf slide was more prevalent. Raked in the early spring leading to perfect conditions. Throughout the summer this section seemed to fair better in dry conditions with less sand traps. That being said, this section had slightly less to begin with.
For both sections, keep in mind that raking often leave a thin layer of dirt and organic matter that ends up making the trail tread butter smooth. I believe that this lead to a more stable and sturdy trail tread throughout the year. Leaf blowing would not leave that layer of dirt on the tread.
The verdict for me, for Mercer, is to rake in the spring.
Note, this assessment is for Mercer only.