Mon River Rail-Trail System Voted 2020 Rail-Trail Hall of Fame Inductee

RTC welcomes West Virginia’s Mon River Rail-Trail System as its 34th inductee into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame, which recognizes America’s most exemplary pathways. The expansive 48-mile trail network garnered nearly 60% of the 20,000 votes cast by the public to determine the winner, an indication of the widespread support for the trail and its positive impacts on the community. Surrounded by the central Appalachian Mountains, three rail-trails converge in Morgantown, transforming once derelict railroad corridors into a vast interconnected transportation route and recreational asset for the region that provides access to businesses and downtown amenities, parks and nature, and numerous cultural and historical attractions.

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RELATED: A new path to economic development: Mon River Rail-Trail inducted into Rail-Trail Conservancy Hall of Fame | The Dominion Post

Congressman Eleanor Holmes Norton Named 2020 Rail-Trail Champion

For her long-standing efforts to support trail networks in her native Washington, D.C., and across America, RTC named Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) America’s 2020 Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champion. Rep. Norton, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and chair of its Highways and Transit Subcommittee, has been a major supporter of trails, walking and bicycling in Congress for decades, having consistently sought support for trail provisions in the transportation and infrastructure bills she’s led—including the transportation provisions in the landmark Moving Forward Act (H.R.2).

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Saying Goodbye to One of Our Own

In January 2021, the rail-trail movement lost one of its greatest friends, Jeffrey L. Doppelt of Great Neck, New York, an enthusiastic ambassador and philanthropist for rail-trails who passed away from COVID-19. Jeff, an RTC member for over 25 years, invested more than $800,000 in the nation’s rail-trails through his support of RTC’s work and the Trail Development Fund. Launched in 2015, the grant program provided direct support to more than 40 trail projects nationwide. Additionally, Jeff lent his support to two other RTC programs—the annual Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champion and Rail-Trail Hall of Fame awards. Both acknowledge leadership in the movement, from the people who go above and beyond in the name of rail-trails to the trails that deliver exceptional value to their communities.

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