In 2017, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) was funded by the William Penn Foundation to advance planning and development of a trail along the Richmond Industrial Track Rail Corridor in the Kensington, Fairhill and Port Richmond communities. A $1.8 million corridor cleanup by Conrail, the adjacent rail road, with the City of Philadelphia created an opening for […]

Signage is an important feature of any trail, helping inform trail users where they are and where they are going, ensuring their safety, and pointing out amenities and landmarks to make the experience more enjoyable. For trail networks, signage takes on added importance, unifying individual trails under a common brand and elevating their visibility as […]

Signage is an important feature of any trail, helping inform trail users where they are and where they are going, ensuring their safety, and pointing out amenities and landmarks to make the experience more enjoyable. For trail networks, signage takes on added importance, unifying individual trails under a common brand and elevating their visibility as […]

The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail is a developing 101-mile trail that connects dozens of Northeast Ohio communities. With 87 miles on the ground, this trail is an important economic asset in the region and a critical link in the Cleveland to Pittsburgh corridor, part of the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition’s 1,500-miles-plus regional trail […]

There aren’t cash registers on your trail. If you want ridership to boost your local economy, you have to tap your town into that opportunity—actively. The Progress Fund’s Trail Town Program was the first to formalize this approach, and has successfully grown the economic impact of the Great Allegheny Passage for 10+ years. View this […]

Trail Impact Survey prepared by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy to help investigate in the economic impact of trails. 

Executive Summary: In West Virginia, an incredible opportunity awaits. The 238-mile Parkersburg to Pittsburgh (P2P) rail-trail is already nearly 80 percent complete; just a few short gaps exist in West Virginia to unlock a contiguous 150-miles-plus stretch of the rail-trail from Parkersburg to the state’s border with Pennsylvania. Completing these short gaps in Wood, Harrison […]

Project Details Lead Authority: Napa Valley Vine Trail CoalitionTotal Project Cost: $55 millionFunding Pledged to Date: $41.7 million Federal/State: $16.7 millionLocal: $11.5 millionPrivate: $13.5 million Shovel-Ready: Within 2 years or lessType: Rural, urban Transformative Impact Job Creation: An estimated 935 jobs directly1 Transportation: Trail could provide a safe off-road transportation alternative for18,000 students attending school within a half-mile of the trail; also reduces congestion […]

Project Details Lead Authority: Baltimore City, Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, Rails to Trails Conservancy, Bikemore, Greater Washington Partnership, Southeast Community Development Corporation, South Baltimore Gateway Partnership  Total Project Cost: $28 millionFunding Pledged to Date: $4.7 million Federal: $2,250,000Local: $1,650,000Private: $840,000 Shovel-Ready: 1 year or lessType: Urban Transformative Impact Job Creation: An estimated 476 jobs directly3 Transportation Impact: The network will provide connections to over 75 […]

Project Details Lead Authority: MetroplanTotal Project Cost: $33 millionFunding Pledged to Date: $6 million Federal: $0State: $0Local: $6 million Shovel-Ready: 2 years or lessType: Rural, Suburban, Urban Transformative Impact Job Creation: An estimated $26.6 million in construction expenditures supporting 320 direct jobs1 from construction and 130 indirect jobs (e.g., from materials manufacturing); $2 million in total tourism expenditures resulting in 27 induced jobs per year […]