Shared use paths and other trails are key pieces of transportation infrastructure that can also provide recreational opportunities and, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, improve health and wellbeing during a public health emergency. Additionally, trails can become critical infrastructure during an emergency when other transportation facilities are inaccessible, and can support activities including evacuation […]

The Great Trails State Plan draws upon existing plans and new recommendations to identify a network of shared-use paths and trails that connect every county in North Carolina, with a focus on connections between population centers and North Carolina State Parks. The primary outcome of this planning process was to develop a statewide trail map […]

Whether you are building a new trail or already maintaining one, it is critical to determine your maintenance costs. Once you determine baseline costs you can more accurately determine  if your practices and methods are cost-effective. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, together with several local trail managers, has created a worksheet to enable you to capture your maintenance costs […]

The costs of rail-trail and multiuse trail maintenance are not well documented as a discipline—thus making it very difficult to compare practices for gaining cost savings and efficiencies. The purpose of this table is to quickly give a general sense of the routine maintenance cost per mile of various types of multiuse trails in different […]

Whether you are building a new trail or already maintaining one, it is critical to determine your maintenance costs. All maintenance issues need to flow from costs, because without them, you cannot determine accurately if your practices and methods are cost-effective. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has created this peer reviewed worksheet to enable you to capture your […]

Discover how trail managers are embracing new solutions to help mitigate the economic, environmental and infrastructural impacts of natural disasters and ensure long-term climate and community resiliency.  This article was originally published in the Winter 2020 issue of Rails to Trails magazine.

The Northampton Township Master Trail and Bicycle Plan (The Plan) outlines a vision for improving the quality of life in the Township; providing a wide range of outdoor experiences; and supporting economic development through the development of a comprehensive township-wide trail and bicycle facilities network. The process of developing this Master Trail and Bicycle Facilities […]

Provided by the Minnesota Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) for their trail maintenance training workshops. Author: Minnesota Local Road Research Board

Produced by the Minnesota Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) for their Trail Maintenance training workshops. Author: Minnesota Local Road Research Board

The Two Rivers Greenway Maintenance Plan makes recommendations for maintenance of the trail sections comprising the Two Rivers Greenway by drawing from best practice studies of other trail systems. Author: Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study