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Focus Term: Policy/Advocacy


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WEBINAR – Celebrate Trails Day Training: How to Engage in a Day of Joy and Action | Changemaker Series
February 27, 2026
Join Rails to Trails’ Changemaker for Trails campaign for our February training, “Celebrate Trails Day: How to Engage in a Day of Joy and Action.” During this training, Changemakers learned how to use Celebrate Trails Day, taking place in April 2026, as a tool to advocate for trails and send a message to elected officials at […]
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Webinar – Looking Ahead in 2026: Trails, Transportation, and the Midterm Elections
February 27, 2026
Relationship building is at the heart of every successful engagement strategy and is most successful when you start early and often. This year’s mid-term elections offer an opportunity to get ahead of building relationships with potential new leaders and showcase the power of trails in your community. During this session, attendees heard from Wade Johnston, […]
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Webinar – Active Transportation Freeze: Where do Federal Active Transportation Grants Stand? 
December 09, 2025
Since early 2025, RTC has tracked and reported decisions made by the White House and the US Department of Transportation regarding active transportation and advised trails, walking and biking advocates as they have endured whiplash, grant cancellations, and ongoing uncertainties about frozen federal transportation grants. Congress rescinded $750 million in active transportation Neighborhood Access and Equity grants […]
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America’s Trails Are Under Fire
November 26, 2025

Explore the future of America’s trails amidst challenges to bike and walking path funding in the new federal transportation bill.

Opened in the summer of 2024, this 147-foot-long pedestrian bridge on the W&OD Trail provides safe crossings for people over busy Wiehle Avenue in Reston, Virginia. | Photo by Albert Ting
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Webinar – Innovative State Legislative Approaches: Addressing a Challenging Environment
November 24, 2025
Join Rails to Trails Conservancy to learn more about, “Innovative State Legislative Approaches: Addressing a Challenging Environment.” During this webinar, RTC policy staff and featured guests discussed best practices for building a state legislative agenda focused on achieving policy wins and funding for active transportation. The session touched on legislative basics and timelines before diving […]
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Webinar – State DOT Engagement: Relationship-Building and Advocacy
November 24, 2025
Join Rails to Trails Conservancy to learn more about, “State DOT Engagement: Relationship-Building and Advocacy.” During this webinar, RTC policy staff and featured guests discussed the importance of building relationships with your state’s Department of Transportation (DOT) when advocating transportation policy change at the federal level. This session explored the connection between the work of […]
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WEBINAR – Power in Numbers: Building Grassroots Partnerships in Your Community | Changemaker Series
November 10, 2025
Join Rails to Trails’ Changemaker for Trails campaign for our training, “Power in Numbers: Building Grassroots Partnerships in Your Community.” During this training, Changemakers heard from individuals who have been successful in activating community members and engaging key players, including elected officials to develop trail infrastructure in their region. This was an opportunity for Changemakers […]
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WEBINAR – How Your Story Makes an Impact | Changemaker Series
July 21, 2025
One important way to advocate for trails, walking and biking, is to effectively tell decision makers how and why trails, walking and biking matter to you and your community. Storytelling is a vital piece of advocacy, and we want to empower you, RTC’s Changemakers for Trails, to share your stories in ways that resonate with […]
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Preparing for the Next Transportation Bill: How Federal Transportation Decisions Affect Walking, Biking and Trails
May 21, 2025
Join Rails to Trails’ Changemaker for Trails campaign for a training on “Preparing for the Next Transportation Bill: How Federal Transportation Decisions Affect Walking, Biking and Trails.” During this training, we discussed the federal legislation that makes trails possible and how you can directly influence the creation of this legislation. More specifically, we discussed Rails […]
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Changemakers for Trails Training: Making your Voice Heard and Shaping Federal Decisions
March 25, 2025
This is a crucial moment for the walking, biking and trails movement, and through our collective advocacy, we can ensure that trails have the robust support and funding they need to remain safe and vibrant pillars of our community! During this training, RTC panelists discussed how recent federal decisions could affect the way trails are […]
Photo courtesy TrailLink
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