The Virginia Creeper Trail is a critical economic asset in Southwest Virginia, serving as a powerful engine for tourism, small business activity, and economic resilience across Washington, Grayson, Smyth, and Russell counties. This 34-mile trail saw over 348,400 single uses in 2023, representing more than 112,600 visitors coming to the region to use the Virginia […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Executive Summary The Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) is the largest dedicated source of funding for trails, walking and bicycling in the United States. Since 1991, this program, formerly known as Transportation Enhancements (TE), has transformed the landscape of the country. While projects in several categories (including eligibilities such as historic preservation and highway beautification) are […]

The Maryland State Transportation Trails Strategic Plan has been developed collaboratively by the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources, state agency partners, stakeholders, and the public to strengthen the transportation trails network across the state, guide project selection for shared use paths, and offer municipalities and trail advocates tools to overcome common […]

Railbanking, established in 1983 as an amendment to the National Trails System Act, is the foundational law making possible thousands of miles of rail-trails nationwide. Recently, a bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would effectively destroy the viability of railbanking going forward, resulting in fragmented and lost corridors—and poses a threat […]

This webinar explores RTC’s recently released TrADE report, which serves as an important tool for states, regions and active transportation professionals to understand spending patterns and strengthen the program, thus improving the efficiency and impact of investments made. We hear from Kevin Vettraino, Planning Director of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) about how […]

Discover how your trail can become a platform for preserving and promoting the unique history of your community. In this one-hour webinar, hosted by Rails to Trails Conservancy and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, we learn about the Trails Across America marker grant program, which provides fully funded cast-aluminum roadside markers to commemorate historically significant […]

Join us for a new TrailNation Spotlight series highlighting innovative trail network development across the country and foster peer-to-peer learning. These concise, high-impact sessions offer a unique opportunity to hear from trail network innovators, explore successful strategies, and build momentum for this infrastructure across the country. This is the third in a series of deep […]