FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SEPT. 9, 2015
CONTACT:
Katie Harris
Campaigns and Media Coordinator
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
202.974.5134
kathryn@railstotrails.org
Top Rail-Trails in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Minnesota Inducted to Hall of Fame
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is pleased to announce that the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Heritage Rail Trail County Park (Pennsylvania)/Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail (Maryland) are the latest inductees into RTC’s Rail-Trail Hall of Fame.
These geographically diverse trails provide a mix of utilitarian and recreational uses and are highly valued by their respective communities. The Heritage Rail Trail County Park and the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail comprises a trail system along the converted North Central Railroad (NCR) corridor in northern Maryland and southern Pennsylvania. The 44-mile system is a key link in the growing 300-mile Grand History Trail, which eventually will connect Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Annapolis in Maryland; and York, Hanover and Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. The trails will take users on a tour through 250 years of American history.
A premier commuter rail-trail, the 5.5-mile Midtown Greenway follows a former railroad corridor through southern Minneapolis, which has been heralded as one of the best cycling cities in the United States. The Greenway cuts through the heart of south Minneapolis and is a superhighway for thousands of non-motorized trail users.
“These trail systems are receiving our highest award because they are truly exemplary,” says Liz Thorstensen, RTC’s vice president of trail development. “Both are significant to the rail-trail movement in their own right, and we’re honored to give them the designation that they absolutely deserve.”
RTC Rail-Trail Hall of Fame trails are selected based on scenic value, value of use, amenities, historical significance, excellence in management and maintenance, community connections and geographic distribution. The 2015 inductees are the 28th and 29th additions to the Hall of Fame.
The full list of RTC Hall of Fame trails can be found here: railstotrails.org/halloffame.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit organization with more than 160,000 members and supporters, is the nation's largest trails organization dedicated to connecting people and communities by creating a nationwide network of public trails, many from former rail lines. Founded in 1986, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's national office is located in Washington, D.C., with regional offices in California, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. For more information visit www.railstotrails.org.
