When Disaster Strikes: The Role of Trails in Planning and Recovery
As natural disasters become more frequent and severe, trails are playing an increasingly vital role in planning, recovery, and resiliency. From serving as alternative evacuation routes to critical drivers of economic recovery, trails are emerging as essential infrastructure in times of crisis.
In this session, attendees heard real-world examples of trails serving as critical infrastructure in times of crisis, including:
- How trails support emergency response and provide alternative evacuation routes.
- Ways communities are using trail networks to drive recovery and rebuild local economies.
- How widespread damage can become an opportunity to rethink and strengthen your trail infrastructure.
- How recovery conversations can spark innovative thinking about the role of trails in creating stronger, safer, and more connected communities.
During this webinar, attendees heard from Saman Dias from Maui Bicycling League, Jackie Cassino from the Vermont Agency of Transportation and Lisa Raleigh from RiverLink in Asheville, North Carolina. Our expert panel, with hands-on experience in advocacy, planning, recovery and trail development, shared valuable insights, lessons learned, and strategies you can apply in your own community.
Panelists
- Saman Dias, Chair, Maui Bicycling League
- Jackie Cassino, Rail Trails Program Manager, Vermont Agency of Transportation
- Lisa Raleigh, Executive Director, RiverLink, Asheville, NC
Resources
Jackie’s presentation
Find out more about Vermont’s Rail Trail System.
Learn more about the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT).
Contact Jackie if you have additional questions: jackie.cassino@vermont.gov
Lisa’s presentation
Explore RiverLink’s work here.
Learn more about the greenways and river parks along the French Broad River.
RTC compiled a number of resources on disaster recovery following Helene. Check out our toolkit here.
Contact Lisa for more information: lisa@riverlink.org
Saman’s presentation
Learn more about the West Maui Greenway plan here and here.
Find out more about Maui Bicycling League’s work.
Contact Saman if you have additional questions: maui@hbl.org
General resources
Click here to read, “FHWA’s Trails as Resilient Infrastructure.”
RTC’s TrailNation Collaborative, Trail Development and Policy teams produce a free webinar series designed to help trail professionals build, grow, manage, maintain, promote or otherwise support trails and trail networks. Sign up here to get webinar alerts.
Have a comment or question on our webinar series? Contact us below with topic or speaker ideas. We appreciate your feedback! Email us.
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