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State Term: Pennsylvania


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Pennsylvania Act 89 Transportation Funding
November 13, 2015
Pennsylvania passed a transportation funding bill in 2013, increasing transportation revenue by $2.3 billion per year. The funding goes toward state and local roads and bridges, public transportation, and active transportation. The bill sets a minimum of $2 million to be spent on bicycle and pedestrian facilities annually and creates a $144 million fund that can be […]
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Pennsylvania’s Heritage Rail Trail County Park and Maryland’s Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail
September 18, 2015

One of the largest completed sections of that developing network is a pair of connected rail-trails—the Heritage Rail Trail County Park and the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail—a 44-mile expanse.

Heritage Rail Trail County Park | Photo by John Gensor, courtesy Steam Into History
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Top 5 Attractions on the Montour Trail
March 31, 2015

With a length of 55 miles, there’s a lot to love on western Pennsylvania’s Montour Trail. Our top five attractions for this rail-trail located just outside of Pittsburgh are included below.

Visitors love to explore the beauty and charms of the Montour Trail. | Photo by Paul McKeown, courtesy Montour Trail Council
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Pennsylvania’s Montour Trail
March 16, 2015

The Montour Trail—which forms a 55-mile arc around western Pittsburgh—is a standout with plenty of “wow” moments.

Midway across the span of the Chartiers Creek Bridge | Photo courtesy Kordite | CC by 2.0
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Three Rivers Heritage Trail 2014 User Survey and Economic Impact Analysis
February 01, 2015
The 24-mile Three Rivers Heritage Trail extends along the banks of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers in one of America’s most storied cities, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The trail has been developed by Friends of the Riverfront, which has worked for more than 24 years to turn a riparian brownfield into a world class trail network. […]
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History Happened Here: How the Switchback Railroad Inspired the Invention of the Roller Coaster
September 12, 2014

The Switchback Gravity Railroad, built in 1827, was only the second railroad built in America. It relied on gravity, with mules.

Photo © Switchback Gravity Railroad Foundation, Inc.
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Erie to Pittsburgh Trail User Survey and Economic Impact Analysis (2013)
January 01, 2014
In 2013, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) conducted a study of six connected trails (the Trails) that make up the central leg of the developing 270-mile Erie to Pittsburgh Trail (EPT) and are located in northwest Pennsylvania. The Trails are connected by geography, history and marketing. Owned, operated and maintained by several trail organizations and municipalities, the […]
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Trail User Surveys and Economic Impact: A Comparison of Trail User Expenditures
March 01, 2009
This report focuses on reported dollars spent from trail user surveys completed on seven rail-trails in Pennsylvania using the same methodology. In addition, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy reviewed seven trail user surveys completed on comparable rail-trails in the northeast United States. Unlike public opinion polls, a trail user survey seeks specific information from the people actually on the trails. A number of trail […]
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Pennsylvania and Maryland’s Great Allegheny Passage
July 01, 2007

The 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage is the July 2007 Trail of the Month, connecting Cumberland, MD to McKeesport, PA, with C&O Canal Towpath.

Great Allegheny Passage | Photo by Blase Ur
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Liability and Rail-Trails in Pennsylvania
May 01, 2007
New trail managers are often concerned that managing a trail will expose them to liability for trail-user injuries, or worry about the high cost of purchasing insurance to protect from potential lawsuits. However, trail managers have a number of legal protections that limit their exposure to liability. As a result of these legal tools, when coupled […]