TrailBlog

Good Trail Etiquette Has Never Been More Essential Than It Is Right Now.

Posted 04/02/20 by Amy Kapp in Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with COVID-19, Safety and Law Enforcement, Trail Etiquette, Trail Use Tips

Minuteman Commuter Bikeway | Courtesy Friends of Lexington Bikeways

Where trails are open—especially in areas where parks and other outdoor recreation facilities have closed—there has been an influx of new users and recognition that safe use and trail etiquette have never been so vital to the health of our nation.

Full Story
2018 St. Petersburg Open Streets | Photo courtesy CityofStPete | CC BY-ND 2.0

Closing Streets to Create Space for Walking and Biking

Posted 03/27/20 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Trail use has surged. An analysis of 31 trail counters for the week of March 16–22 by RTC found a nationwide trail usage increase of nearly 200% from that same week in 2019. Largely, this is good news.

Four Mile Run in Arlington, VA | Photo by Joe LaCroix

Using Trails and Outdoor Spaces Safely in the Wake of COVID-19

Posted 03/24/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

It’s vital that people find ways to engage in physical activity during this time; the benefits to our immune systems and our mental health are significant. But it is critical that we do so in ways that will keep us safe and minimize the spread of the pandemic. While trails continue to serve as significant sources of health and wellness for Americans, RTC is urging everyone to practice safe and responsible trail use and self-care at all times.

Great Allegheny Passage (gaptrail.org)/Pennsylvania and Maryland | Photo by Milo Bateman

Staying Active While We Practice Social Distancing

Posted 03/19/20 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Health and Wellness | Tagged with COVID-19, Encouraging Trail Use, Facts and FIgures, Health and Active Living

Our lives and our communities have been upended in ways we never could have imagined, and in some cases, the questions outnumber the answers. At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), we’ve heard from many who aren’t sure if it’s okay to be outside, or on the trail, but public health experts are quickly sharing information about the value of being active, especially outdoors, right now.

Mass Central Rail Trail | Photo by Milo Bateman

The Trail Forward: A Message From RTC President on COVID-19

Posted 03/16/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with COVID-19, OpeningDay

At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, we are taking COVID-19 Coronavirus very seriously. For this reason, our staff has moved to 100% telework and postponed non-essential travel and in-person events. In this spirit, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to postpone all April 18th Opening Day for Trails events.

Four Bills Introduced in Congress Could Mean $2 Billion Annually for Trails, Walking and Biking

Posted 03/10/20 by Kevin Mills in Policy | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Federal, Funding, TrailsTransform

This year, RTC has been working with members of Congress to introduce the missing pieces of an ambitious funding package comprising four bills that collectively call for $2 billion/year for programs dedicated to advancing a nationwide network of trails, walkways and bikeways that would result in a huge return on investment in the next couple decades.

Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge | Photo by John Carrel

Nebraska and Iowa’s Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

Posted 03/10/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Federal, Great American Rail-Trail, Iowa, Nebraska, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, TrailNation, Walkability and Bikeability

Floating sinuously over America’s longest waterway, the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge straddles the Missouri River between bustling Omaha—Nebraska’s largest city—and the quieter-feeling hometown of Council Bluffs, Iowa. The graceful structure, once hotly debated, played a transformational role in the riverfront’s redevelopment and continues to serve as a catalyst for upcoming projects.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Joe LaCroix mapping the West Creek Recreational Trail | Photo by Anthony Le, courtesy RTC

Dynamic Duo: How TrailLink and Google Maps Have Made Trails Accessible to America

Posted 03/09/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with Encouraging Trail Use, Mapping and Technology, RTC in Action

Google has helped direct millions of people to TrailLink to access all the health and wellness benefits trails provide. Since 2008, usage has grown from several hundred thousand people to more than 7 million annually who choose TrailLink as their go-to source for finding and using trails.

Fun run 5k on W&OD Trail in Arlington, VA | Photo courtesy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

20 Great Ways to Celebrate Opening Day for Trails 2020

Posted 03/05/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Trail Use Tips

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy invites you to join us in kicking off the spring trail season on April 13, 2019—the nation’s seventh annual Opening Day for Trails and the perfect opportunity to enjoy America’s spectacular trails system. For some inspiration, check out these 13 fun ways to celebrate Opening Day in your own neighborhood and beyond! But before you try any of these activities, please check the rules at your trail of choice to confirm your activity is welcome.

Family riding along the Cross Alameda Trail through Jean Sweeney Park | Photo by Laura Cohen and Rolf Bell

City of Alameda Celebrates Opening of Newest Trail Connection

Posted 03/04/20 by Ben Kaufman, Mary Elise Conzelmann in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with BATC, California, Community Events, Demand for Trails, Local Organizing, TrailNation

On Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, hundreds of people came out to celebrate the opening of a new segment of the Cross Alameda Trail (CAT), a developing 4-mile rail-trail across the island city of Alameda just south of Oakland in California’s Bay Area. The newly minted 0.9-mile section of trail—which stretches east from Main Street to Constitution Way along Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway and Atlantic Avenue—is a vital new walking and biking connection for Alameda and the region. This nearly mile-long trail segment connects to an existing 0.6-mile segment of the CAT to form 1.5 miles of continuous rail-trail between Alameda Point and the new 25-acre Jean Sweeney Open Space Park.