America’s Trail Moment, Celebrating Progress and Pursuing Possibility
This is a critical moment for the trails movement. 2024 was a landmark year for trails, walking and biking nationwide. More than ever before, people and places are rallying for trails—demanding access to safe places to walk, bike and be active outside. For the first time ever, we can say there are rail-trails AND trail networks being developed in every single state. And we’ve secured unprecedented investment in trails and active transportation networks across the country.
In the years since the pandemic, America has realized that there is unmatched potential in the power of trail networks to deliver exceptional benefits to the entire country. By connecting trail networks, we’re connecting communities—making it safe and convenient for people to walk and bike where they need to go, unlocking economic opportunity, mobility and quality of life. Last year, millions of people got outside with us on the trail, making Trail Moments using our trail-finder app, TrailLink, and showing off the joy and impact that trails uniquely deliver on Celebrate Trails Day.
“We know that America needs trails. We know that trails—the community, the economy and the quality of life they build—help the country prosper.”
Following the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, billions of dollars have been invested in trails and in linking these spaces to create robust, connected active-transportation networks. These investments are what the country needs to realize the full potential of trails to bring transformative benefits to people who live in all types of communities—small towns, big cities and everywhere in between.
As we assess our impact this past year, we also recognize the reality of the time that we are in as federal investments in trails, walking and biking—like so many important issues in our communities—face heightened scrutiny. We are meeting this moment with pragmatic optimism, fueled by incredible momentum. We know that America needs trails. We know that trails—the community, the economy and the quality of life they build—help the country prosper. We know that our elected leaders understand that this infrastructure is essential, and our partners and the country’s advocates are relentless in pushing for more.
That’s because this work, and this movement, is about so much more than getting from point A to point B. It’s about creating healthier, safer and more vibrant places to live, play and work.
The origins of the rail-trail movement are in American communities, where friends and neighbors first banded together nearly 40 years ago to turn forgotten and unused spaces into treasures that have changed lives for the better ever since. Today, the trails movement has grown exponentially. Our potential is only limited by our imagination, as we work to build the partnerships, advocacy, participation and progress to connect America by trail.
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Everyone deserves access to safe ways to walk, bike, and be active outdoors.