Posts by Katie Harris Page 3

Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga | Photo courtesy The Trust for Public Land

Transforming Chattanooga: How Rail-with-Trail Is Shaping the City's Future

Posted 06/26/15 by Katie Harris in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Rail-with-Trail, Tennessee

Dubbed the "Dirtiest City in America" in 1969, the Chattanooga of today is leaps and bounds away from that bleak vision. The "Scenic City" now boasts a flourishing outdoor culture and can proudly consider itself a healthy place for recreation, green space and living a full and healthy life.

Bike Around is getting lots of kids on two wheels in Baltimore, Md. | Photo by Molly Gallant

Charm City by Bike: Baltimore Program Gets Residents on Two Wheels

Posted 06/02/15 by Katie Harris in Trail Use | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, Biking, Equity, Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland, has more than 6,000 acres of parkland and public space. But for some Charm City residents, these urban gems are giant unknowns—green placeholders on a map, but unexplored and undiscovered in real life. Fortunately, one program in particular, Bike Around, is helping to change that.

A still-standing coaling tower relic on the Armstrong Trail | Photo by Ron Steffey

A Well-Fought Battle for Good: The Armstrong Trail

Posted 05/23/15 by Katie Harris in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Overcoming Opposition, Pennsylvania, Success Stories

The 36-mile Armstrong Trail was forged in a fire hotter than any other. And, as the saying goes, those types of fires forge the strongest steel. Read about the incredible history of the creation of this western Pennsylvania rail-trail.

Photo courtesy Mark Stosberg

How to Plan Your First Overnight Bike Trip

Posted 05/22/15 by Katie Harris in Trail Use | Tagged with Biking, How-to, Trail Use Tips

Bike touring is rising in popularity across the country, and for good reason. Many seasoned cyclists will tell you: “There’s no better way to experience a place than by bike. If your relationship with your bike stops at day trips, the idea of a multi-day excursion might seem intimidating! Rest easy! These simple tips can help get you on your way to your first overnighter. And we bet it won’t be your last!

A future section of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway

Meet Janet Phillips, Tenacious Leader of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway

Posted 05/14/15 by Katie Harris in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with California, Walkability and Bikeability

Janet Phillips, president of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway, doesn’t shy away from a challenge. During a full career working in water resources along the Truckee River in California, she noticed a notable missing component to the corridor along the river: a trail. And instead of wishing for one to appear, she took action.

Avid cyclists and 80-somethings Jack and Jeannette Ralston of Tennessee | Photo courtesy Jack and Jeannette Ralston

“They Think We’re Nuts”: Being in Their 80s Won’t Stop This Biking Duo

Posted 04/27/15 by Katie Harris in Trail Use, Success Stories | Tagged with Encouraging Trail Use, Tennessee

Remember Jack and Jeannette Ralston, the amazing couple who recently achieved a 70-years-plus dream of riding their bikes in every state (their story was originally featured in a 2013 issue of Rails to Trails)? They are still going strong! The Ralstons just took a trip to the Tweetsie Trail, a recently completed and stunningly beautiful rail-trail outside of Johnson City, Tennessee.