Posts by Ryan Chao

Photo courtesy Getty Images

Reflecting on 2022: Capturing Once-in-a-Generation Opportunities for Trails, Walking and Biking

Posted 12/08/22 by Ryan Chao, Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Equity, Federal, Funding, Great American Rail-Trail, Rail-Trail Champion, RTC in Action, Trail Moments, TrailNation, Why Use Trails?

This December, we’re taking time to reflect on the challenges and changes, hard work and persistence, that’s made up the fabric of this impactful year. As we bid farewell to 2022, we take stock of our impact and extend our appreciation to the many partners, friends and supporters who’ve worked so passionately to make our collective achievements possible.

Along the Great Rivers Greenway trail network in St. Louis, Missouri. | Photo courtesy Great Rivers Greenway

Swap Out a Car Trip for a Trail Trip With These Tips and Tricks

Posted 08/31/22 by Ryan Chao, Amy Kapp in Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Bike Commuting, Biking, ebike, Gear, How-to, Mode Shift, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?, Winter Uses

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is embarking on an eight-week “Swap-a-Trip” challenge. Beginning Sept. 6, #TeamRTC will explore new ways to embrace active transportation by swapping car trips with walking, bicycling and other self-propelled activities—while getting the physical and mental health benefits to boot. Whether it’s to reduce your carbon footprint, or steep gas prices have got you down—we hope you will consider swapping a car trip for a walk or a bike ride. Here is a collection of tips and advice, brought to you from RTC, to change up that daily car commute or errand run while embracing trails, active transportation and a more active lifestyle.

Met Branch Trail | Photo by India Kea

Reimagining Public Spaces

Posted 10/12/21 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with COVID-19, Demand for Trails, Featured Magazine Articles, Health and Active Living, Mode Shift, Route of the Badger, Trail Moments, TrailNation, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Last year, when the team at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) was elbow deep in defining the elements of our next strategic plan, a global pandemic had upended the world, and calls for justice were bringing focus to the deep and far-reaching impact of racial inequities. In that moment, we explored the strengths of our movement, our role in bringing solutions to these significant social challenges and the opportunities ahead. What we found captured our imagination and brought reason for hope.

Tacony Creek | Photo by Thom Carroll

When Trails Connect Everyone, Everywhere

Posted 12/01/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Equity, Great American Rail-Trail, RTC in Action, Trail Moments, TrailNation, TrailsTransform

Throughout this year, as we’ve continued to galvanize the trails movement in a virtual world, the movement itself has inspired us—in particular, the stories so many have shared of the moments of joy, respite, healing and strength they have found on the trail. The impact of our work in this time has brought urgency and focus to our path forward.

Photo by Side A Photography

Building a Brighter Future

Posted 07/02/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with COVID-19, Great American Rail-Trail, RTC in Action, TrailNation

The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that trails are essential assets for the well-being of people and places, and our country needs a trail in every community. While FY 2019 in many ways seems like a distant time, our work last fiscal year, and the decades leading up, positioned us to meet the current moment and be part of helping to shape a brighter future.

Baltimore, MD | Photo by Side A Photography

What We Mean When We Say We Are “Standing Against Racism”

Posted 06/10/20 by Ryan Chao in Taking Action | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Capital Trails Coalition, Caracara, Circuit Trails, COVID-19, Equity, Route of the Badger, TrailNation

When we spoke out in response to the troubling and damaging displays of racism and violence against Black people these past few weeks, we heard from many of you standing in solidarity. But we also got many questions—about the prevalence of experiences of inequity and injustice in the outdoors as well as what we’re doing about it.

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 CelebrateTrailsDay, COVID-19

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.

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.

Oak Leaf Trail in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, along the Route of the Badger trail network | Photo courtesy Front Room Photography

RTC President's Message: Connecting America Like Never Before

Posted 01/14/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with Ecology and Environment, Georgia, Great American Rail-Trail, Route of the Badger, TrailNation, Wisconsin

At RTC, we try to share the diversity of our country’s vast trails and the people behind them. But if there’s one thing you’ll find consistent in nearly every story and we share through our channels, it’s how trails connect us. In the most literal sense, they serve as a means to get from place to place, and figuratively, trails grant us deep and meaningful connections to each other and to nature.