Posts by Tracy Hadden Loh

What’s the Real Impact of Trail Use in America? RTC Is About to Find Out.

Posted 09/02/15 by Tracy Hadden Loh in Building Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

Burke-Gilman Trail | Photo by Barbara Richey

This August, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) embarked on the first-ever nationwide survey of trail use, a major component of RTC’s three-year T-MAP initiative. The tools developed through T-MAP are expected to change the standards for trail development in the United States—revealing the most effective and powerful ways to integrate urban trails into full-fledged active-transportation networks.

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Manhan Rail Trail in Massachusetts | Photo by Lynne Graves, courtesy Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism | CC by 2.0

Keeping an Eye on Federal Bike/Ped Spending: RTC Releases TrADE Report

Posted 07/30/15 by Tracy Hadden Loh in Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Funding, State and Federal Programs, Transportation and Health

Every year, the Transportation Alternatives Data Exchange at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (TrADE @ RTC) compiles a spending report that provides transparency and valuable comparisons for people interested in transportation policy. This report breaks down the funds apportioned by state, as well as the funds states spent on projects that qualify for reimbursement (obligations) through TAP. The 2014 report was recently released; here are a few highlights.

Photo © Ed Yourdon

RTC Launches Development of Game-Changing Trail Planning Tool

Posted 06/12/14 by Tracy Hadden Loh in Building Trails | Tagged with Case Studies, Connected Systems, Facts and FIgures, Mapping and Technology, RTC in Action

Earlier this month, RTC announced the launch of T-MAP (Trail Modeling and Assessment Platform), a three-year, $1.2-million initiative with the potential to set a new standard for trail planning in America. In partnership with researchers and trail managers in 12 U.S. cities, RTC will lead the first-ever nationwide survey of urban trail use and produce planning models and metrics that can forecast the returns on investment that trails stimulate around the country.