Building Trails

Moving the Dial: RTC Celebrates 30 Years of Impact

Posted 08/15/17 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Building Trails, Success Stories, Policy, Taking Action | Tagged with Best Of, Case Studies, Facts and FIgures, RTC in Action, Success Stories, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

New River Trail State Park, Virginia | Photo by Tom Bilcze

For three decades, we have served as the national voice for trails, establishing a movement and setting the precedent that rail-trails are need-to-have community assets. As we build momentum, it’s a great time to pause and reflect on our achievements—and those of the rail-trail movement—summarized in RTC’s recently released 2016 Annual Report.

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Supporters of the Rock Island Trail rallied at the state Capitol in Jefferson, Missouri. | Photo by Brandi Horton

Rallying for Missouri’s Rock Island Trail

Posted 08/15/17 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Building Trails, Taking Action | Tagged with Community Events, Demand for Trails, Local Organizing, Missouri, RTC in Action, Rural Communities, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities

I’m just coming off of a trip to Jefferson City, Missouri, where I met dozens of people who live along the Rock Island rail corridor. Hearing their stories about what this future trail means to their lives affirmed the importance of the work that we are doing. Beyond that, though, it affirmed how critical this trail is to the well-being of the small towns it will pass through.

Tracks in Augusta | Photo courtesy Jim Grey | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Blackford County, Indiana

Posted 08/10/17 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Indiana

On or about Aug. 1, 2017, Norfolk Southern Railway Company filed for the abandonment of 0.2 miles of track in Hartford City, Blackford County, Indiana. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multiuse trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.

2017 Pennsylvania Sojourn participants | Photo courtesy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

RTC’s 2017 Sojourn: Memories from a Rail-Trail Adventure of a Lifetime

Posted 06/30/17 by Suzanne Matyas in Building Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Pennsylvania, Sojourn Series, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

So, what was the 2017 Pennsylvania Sojourn really like? It was: six days of glamping (glamor-camping) and approximately 175 miles of biking; a way to make nearly 200 new friends and learn how to weather all types of elements; countless laughs; and an unforgettable experience.

Photo by Shane Farthing

Converting Unsustainable Roadway to Urban Trail Brings Major Environmental Benefits to D.C. Community

Posted 06/29/17 by Shane Farthing in Building Trails, Trail Use, Success Stories | Tagged with Repairs and Trail Safety, Design Strategies, District Of Columbia, Ecology and Environment, Success Stories

Recent developments with the Klingle corridor show how sustainably designed trail systems can work to solve transportation and environmental issues while benefiting the environment and surrounding community.

Ashton-Tetonia Trail in Idaho, part of the Greater Yellowstone Trail system | Photo by Camrin Dengel

RTC’s Doppelt Fund Helps Move the Needle on Six Rail-Trails in 2017

Posted 05/31/17 by Eli Griffen in Building Trails | Tagged with Colorado, Demand for Trails, Funding, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Wyoming

Today, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) announced the recipients of the 2017 Doppelt Family Trail Development Fund grant program, awarding more than $100,000 to enhance or complete multiuse trail projects in six communities across the United States. This year’s projects, which aim to fill gaps in existing trail systems, support expansion and maintenance needs, and measure economic impact, were chosen from a pool of applications totaling $5 million in asks (an increase of nearly $1 million from last year alone)—speaking to the growing demand for trails nationwide.

Brownsville, Texas' Historic Battlefield Trail, part of the planned route for the 428-mile Lower Rio Grande Valley Active Plan multiuse trail network | Photo by Mark Lehmann

A New Star for Texas: the Lower Rio Grande Valley Active Plan

Posted 04/14/17 by Alexandra Becker in Building Trails, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Connected Systems, Disparities and Underserved Communities, Featured Magazine Articles, Health and Active Living, Texas, Tourism and Economic Development

There’s a saying that “Everything’s bigger in Texas.” In the Lower Rio Grande Valley, 10 municipalities in Cameron County are proving the expression right as they embark on the creation of a 428-mile network of multiuse trails, bicycle routes and paddling trails aimed at connecting the region’s rich natural and cultural resources. Learn about the ambitious project in this article by Rails to Trails magazine.

Photo Courtesy tgkohn | CC BY 2.0

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Montgomery County, OH

Posted 03/22/17 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Ohio

On or about March 15, 2017, Norfolk Southern Railway Company filed for the abandonment of 6.5 miles of track in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.

Photo courtesy Bob Wilcox | CC BY-ND 2.0

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Roanoke County, Virginia

Posted 03/09/17 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Taking Action, Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Virginia

On or about March 3, 2017, Norfolk Southern Railroad Company filed for the abandonment of 0.5 mile of track in the City of Roanoke, Roanoke County, Virginia. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.

Cedar Lake Trail in Minneapolis, Minnesota | Photo by Tony Hull, Toole Design Group

How to Prepare for Your First Long-Distance Trail Ride

Posted 02/14/17 by Tom Sexton in Trail Use, Building Trails | Tagged with Best Of, How-to, Pennsylvania, Sojourn Series, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

As Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) prepares for our 2017 Pennsylvania Sojourn on the Great Allegheny Passage and Montour Trail this June, we thought it was a great time to present five simple tips for long-distance trail rides! These are useful tips for any individuals who aren’t hard bike riders but who are interested in their first longer (over the course of several days or a week) off-road trip.

Photo courtesy J. Stephen Conn | CC BY-NC 2.0

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Merrimack County, New Hampshire

Posted 01/19/17 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Taking Action, Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, New Hampshire

On or about Jan. 12, 2017, Boston and Maine Corporation filed for the abandonment of 6.36 miles of track between Concord and Boscawen in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multiuse trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.