Building Trails

Massive Investments in Trails to Connect Millions in California With Safe Community Paths

Posted 12/19/22 by Laura Cohen, Heather Irish in Building Trails, Policy | Tagged with BATC, California, Connected Systems, Funding, State and Federal Programs, TrailNation

California approved a record-breaking $1.02 billion for walking, biking and trail projects that will benefit millions of people across the state through the state’s Active Transportation Program (ATP). Here’s what this means for the future of California trails—and the communities and destinations that they connect.

New TrailNation Collaborative Community to Escalate Trail Network Development Nationwide

Posted 11/16/22 by Mary Ellen Koontz, Heather Irish in Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Funding, TrailNation, Why Use Trails?

RTC is bringing together its expertise and network of thousands of partners nationwide to launch the TrailNation Collaborative—a learning community where advocates, public leaders and professionals can come together to share their experiences, their challenges and their strategies for accelerating the pace of connecting trails and active transportation infrastructure.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Awards $300,000+ to Support Inclusive Trail Projects Across the Nation

Posted 11/14/22 by Mary Ellen Koontz in Building Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Capital Trails Coalition, Circuit Trails, Funding, Great American Rail-Trail, IHTC, Miami LOOP, Route of the Badger, RTC in Action

RTC has awarded a combined $300,000+ in grants to 25 organizations working in rural, suburban and urban communities across the country as part of the 2022 Trail Grants program.

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Vanderburgh County, Indiana

Posted 10/07/22 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Indiana

On or about Sept. 29, 2022, Norfolk Southern Railway Company filed for the abandonment of 0.24 miles of track in the City of Evansville in Vanderburgh County, Indiana.

No Car, No Problem: Connecting Car-less Americans to Opportunities

Posted 06/09/22 by Kevin Mills in Building Trails, Policy | Tagged with Federal, Funding, Mode Shift, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Many federal transportation policies and programs could help redesign communities to work better for walking, biking and transit. One standout opportunity is to “flex” Federal highway funds—such as Surface Transportation Program Block Grants—to transit for purposes of addressing last-mile connectivity to public transportation. Such transfers are attractive because tapping into flexible highway funding can accelerate efforts to meet growing needs for safe places to walk and bike while increasing use of transit services.

New Guidance for Transportation Alternatives: Transformative Funding for Trails, Walking and Biking

Posted 04/07/22 by Mary Ellen Koontz in Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Federal, Funding, Recreational Trails Program, State and Federal Programs, Transportation Alternatives

Last week, the federal officials released new guidance on the Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside. This guidance instructs state departments of transportation (DOTs) on how to implement the TA funding in alignment with policy changes included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Breaking News: The Rock Island Trail Is a 144-Mile On track to Be Game-Changer for Missouri

Posted 12/14/21 by Cindy Barks in Taking Action, Building Trails, Success Stories, America's Trails | Tagged with Corridors and Railbanking, Missouri, Rock Island, RTC in Action, Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

Governor Mike Parson and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced that they have officially railbanked the 144-mile Rock Island Railroad corridor between Windsor and Beaufort, Missouri. The governor’s announcement comes after decades of advocacy and negotiations, marking the final step in railbanking the corridor, which is now destined to be preserved—and enjoyed—as a trail.

2021 RTC Fall Trail Grants Supporting Equitable Trail Access Around the Nation

Posted 11/17/21 by Mary Ellen Koontz in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, Capital Trails Coalition, Caracara, Connected Systems, Funding, Great American Rail-Trail, IHTC, Miami LOOP, Route of the Badger, TrailNation

On Nov. 17, RTC announced the recipients of over $300,000 in grants as part of the 2021 Trail Grants Program. These grants were given to 45 organizations around the country to advance trail projects in their communities as part of TrailNation™ networks and along the preferred route of the Great American Rail-Trail™.

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Posey & Vanderburgh Counties, Indiana

Posted 06/25/21 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Indiana

On or about June 15, 2021, Indiana Southwestern Railway Company filed for the abandonment of 20.4 miles of track between Cynthiana and Evansville in Posey and Vanderburgh Counties, Indiana. 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.

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Vigo County, Indiana

Posted 05/03/21 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Indiana

Richmond Industrial Trail Will Transform Neighborhoods and Lives in North Philadelphia

Posted 04/19/21 by Paola Tejada Lalinde in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Art, Circuit Trails, Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, Pennsylvania, TrailNation

A vision for a 1.9-mile walking and biking greenway is taking shape along the Richmond Industrial Track—a railroad corridor in North Philadelphia that has seen decline in recent decades, but is undergoing renewal. The developing multiuse path—aptly named the Richmond Industrial Trail—is a first-of-its-kind project in the area that will connect five communities and serve more than 40,000 residents living within a half-mile of the corridor.

Richmond Industrial Trail transformará vecindarios y vidas en el norte de Filadelfia

Posted 04/19/21 by Paola Tejada Lalinde in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Art, Circuit Trails, Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers

La visión de una vía verde de 1,9 millas para caminar y andar en bicicleta está tomando forma a lo largo de Richmond Industrial Track, un corredor ferroviario en el norte de Filadelfia que ha experimentado un declive en las últimas décadas, pero está siendo renovado. El sendero multiusos en desarrollo, acertadamente llamado Richmond Industrial Trail, es un proyecto único en su tipo en el área que conectará cinco comunidades, incluidas Kensington, East Kensington, Fairhill, Olde Richmond y Port Richmond, y servirá a más de 40 000 residentes que viven a media milla del corredor. Los esfuerzos centrados en la comunidad para construir el sendero mejorarán la economía local y beneficiarán la salud y la seguridad públicas, al tiempo que conectarán a los residentes con espacios verdes, opciones de transporte público, instituciones ancla, arterias principales del sendero y múltiples proyectos emergentes de desarrollo comunitario.