Policy Page 8

Otago Central Rail Trail in New Zealand | Photo courtesy OCRT Charitable Trust

Kiwi Connections: A Snapshot of New Zealand’s Bike/Ped Policy Scene

Posted 06/30/16 by Andrew Dupuy in Policy | Tagged with Tourism and Economic Development, Trails of the World, Walkability and Bikeability

Earlier this month, RTC Policy staff had the opportunity to sit down with an elected official at the forefront of active-transportation policy and funding: New Zealand Member of Parliament (MP) Julie Anne Genter! Genter stopped by RTC’s Washington office for a casual conversation about the successes and challenges faced by biking and walking advocates in both countries.

Riverwalk in Wilmington, Delaware | Photo courtesy mwms1916 | CC by 2.0

The First State: Delaware Passes Innovative “Complete Communities” Bill

Posted 05/16/16 by Andrew Dupuy in Policy, Success Stories | Tagged with Health and Active Living, Products of Good Policy, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Walkability and Bikeability

The “First State” in the Union just achieved another first—and this one has important implications for the active-transportation movement. Earlier this month, Delaware passed an innovative policy tool that will enable communities to become more bikeable and walkable.

View of John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and Nashville, Tennessee, skyline | Photo courtesy C.T. Thongklin | CC by 2.0

Trail Users Help Kill Anti-Bike/Ped Bill in Tennessee

Posted 04/21/16 by Andrew Dupuy in Policy, Success Stories | Tagged with Funding, Local Organizing, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Tennessee, Walkability and Bikeability

Thanks to the grassroots mobilization of thousands of cyclists and trail users this spring, legislation that could have had negative repercussions for active transportation around the country officially died this week with the close of the Tennessee General Assembly’s annual session.

Photo courtesy Green Lane Project

Safer Streets Ahead for Bikers and Walkers with New Federal Safety Rule

Posted 03/21/16 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in Policy | Tagged with Federal, State and Federal Programs, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability

Last Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a new and improved set of requirements designed to increase transportation safety—including safety for people who walk or bike.

Napa Valley Vine Trail | Photo courtesy Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition

The Verdict Is In: California Approves $133 Million for Trails

Posted 02/26/16 by Laura Cohen in Building Trails, Policy | Tagged with BATC, California, Funding, State and Federal Programs, Walkability and Bikeability

It was another great year for trails in California’s Active Transportation Program (ATP), the largest funding source for biking, walking and trails in the state. RTC recently learned that the California Transportation Commission has approved $133 million for 59 trail projects and separated bikeways in Cycle 2 of ATP.

Screenshot from Nick Falbo’s Protected Intersections explanation video, published February 2014

Safer Streets for All: Protected Intersections Arrive in the US

Posted 02/25/16 by Momentum Mag in Policy, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Bike Commuting, Transportation and Health, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability

“Sometimes, change builds up for years. And sometimes, it bursts.” These are the words of Michael Andersen in a recent Green Lane Project article about the sudden and almost unexpected arrival of the protected intersection in American cities. In “Four US Cities Are Racing to Open the Country’s First Protected Intersection,” Andersen details the concept’s journey from relative obscurity in North America to an enthusiastic reception in Austin, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Boston, Massachusetts; and Davis, California.

San Francisco Bay Trail | Photo courtesy Tony Webster | CC by 2.0

Uniting the Bay: Trails Are Creating Healthy Communities in California

Posted 02/04/16 by Elizabeth Striano in Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with BATC, California, Celebrating 30 Years, Connected Systems, Cross-Sector Collaboration

In 2014, RTC launched the Bay Area Trails Collaborative (BATC) to create a 1,000-mile interconnected system of trails and greenways in the San Francisco Bay Area. Currently comprising more than 40 nonprofits, public agencies and private entities—the diverse group is speaking in a unified voice to regional and state planning authorities on behalf of trails.

John Wayne Pioneer Trail | Photo courtesy TrailLink.com/Washington State DNR - Southeast Region

Update from the West: The John Wayne Trail Is Safe—for Now

Posted 01/22/16 by Laura Cohen in Taking Action, Policy | Tagged with Local Organizing, Overcoming Opposition, RTC in Action, Success Stories, Washington

You may be aware that longest rail-trail in the U.S. has been under fire lately, but we’ve got good news—at least for now—for John Wayne Pioneer Trail supporters. RTC learned that Rep. Schmick has decided to stop his effort to close the John Wayne.

Heritage Rail-Trail County Park in York, Pennsylvania, inducted into RTC's Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2015 | Photo by Carl Knoch

Oh, How Far We’ve Come: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Celebrates 30 Years

Posted 01/12/16 by Keith Laughlin in Building Trails, Policy | Tagged with Celebrating 30 Years, Connected Systems, Recreational Trails Program, RTC in Action

When Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) opened its doors in 1986, we were aware of 250 miles of open rail-trail in America. Today, there are more than 21,000 miles enjoyed by tens of millions of Americans every year. As RTC celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2016, President Keith Laughlin takes time to ponder the success of the rail-trail movement by providing us with a quick glimpse back and future-forward look at its evolution.

Capital Crescent Trail | Photo by Barbara Richey

Potential New Funding for Trails in 2016 Budget Bill

Posted 12/23/15 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in Policy | Tagged with District Of Columbia, Federal, Funding, State and Federal Programs, Walkability and Bikeability

Last Friday, President Obama signed the omnibus budget bill into law, which lays out funding for the remainder of the 2016 fiscal year. The bill funds two programs that offer potential resources for trails: the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program and the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

Photo by Adam Coppola Photography

New Bill Maintains Federal Funding; Creates New Opportunities to Connect Trails

Posted 12/02/15 by Kevin Mills in Policy | Tagged with Funding, Recreational Trails Program, State and Federal Programs, Transportation Alternatives, Transportation and Health

On Dec. 1, Congress released the text of what is expected to be the final version of a five-year transportation bill, the FAST (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation) Act. The verdict is in: Trails, walking and biking are here to stay as part of America’s transportation system.

Oslo, Norway | Photo by Moyan Brenn | CC by 2.0

7 Cities Worldwide That Are Starting to Go Car Free

Posted 11/19/15 by Momentum Mag in Health and Wellness, Policy | Tagged with Best Of, Walkability and Bikeability

Inspired by Bogotá’s Ciclovia, an extremely popular weekly car-free event, a growing number of cities and towns around the world have been implementing their own car-free events. Some are even taking it step further, and moving toward a near future when private automobile traffic is significantly reduced in a permanent way. Here are seven cities around the world making great strides to reduce the number of cars on their roads.