Taking Action

The Results Are In: Rails-to-Trails’ 2019 Member and Supporter Survey

Posted 04/17/19 by Ben Carter in Taking Action | Tagged with Great American Rail-Trail, RTC in Action, Success Stories, TrailNation

Opening Day for Trails 2019 on the W&OD in Virginia | Photo courtesy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Thank you to everyone who submitted a response to Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s (RTC’s) 2019 member and supporter survey. In total, we received more than 8,000 responses—wow! The invaluable insight collected in the survey helps RTC prioritize work for the coming year and into the future. Here are the results!

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A highlight of the future Rock Island Trail is the bridge over the Gasconade River near Freeburg, which spans 1,776 feet. | Photo courtesy Missouri Rock Island Trail Inc.

The Rock Island Trail Is a 144-Mile Would Be Game-Changer for Missouri

Posted 12/17/18 by Cindy Barks in Taking Action, Building Trails | Tagged with Corridors and Railbanking, Missouri, Rock Island, RTC in Action, Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

All along a 144-mile stretch of Missouri’s old Rock Island Line, rural communities formerly known as railroad towns have been looking forward to a new possibility: a multiuse trail that would revitalize the long-unused train tracks.

Photo courtesy CWMc | CC by 2.0

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Alachua County, Florida

Posted 12/14/18 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, Taking Action | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Florida

On or about Dec. 6, 2018, CSX Transportation Inc. filed for the abandonment of 0.23 mile of track in Gainesville in Alachua County, Florida. 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.

Baltimore, Maryland | Photo by Side A Photography

Protecting Trails in 2018: Five Ways We Mobilized in Communities This Year

Posted 11/15/18 by Amy Kapp, Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Building Trails, Policy, Taking Action, Success Stories, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Best Of, Case Studies, Community Events, Corridors and Railbanking, Demand for Trails, Disparities and Underserved Communities, Federal, Funding, Health and Active Living, IHTC, Legal Issues, Local Organizing, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rock Island, Route of the Badger, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Success Stories, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailNation, TrailsTransform, Transportation and Health, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability, Washington, Wisconsin

All across the country—from the great redwoods of California, to the trestles of Missouri, to the stream valleys and neighborhoods of Baltimore, Maryland—Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) and the national trail community put itself on the front lines to protect and defend trails in 2018. Here are five ways we mobilized in communities this year.

2018 Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions Award ceremony | Photo by Hung Tran

Central Author of Historic Trail Legislation Named 2018 Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champion

Posted 09/27/18 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Policy, Taking Action, Success Stories, Building Trails | Tagged with Champions, Demand for Trails, Federal, History Happened Here, Rail-Trail Champion

One of the most important moments in the history of the rail-trail movement happened behind the scenes, with little fanfare or notice, when National Park Service (NPS) staffer Peter Raynor drafted an invaluable piece of legislation in just a few words.

East Lake Sammamish Trail in King County, Washington | Photo by Barbara Richey, courtesy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Rails-to-Trails Legal Team Protects Two Trail Corridors in Washington State

Posted 08/21/18 by Eli Griffen in Taking Action, Policy | Tagged with Legal Issues, RTC in Action, Threats to Trail Building, Washington

Last year, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s (RTC’s) legal team became actively involved in two cases—Hornish Joint Living Trust, et al. v. King County, and Kaseburg et al. v. King County, et al., involving attacks on railbanked rail-trails in King County. On Aug. 3, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of King County in both of these cases, rejecting attempts by adjacent landowners to limit the rights of trail managers to use the full width of the right of way. The Ninth Circuit ruling was a decisive victory that sets an important precedent for trail groups in the United States.

Photo by Ada Hao, courtesy RTC

A Message to President Trump and Congress: Trails Transform Our Nation

Posted 01/17/18 by Patrick Wojahn in Policy, Taking Action | Tagged with Bike Commuting, Biking, California, Connected Systems, Federal, Florida, Funding, Kentucky, Miami LOOP, Pennsylvania, TrailsTransform, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability, West Virginia

President Donald J. Trump is on the verge of releasing his principles for a bill to fund infrastructure over the next 10 years. He and his top officials have already given some clues about what the bill will include, but one thing we have yet to see is the role that trails will play.

Dark Island Trail | Photo courtesy TrailLink/kathleenmamakat

Nebraska Trail Visionaries Named 2017 Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions

Posted 12/05/17 by Amy Kapp in Success Stories, Taking Action, Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Champions, Demand for Trails, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Local Organizing, Nebraska, Rail-Trail Champion

Friends. Teammates. Energizer bunnies. And don’t forget tenacious describe RTC’s 2017 Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions, Ross Greathouse, 79, and Lynn Lightner, 83, who have spent nearly four decades developing some of Nebraska’s most treasured pathways.

Brent Hugh, executive director of the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, speaks at the rally. | Photo by Brandi Horton

Six Ways RTC Made a Difference for Trails This Year

Posted 11/30/17 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Building Trails, Policy, Taking Action | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Best Of, California, Circuit Trails, Disparities and Underserved Communities, Encouraging Trail Use, Facts and FIgures, Florida, Funding, Local Organizing, Mapping and Technology, Maryland, Miami LOOP, Missouri, Route of the Badger, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Walkability and Bikeability

As 2017 draws to a close, here’s a look back at six ways RTC made a difference for trails. Through our work, we witness trails strengthening economies, putting people first when it comes to mobility, promoting health and protecting our environment.

Hit the trails and #OptOutside for some feel-good fun and fresh air. | Photo courtesy Cleo Fogal | CC by 2.0

Eight Feel-Great Ways to #OptOutside on the Trail

Posted 11/22/17 by Suzanne Matyas in Taking Action, America's Trails | Tagged with Ecology and Environment, Encouraging Trail Use, Health and Active Living, How-to, Trail Use Tips

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is inviting you and your family to #OptOutside with us, REI and millions of others on Black Friday, Nov. 24, 2017! Grab your grandpa, Grover and the rest of the gang—and give the gift of time, sun and the great outdoors. Here’s a list of eight ways you can go the extra mile and make a difference while you #OptOutside this year.

Volunteers on Montour Trail | Photo courtesy Montour Trail Council

5 Feel-Good Stories of Amazing Trail Volunteers

Posted 10/11/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Taking Action, Success Stories | Tagged with Community Events, Indiana, Maintenance and Volunteers, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Success Stories, Trail Destinations, Washington

I’ve had the pleasure of sharing more than 100 trail stories with RTC members over the years—and have been awed, inspired and impressed by the tireless work of trail advocates and volunteers too many times to count. Below are just a few of these—and I can’t wait to discover more.

Volunteer on Anza Trail | Photo courtesy National Park Service

Five Great Ways to Give Back to the Outdoors

Posted 09/12/17 by Suzanne Matyas in Trail Use, America's Trails, Taking Action, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Community Events, Encouraging Trail Use, Maintenance and Volunteers, Trail Use Tips, Why Use Trails?

And although there is never a bad time to pitch in, with Make a Difference Day—an annual celebration of volunteerism and good deeds—right around the corner on Saturday, Oct. 28, we’re asking everyone to join us in making a difference for trails!