building trails Page 9

Dunbar, Pennsylvania, Is Ready for a Trail Renaissance

Posted 07/27/15 by Katie Harris in Building Trails, Taking Action | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Pennsylvania, Sojourn Series, Trail Communities

Dunbar greets participants of RTC's 2015 Pennsylvania Rail-Trail Sojourn | Photo by Cleo Fogel

I ride into Dunbar, Pennsylvania, at the hottest part of the day. The sun is beating down on me, and the sleepy southwestern Pennsylvania town looks misty through my sweat-drenched vision. Even in my fatigued state, I immediately know this place holds something unique, something special.

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Photo courtesy Hector Parayuelos | CC by 2.0

Enhancing the Everglades Through Environmentally Responsible Transportation

Posted 07/13/15 by Jane Yeager Cheffy in Building Trails, Taking Action | Tagged with Ecology and Environment, Encouraging Trail Use, Florida

The proposed River of Grass Greenway—a 12-to-14-foot-wide separated pathway that would run roughly parallel to U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail) in Florida—allow access to natural areas while providing opportunities for active transportation. Learn more about this environmentally sound trail project.

Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga | Photo courtesy The Trust for Public Land

Transforming Chattanooga: How Rail-with-Trail Is Shaping the City's Future

Posted 06/26/15 by Katie Harris in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Rail-with-Trail, Tennessee

Dubbed the "Dirtiest City in America" in 1969, the Chattanooga of today is leaps and bounds away from that bleak vision. The "Scenic City" now boasts a flourishing outdoor culture and can proudly consider itself a healthy place for recreation, green space and living a full and healthy life.

Photo courtesy Doug Wertman | CC by 2.0

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Decatur, Norton and Phillips Counties, Kan., and Harlan County, Neb.

Posted 06/17/15 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Taking Action, Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Kansas, Nebraska

On or about June 12, 2015, Nebraska, Kansas & Colorado Railway filed for the abandonment of 57.31 total miles of disconnected track in Decatur, Norton and Phillips Counties, Kansas, and Harlan County, Nebraska. 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.

An illustration of "tourists riding bicycles" by A.B. Frost, circa 1896 | Courtesy Library of Congress

History Happened Here: Sidepaths and the Persistent Dreams of Trail Building

Posted 05/27/15 by James Longhurst in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Biking, Demand for Trails

In the middle of the 21st-century bike boom, the rail-trail movement is the most successful way to build trails for bikers and walkers. But it’s certainly not the first; many other plans for trail building have come and gone. Bicyclists were looking for places to ride just as soon as the high wheel appeared in America. This guest blog by Dr. James Longhurst explores the evolution of bike paths.

A still-standing coaling tower relic on the Armstrong Trail | Photo by Ron Steffey

A Well-Fought Battle for Good: The Armstrong Trail

Posted 05/23/15 by Katie Harris in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Overcoming Opposition, Pennsylvania, Success Stories

The 36-mile Armstrong Trail was forged in a fire hotter than any other. And, as the saying goes, those types of fires forge the strongest steel. Read about the incredible history of the creation of this western Pennsylvania rail-trail.

A future section of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway

Meet Janet Phillips, Tenacious Leader of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway

Posted 05/14/15 by Katie Harris in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with California, Walkability and Bikeability

Janet Phillips, president of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway, doesn’t shy away from a challenge. During a full career working in water resources along the Truckee River in California, she noticed a notable missing component to the corridor along the river: a trail. And instead of wishing for one to appear, she took action.

RTC's 2015 West Virginia Rail-Trail Sojourn | Photo courtesy Cleo Fogal

100 Riders, 3 Days, 7 Trails (and Sheep!): RTC's 2015 West Virginia Sojourn

Posted 05/04/15 by Tom Sexton in Building Trails | Tagged with Biking, Demand for Trails, Pennsylvania, Sojourn Series, Trail Communities, Walkability and Bikeability, West Virginia, Why Use Trails?

On April 24, 2015, approximately 100 people came together for RTC’s 2015 West Virginia Rail-Trail Sojourn. This 122-mile, three-day bike ride through four counties and seven rail-trails promised beautiful landscapes, warm communities and lots of adventure—and we weren't disappointed! Here are a few highlights from this incredible event.

On the Elroy-Sparta State Trail | Photo courtesy Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | CC by 2.0

What’s Happening: Rail-Trail Roundup - April 2015

Posted 04/09/15 by Greta Zukauskaite in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, OpeningDay, Trail Communities, Walkability and Bikeability

From 50-year anniversaries in Wisconsin, to 150-mile bike/ped challenges in West Virginia, to the continued expansion of a 1,150-mile trail in North Carolina, there’s a lot going on in the trail world these days. Learn more in our April Rail-Trail Roundup.