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The Circuit Trails: Greater Philadelphia’s Burgeoning Trail Network

Posted 01/14/16 by Anya Saretzky in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Celebrating 30 Years, Circuit Trails, Connected Systems, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, RTC in Action

Ben Franklin Bridge between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey, part of the Circuit Trails network | Photo courtesy Mark Willard | CC by 2.0

In the Northeast part of the U.S., a bi-state project called the Circuit Trails is making waves in the walking and biking world. This network, when complete, will include 750 miles of trails in the Greater Philadelphia region covering nine counties in southeast Pennsylvania and South Jersey.

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The Schuylkill River Trail, part of the Circuit Trails, a 750-Mile active-transportation network in the Greater Philadelphia Region | Photo courtesy Montgomery County Planning Commission | CC by 2.0

The Power of Trail Networks in Shaping the Future

Posted 01/12/16 by Elizabeth Striano in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Celebrating 30 Years, Connected Systems, Tourism and Economic Development, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability

As we enter our 30th year, RTC’s vision of a nationwide network of trails and pathways continues to grow clearer with each new mile of trail opened. Increasingly, the focus of our movement has changed from single trails to interconnected trail networks, spanning cities and entire regions of the country.

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, 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.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Milo Bateman and Ken Bryan at Biscayne National Park near the Black Creek Trail in Florida | Photo courtesy Milo Bateman

Miami-to-Everglades Tour: Experience South Florida by Bike

Posted 01/08/16 by Ken Bryan in Trail Use, Building Trails | Tagged with Florida, RTC in Action, Sojourn Series, Trail Destinations

There are rumors of a mid-January Arctic blast coming to the Midwest and eastern seaboard, but down here in the Sunshine State, we wouldn’t know much about that. We’re too busy riding bikes and enjoying the warm weather and great outdoor scenery Florida has to offer. And you can come join us! This winter, from Feb. 29 to March 3, 2016, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is hosting our premier Florida Sojourn—an exploration of the Greater Miami region’s growing trail network.

1432nd Engineering Company on the Iron Range Trail in Michigan | Photo by Master Sgt. Ron Raflik, Michigan National Guard

Michigan National Guard Lends a Hand in Unique Rail-Trail Partnership

Posted 12/23/15 by Katie Harris in Building Trails | Tagged with Government Agencies, Maintenance and Volunteers, Michigan

Several years ago, the 1432nd Engineering Company of the Michigan National Guard was in a bit of a pinch. The newly trained horizontal engineering company needed a place to put their skills to practice, but the closest military facility was 300 miles away. So, they hit the trails.

Ricker Miller of Andover guides a recovered 1,400-pound milepost back into its proper place beside the Northern Rail Trail. | Photo by Ed Hiller

100-Plus-Year-Old Mileposts Returned to New Hampshire Rail-Trail

Posted 12/10/15 by Amy Kapp in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Signage and Amenities, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Maintenance and Volunteers, New Hampshire

Here’s a fun one for all of you railroad history buffs; volunteers have just returned another 1,400-pound granite milepost to its original position along the Northern Rail Trail in Boscawen, New Hampshire—part of an ongoing effort to recover and return all 58 to their original positions between Concord and Lebanon. Only seven remain missing!

Delaware's Mike Castle Trail | Photo courtesy TrailLink.com/James McGinnis

Delaware Signs the Deal for Phase 1 of Georgetown-Lewes Rail-with-Trail

Posted 12/10/15 by Amy Kapp in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Delaware, Rail-with-Trail, Walkability and Bikeability

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) has just signed and sealed the contract deal for the construction of Phase I of the Georgetown-Lewes rail-with-trail project. When complete, the trail will be the longest in the state!

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath, part of the September 11th National Memorial Trail corridor | Photo courtesy PA DCNR

CSX Donates 130 Acres to Complete National September 11th Memorial Trail

Posted 12/09/15 by Kelly Pack in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Corridors and Railbanking, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

Earlier this Fall, CSX announced their donation of 130 acres to help complete the September 11th National Memorial Trail, a planned 1,300-mile multi-use trail that commemorates those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. The current corridor plan—shaped as a triangle—comprises a series of trail systems connecting the World Trade Center, Flight 93 and Pentagon memorials.

The North Bend Rail Trail out of North Bend State Park, near Cairo, West Virginia. | Photo by Jake Lynch

West Virginia's North Bend Rail Trail

Posted 12/09/15 by Jake Lynch in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Rural Communities, Success Stories, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, West Virginia

There aren’t many rail-trail stories like this. In the late 1980s, the abandoned CSX rail corridor that would one day become the North Bend Rail Trail was little more than an overgrown afterthought—a dumping ground, a place for derelict “partying,” an informal pathway for hunters and landowners in a densely wooded part of rural West Virginia. All that was about to change.

On the Sheepskin Trail during the 2015 West Virginia Sojourn | Photo by Katie Harris

Beyond a Bike Ride: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s 2016 Sojourn Series

Posted 11/24/15 by Katie Harris in Trail Use, Building Trails | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Florida, Sojourn Series, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

For the past 15 years, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has hosted annual sojourns showcasing some of the country’s finest rail-trails and greenways, and the communities they connect. This year, RTC is pleased to announce that it is expanding the series to four rides over the course of 2016 with our new Sojourn Series—beginning with our Florida Sojourn in February: the Miami-to-Everglades Tour!

Nov. 1, 2015, ribbon cutting for the Thorn Creek Trail and Old Plank Road Trail extensions in Chicago Heights, Illinois | Photo by Thomas' Photographic Services

Illinois Completes Southeast Portion of 500-Mile "Grand" Trail Network

Posted 11/13/15 by Amy Kapp in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Connected Systems, Illinois, Trail Communities

A ribbon cutting recently took place in Chicago Heights, Illinois, to celebrate the completion of extensions for the 16-mile Thorn Creek Trail and 22-mile, in-progress Old Plank Road Trail. This is big for Cook and Will counties and big for the entire region, as it brings the 500-Mile Grand Illinois Trail Network closer to completion.