TrailBlog Page 91

Photo of Winchenden to Gardner section of the North Central Pathway © Norman Beauregard

The Sum of Its Parts: Small Group Makes Big Progress on Massachusetts Rail-Trail

Posted 11/01/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, Massachusetts

After nearly two decades of dedication and perseverance, a small group of volunteers continues to make great strides in the development of the North Central Pathway, connecting two historical north-central Massachusetts towns. The committee of local citizens, formed back in 1995 to develop and promote the trail, remains active today.

Grant's Trail, Missouri

Posted 11/01/12 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Heritage and Restoration, Missouri, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Only 10 miles from the famed Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Mo., fittingly lies Grant's Trail. Like the arch, which was built as a monument to westward expansion, the trail follows a former rail line that set out with an ambitious goal to reach all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Even though the tracks never made it that far, the trail has preserved much of the corridor's pioneering history and spirit.

Photo © TCHRT's facebook page

Chomping at the Bit, Tennessee Community Finds Ways to Make Rail-Trail Happen Faster

Posted 10/26/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, State and Federal Programs, Tennessee

The people of Putnam County in central Tennessee are getting impatient. The money is lined up and the plans have been drawn--like a child on Christmas morning, they can see the gift under the tree but have to wait a few more excruciating moments to unwrap it.

Photo of Clare Valley Riesling Trail, South Australia © RailTrails Australia

Down Under Visits D.C. on Rail-Trail Study Tour

Posted 10/24/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails | Tagged with RTC in Action, Trails of the World

The rail-trail movement is global. Though the United States boasts the most extensive network of developed rail-trails, as well as rail-trail organizations and advocates, all over the world citizens are recycling underused rail corridors into vibrant places of recreation and transportation.

Photo © Bike to the Sea, Inc.

20 Years Later, Massachusetts Advocates Break Through on Pathway to the Sea

Posted 10/23/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, Massachusetts, State and Federal Programs

Since 1993 the Massachusetts nonprofit, Bike to the Sea, Inc., has been a solid voice for the creation of a nine-mile bike and pedestrian trail, known as the Northern Strand Community Trail, from Malden to the beaches of Lynn and Revere on the shores of Broad Sound and Nahant Bay. While the state has long recognized that a trail to the sea along the unused Saugus Branch rail line is feasible, the task of raising support, awareness and funds for the project has been left to local advocates.

Map © Florida DOT

Trail Across Old Tampa Bay a Leap Forward for Florida

Posted 10/22/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Florida, State and Federal Programs, Walkability and Bikeability

Things are starting to change, thanks in part to Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) more than 20 years of advocacy and coalition building in Florida, and a dedicated community of local planners and advocates. This month, work began on a multi-use pathway alongside the Courtney Campbell Causeway, passing over Old Tampa Bay and connecting Clearwater in Pinellas County with Tampa in Hillsborough County.

Photo © Blossom Trail Photography

Community Buy-In Builds Beautiful Parkway in California

Posted 10/18/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with California, Corridors and Railbanking, Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, State and Federal Programs

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's report, Community Built: Stories of Volunteers Creating and Caring for Their Trails, contains inspiring examples of everyday Americans across the country using their community strength to create incredible trails. It gives trail champions a reason to take heart, because across the country, stories abound of trails getting developed, extended and cared for with minimal resources.

Photo © Metro Transit - St. Louis

Outside St. Louis, Rail-With-Trail Boosts Capacity of Transit System

Posted 10/17/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Trail Use, Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Missouri, Rail-with-Trail, Urban Pathways

In St. Clair County, Ill., on the outskirts of St. Louis, Mo., the county transit district continues to extend its heralded MetroBikeLink Trail, a paved, multi-use trail that provides a fast and efficient connection from local neighborhoods to the metro stations.

Photo of Fred Meijer Heartland Trail © Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Michigan Communities Eager to Support Planned Rail-Trail

Posted 10/15/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Champions, Michigan, Private Fundraising, State and Federal Programs

In 1994, Michigan businessman Fred Meijer funded the purchase of the first rail-trail right-of-way in the state. That purchase became the Fred Meijer Heartland Trail, and since then, the philanthropy of the Meijer family has made possible one of the best trail networks in America.