TrailBlog Page 92

Sally Jacobs, 'Force of Nature'

Posted 11/15/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Taking Action | Tagged with Champions, Maine

People like Sally Jacobs are rare and treasured. Renowned in her adopted state of Maine as a committed rail-trail advocate and builder, among other roles, Sally's more than three decades in the service of conservation and outdoor recreation forged a tremendous legacy that includes the establishment of the Downeast Sunrise Trail.

In D.C., Met Branch Community All About a Good Time

Posted 11/14/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Trail Use | Tagged with Community Events, District Of Columbia, Health and Active Living, Local Organizing, Urban Pathways

It was wonderful to see our efforts on the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) in Washington D.C. over the past five years bloom into an energetic and supportive trail community.

For $40 a Foot, Londonderry Grows Rail-Trail Plans From the Grassroots

Posted 11/13/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Local Organizing, New Hampshire, Private Fundraising

Inspired by the great popularity of rail-trails all around them, the people of Londonderry in southeast New Hampshire continue an impressive volunteer-driven effort to build a rail-trail in their community.

500 Miles Through the Carolinas

Posted 11/12/12 by Nancy Pierce in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Design Strategies, Ecology and Environment, North Carolina, Private Fundraising, South Carolina

By the time she's a college senior, sophomore Bridgette Conboy will have a healthier option than driving or taking a shuttle bus: she will be able to bicycle or walk on a 1.3-mile rail-with-trail between North Carolina's Belmont Abbey College and the town of Belmont.

From the Courtroom to the Cowboy Trail, Chuck Montange Builds First Blocks of the Rail-Trail Movement

Posted 11/08/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, Taking Action | Tagged with Champions, Corridors and Railbanking, Legal Issues, RTC in Action

Few have been as vital to the enduring success of the rail-trail movement nationwide as Charles "Chuck" Montange.

Waves of Change, and Unchanging Ways

Posted 11/06/12 by Herb Hiller in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Florida, Trail Businesses

My friend Ted and I recently completed a 250-mile journey by train and trail from West Palm Beach to Key West. We experienced waves of change juxtaposed with unchanging ways. Who knew you could now ride commuter rail through South Florida? Who knew that next to Miami International Airport, two lines by next year will converge with Amtrak, Greyhound, public bus, rental car stations and a bike facility with showers at the mammoth new $1.7 billion Miami Intermodal Center?

All Systems Go for First Stage of 93-mile Rail-Trail in Vermont

Posted 11/05/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Champions, Local Organizing, Vermont, Winter Uses

Local business leaders have joined the groundswell of support for a rail-trail project which, when complete, will run 93 miles through the communities and recreational and rural lands of northern Vermont.

Trails Mean Business

Posted 11/02/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Trail Use, America's Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Case Studies, Facts and FIgures, Overcoming Opposition, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

Last year, Americans spent $81 billion on bicycling gear and trips, a sizable chunk of the total outdoor recreation industry which accounts for $646 billion in spending each year.

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.

Post-Sandy: How to Get Involved With Cleaning Up Your Local Rail-Trail

Posted 10/31/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers

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.