TrailBlog Page 15

Resources for Safe Outdoor Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted 03/27/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Encouraging Trail Use, Trail Use Tips, Why Use Trails?

Public health experts agree that outdoor exercise is essential—as long as people maintain a safe social distance of 6 feet between each other. Below is a list of resources that offer guidance on how to be safe in the outdoors.

Using Trails and Outdoor Spaces Safely in the Wake of COVID-19

Posted 03/24/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

It’s vital that people find ways to engage in physical activity during this time; the benefits to our immune systems and our mental health are significant. But it is critical that we do so in ways that will keep us safe and minimize the spread of the pandemic. While trails continue to serve as significant sources of health and wellness for Americans, RTC is urging everyone to practice safe and responsible trail use and self-care at all times.

Staying Active While We Practice Social Distancing

Posted 03/19/20 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Health and Wellness | Tagged with COVID-19, Encouraging Trail Use, Facts and FIgures, Health and Active Living

Our lives and our communities have been upended in ways we never could have imagined, and in some cases, the questions outnumber the answers. At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), we’ve heard from many who aren’t sure if it’s okay to be outside, or on the trail, but public health experts are quickly sharing information about the value of being active, especially outdoors, right now.

The Trail Forward: A Message From RTC President on COVID-19

Posted 03/16/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with CelebrateTrailsDay, COVID-19

At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, we are taking COVID-19 Coronavirus very seriously. For this reason, our staff has moved to 100% telework and postponed non-essential travel and in-person events. In this spirit, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to postpone all April 18th Opening Day for Trails events.

Four Bills Introduced in Congress Could Mean $2 Billion Annually for Trails, Walking and Biking

Posted 03/10/20 by Kevin Mills in Policy | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Federal, Funding, TrailsTransform

This year, RTC has been working with members of Congress to introduce the missing pieces of an ambitious funding package comprising four bills that collectively call for $2 billion/year for programs dedicated to advancing a nationwide network of trails, walkways and bikeways that would result in a huge return on investment in the next couple decades.

Nebraska and Iowa’s Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

Posted 03/10/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Federal, Great American Rail-Trail, Iowa, Nebraska, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, TrailNation, Walkability and Bikeability

Floating sinuously over America’s longest waterway, the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge straddles the Missouri River between bustling Omaha—Nebraska’s largest city—and the quieter-feeling hometown of Council Bluffs, Iowa. The graceful structure, once hotly debated, played a transformational role in the riverfront’s redevelopment and continues to serve as a catalyst for upcoming projects.

Dynamic Duo: How TrailLink and Google Maps Have Made Trails Accessible to America

Posted 03/09/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with Encouraging Trail Use, Mapping and Technology, RTC in Action

Google has helped direct millions of people to TrailLink to access all the health and wellness benefits trails provide. Since 2008, usage has grown from several hundred thousand people to more than 7 million annually who choose TrailLink as their go-to source for finding and using trails.

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Scott, Campbell & Anderson Counties, Tennessee

Posted 03/09/20 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Tennessee

20 Great Ways to Celebrate Opening Day for Trails 2020

Posted 03/05/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Trail Use Tips

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy invites you to join us in kicking off the spring trail season on April 13, 2019—the nation’s seventh annual Opening Day for Trails and the perfect opportunity to enjoy America’s spectacular trails system. For some inspiration, check out these 13 fun ways to celebrate Opening Day in your own neighborhood and beyond! But before you try any of these activities, please check the rules at your trail of choice to confirm your activity is welcome.

City of Alameda Celebrates Opening of Newest Trail Connection

Posted 03/04/20 by Ben Kaufman, Mary Elise Conzelmann in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with BATC, California, Community Events, Demand for Trails, Local Organizing, TrailNation

On Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, hundreds of people came out to celebrate the opening of a new segment of the Cross Alameda Trail (CAT), a developing 4-mile rail-trail across the island city of Alameda just south of Oakland in California’s Bay Area. The newly minted 0.9-mile section of trail—which stretches east from Main Street to Constitution Way along Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway and Atlantic Avenue—is a vital new walking and biking connection for Alameda and the region. This nearly mile-long trail segment connects to an existing 0.6-mile segment of the CAT to form 1.5 miles of continuous rail-trail between Alameda Point and the new 25-acre Jean Sweeney Open Space Park.

Outdoor Adventures Along the Great American Rail-Trail

Posted 02/27/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Great American Rail-Trail, Idaho, Illinois, Nebraska, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

The Great American Rail-TrailTM spans more than 3,700 miles between Washington, D.C., and Washington State, traversing some of America’s most iconic and scenic natural wonders. While still in progress, it already connects us to our shared heritage, nature and each other in unforgettable ways.

Rail-Trail Cases That Have Shaped the Movement

Posted 02/20/20 by Amy Kapp in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Corridors and Railbanking, Featured Magazine Articles, Legal Issues, RTC in Action

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the National Trails System Act (1968), Rails to Trails magazine sat down with Ferster to talk about some of the cases that have shaped the movement—as well as the monumental importance of railbanking, which—born from the National Trails System Act in 1983—has helped facilitate the creation of thousands of miles of rail-trails to date.