TrailBlog Page 17

The First State: Delaware Passes Innovative “Complete Communities” Bill

Posted 05/16/16 by Andrew Dupuy, Patrick Wojahn in Policy, Success Stories | Tagged with Health and Active Living, Products of Good Policy, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Walkability and Bikeability

Riverwalk in Wilmington, Delaware | Photo courtesy mwms1916 | CC by 2.0

The “First State” in the Union just achieved another first—and this one has important implications for the active-transportation movement. Earlier this month, Delaware passed an innovative policy tool that will enable communities to become more bikeable and walkable.

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Ed Rasbach of West Chester, Pennsylvania, and his two dogs, on the Merchantville Bike Path | Photo by Laura Pedrick/AP Images

How Did 9,000 Trail Users Impact Northeast Communities? We Found Out.

Posted 05/12/16 by Liz Sewell in Trail Use, Success Stories | Tagged with Facts and FIgures, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development

Over the past 10 years, RTC has implemented 20-plus rail-trail surveys in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to determine just how much of an impact trail users have had on the region. These infographics, which are aggregates of data from more than 9,000 surveys, convey the power of local northeast pathways on tourism, health and physical activity.

On the Jones Falls Trail in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland | Photo by Side A Photography

112 Years Later: Baltimore’s Trail Network Vision Is Coming of Age

Posted 05/10/16 by Katie Harris, Amy Kapp in Building Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, Celebrating 30 Years, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Ecology and Environment, Maryland, TrailNation, TrailsTransform, Walkability and Bikeability

Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. painted a visionary picture for Baltimore in his comprehensive 1904 Report Upon the Development of Public Grounds for Greater Baltimore. His blueprints for Baltimore’s park system, which focused attention on the three stream valleys, are a shining example of effective urban planning. More than a century later, these stream valleys remain among the city’s greatest assets—and now, they are pieces of a new vision for a connected and more equitable Baltimore.

Carbon River trestle along the Foothills Trail in western Washington | Photo by Gene Bisbee

Destination: Washington—Following the Foothills Trail

Posted 05/01/16 by Gene Bisbee in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Biking, Ecology and Environment, Featured Magazine Articles, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Destinations, Washington

There’s a spot on the Foothills Trail in western Washington where I always slow down. It’s not a sudden steep climb or dicey patch of gravel that causes me to feather my bike brakes on the outskirts of Orting. It’s the imposing and ever-changing view of glacier-capped Mount Rainier seemingly emerging at the end of the trail.

Photo courtesy Grant Montgomery | CC by 2.0

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Thurston County, Wash.

Posted 04/26/16 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Taking Action, Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Washington

On or about April 21, 2016, BNSF Railway Company filed for the abandonment of 1.43 miles of track within Belmore in Thurston County, Washington. 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.

View of John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and Nashville, Tennessee, skyline | Photo courtesy C.T. Thongklin | CC by 2.0

Trail Users Help Kill Anti-Bike/Ped Bill in Tennessee

Posted 04/21/16 by Andrew Dupuy in Policy, Success Stories | Tagged with Funding, Local Organizing, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Tennessee, Walkability and Bikeability

Thanks to the grassroots mobilization of thousands of cyclists and trail users this spring, legislation that could have had negative repercussions for active transportation around the country officially died this week with the close of the Tennessee General Assembly’s annual session.

Live music was a highlight of Washington, D.C.'s 2016 Opening Day for Trails celebration on Kingman Island | Photo by Milo Bateman

Opening Day 2016 Recap: DC Celebrates Future Northeast Trail Connection

Posted 04/20/16 by Katie Harris in Building Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Biking, Community Events, District Of Columbia, Maintenance and Volunteers, Walkability and Bikeability

This year, RTC’s National Office teamed up with Living Classrooms, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) and REI to celebrate Opening Day for Trails 2016 on Kingman Island. As a special highlight—WABA led a bike ride on the Anacostia River Trail, which is welcoming in a new 4-mile Kenilworth segment that will have a huge impact on connectivity in the area.

Kicking off the weekend on April 15, a group of bicyclists in the Greater Philadelphia area took a ride on the Ben Franklin Bridge to help launch the 750-mile Circuit Trails network! | Photo courtesy RTC

Check Out These Great 2016 Opening Day for Trails Pics

Posted 04/19/16 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Success Stories, Taking Action | Tagged with Community Events, Encouraging Trail Use, OpeningDay

This year's Opening Day for Trails was the best yet—and we've got the photos to prove it. There were more than 150 official events across the country to celebrate Spring and officially kick off the trail season. Here are a few examples.

Opening Day 2015 in Concord, California | Photo by Barry Bergman

Celebrate Opening Day for Trails With RTC on April 16!

Posted 04/13/16 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Taking Action, Trail Use | Tagged with California, Community Events, District Of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio, OpeningDay, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

Thousands of people across the country have pledged to get out and celebrate trails on Saturday, April 16—the nation’s fourth annual Opening Day for Trails. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is hosting some awesome rides and events in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin and California. Here's more info!

Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, part of the 750-mile Circuit Trails network | Photo by Thom Carroll

The Circuit Trails: 750-Mile Network Has Sparked a Greater Philly Transformation

Posted 04/12/16 by Heather Mistretta in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Celebrating 30 Years, Circuit Trails, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations

For the past five years, a web of approximately 30 multi-use pathways known as the Circuit Trails has been growing throughout the Greater Philadelphia area, with long-term plans to stretch 750 miles across nine counties. Currently at 300 miles, the Circuit Trails is like no other system in the country—connecting urban, suburban and rural communities in a 2.5-million-acre area. By the time it is complete, which is expected to be in 2040, more than 50 percent of the region’s population will live within a mile of the Circuit Trails. Additionally, the system will connect to the East Coast Greenway, enveloping a 3,000-mile off-road route that spans as far north as Calais, Maine, and as far south as Key West, Florida.

View from the Walkway Over the Hudson rail-trail in New York | Photo by Aaron Schmidt

5 Amazing Rail-Trail Destinations for Your Bucket List

Posted 04/12/16 by Laura Stark in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with Celebrating 30 Years, Colorado, Featured Magazine Articles, Hall of Fame, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Trail Destinations

In recognition of this year’s 30th anniversary of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, RTC is conducting a public vote for the 30th addition to our Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. We thought that it was the perfect opportunity to share with you why this year's nominees are also amazing destinations you won't want to miss. Here's a little more info for you, plus travel and bike rental info!

Chris London is the community relations manager for Performance Bikes, which is celebrating Opening Day for Trails 2016 through the brand's Great Ride Series. | Photo courtesy Chris London

Kick Off the Trail Season With Performance Bicycle on April 16!

Posted 04/11/16 by Danielle Taylor in Trail Use, Taking Action | Tagged with Biking, Community Events, Encouraging Trail Use, OpeningDay

On April 16, all 104 Performance Bicycle stores in the U.S. will host Opening Day trail rides as part of the brand’s ongoing Great Ride Series, a national initiative that aims to reach non-riders and educate them on riding skills, bicycle maintenance and local trails. We talked with Chris London, community relations manager for Performance Bicycle, about their commitment to engaging new riders, his company’s Opening Day for Trails plans and one particularly life-changing find he discovered while riding.