TrailBlog Page 3

Three Rivers Heritage Trail | Courtesy Healthy Ride, Pittsburgh Bike Share

Six Tips to Carry Your Summer Biking Habit Into Fall

Posted 11/05/20 by PeopleForBikes in America's Trails, Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Encouraging Trail Use, Gear, Health and Active Living, How-to, Trail Use Tips, Winter Uses

The beauty of autumn also means cooler temperatures, earlier sunsets and sometimes less-than-ideal weather. For the many of you who picked up biking for the first time this summer or returned after a long hiatus, the thought of braving colder weather while riding might feel intimidating.

Photo by Hunter Franklin, courtesy Facebook.com/dollsheadtrail

Five Creepy Cool Trailside Attractions

Posted 10/28/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with COVID-19, District Of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, History Happened Here, Maryland, Ohio, Trail Destinations

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy editorial team really loves Halloween. And while this year may not see the normal amount of costume- and candy-filled events due to safety measures surrounding COVID-19—we still thought we’d present this list of some of our favorite creepy trailside attractions for some much-needed levity (no pun intended?) and fun!

Doll’s Head Trail in DeKalb County’s Constitution Lakes Park, Atlanta, Georgia | Photo by Marcus O. Bst | CC BY 2.0 GENERIC

Atlanta’s Doll’s Head Trail Is an Eerily Cool Trailside Attraction—With a Great Cause

Posted 10/27/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Georgia, Maintenance and Volunteers, Trail Destinations

It began as kind of a dark joke, all told, but the Doll’s Head Trail—a name that doesn’t quite sum up the 2.5-mile whimsical (and sometimes creepy) trail-turned-art exhibit tucked away in DeKalb, County’s Constitution Lakes Park in Atlanta, Georgia—has evolved into a regional and national attraction since its inception a decade ago.

Image by RTC, Photos courtesy Hollie S.

She Moved Cross-Country During COVID: How One Runner Is Connecting to Her New Community on Trails

Posted 10/26/20 by Hollie S. in America's Trails, Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with COVID-19, Health and Active Living, Trail Moments, Why Use Trails?

Moving across the country during the pandemic was one of the scariest—but also most exciting—things we've ever done. Along the way, we stopped at several rail-trails. Running on trails was one of the best and most enjoyable ways to see the country safely.

Metropolitan Branch Trail | Photo by India Kea

Americans Urged to #RecreateResponsibly As Trail Use Surges During COVID

Posted 10/23/20 by Christina Sturdivant Sani in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Encouraging Trail Use, Trail Etiquette, Trail Moments, Trail Use Tips, Why Use Trails?

Across the country, some trails spiked to levels more than 200% higher than the same time last year, according to trail count data released by RTC in July. Currently, trail use is still far exceeding previous usage; since the pandemic began, RTC’s trail count data shows that usage has been 60% higher [on average] than in 2019.

Vincent Viars and his running partners on the Mon River Trail | Courtesy Vincent Viars

Morgantown Man Gets a Running Start to a Healthier Life on Trails

Posted 10/23/20 by Laura Stark in Health and Wellness, America's Trails | Tagged with COVID-19, Encouraging Trail Use, Health and Active Living, Healthy Aging, IHTC, Trail Moments, West Virginia, Why Use Trails?

Vincent Viars is running for his life. Both his mother and one sister had suffered from heart problems and diabetes, passing away in their 60s. Another sister had triple bypass surgery and several stents. Overweight and living a sedentary lifestyle, Viars’ gnawing fear of dying grew as he approached middle age, so he decided to make a change with a health journey that began one literal step at a time.

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Niagara County, New York

Posted 10/20/20 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, New York

On or about Oct. 7, 2020, Somerset Railroad Corporation filed for the abandonment of 13.39 miles of track between Lockport and the Somerset power generation plant in Niagara County, New York. 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.

Tweetsie Trail entrance in Johnson City | Courtesy Carter County Tourism

Tennessee’s Tweetsie Trail

Posted 10/13/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Health and Active Living, Tennessee, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

Nestled into the recreational playground of northeastern Tennessee, the Tweetsie Trail connects two charming towns in the Appalachian foothills, following a railroad corridor that once snaked through the mountains and crossed into North Carolina.

Seattle Parks and Recreation staff gathered data on nearly 10,000 trail users over the course of 25 intercept studies on five local trails for the city's e-bike pilot program. | Courtesy Seattle Parks and Recreation

Seattle E-Bike Pilot Program Promotes Safe Shared Use on Local Trails

Posted 10/07/20 by Danielle Taylor in America's Trails | Tagged with Health and Active Living, Mode Shift, Motorized Use, Washington

Like other cutting-edge West Coast cities, Seattle often sees the first waves of new technology, and recently, that tech has made its way onto the city’s trails in the form of e-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards, solo wheels and more. Micromobility devices like these feature a small electric motor the rider can engage for a boost when needed, and in Seattle and many other urban areas, e-bike and e-scooter sharing programs provide convenient alternative-transportation options.

Anamaria Spiteri on the Pelishek-Tiffany Nature Trail | Courtesy Anamaria Spiteri

Reclaiming My Health and Community Connection on America’s Rail-Trails During the Pandemic

Posted 10/02/20 by Anamaria Spiteri in America's Trails, Health and Wellness | Tagged with COVID-19, Encouraging Trail Use, Health and Active Living, Trail Moments, Why Use Trails?

As I contemplated how to incorporate a good cardio routine into my life, I challenged myself to create a structure that would not only help me and inspire others to stay committed, but also helped those more severely impacted by the pandemic. Hence, my blog Ride Bikes. Eat Local. was born.

Kiwanis Trail in Billings, Montana | Photo by Kristi Drake

Latest Round of Federal BUILD Grants Underscores Value of Active Transportation and Need for Investment

Posted 09/25/20 by Patrick Wojahn in Policy | Tagged with Connected Systems, Federal, Funding, TrailsTransform

The USDOT announced its latest round of grant awards in the highly competitive BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Developments) grant program. This year, a significant portion of the total funded projects, representing more than $300 million, include active transportation elements that will help ensure safe and connected infrastructure for people to walk and bike around the country.

Northern Rail Trail | Photo by TrailLink user sc302

Five Top Trails That Make the Case for America’s Recreational Trails Program

Posted 09/21/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Policy | Tagged with Federal, Funding, Idaho, Maintenance and Volunteers, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, TrailsTransform, Vermont

Nearly three decades after its inception, the need for the RTP has only intensified as trail development accelerates nationally. Looking at the rail-trail niche alone, the country has increased its number of rail-trails from around 500 to more than 2,200. And, in many places, individual trails are now coalescing into expansive networks of interconnected trails spanning hundreds of miles. Awareness and use of trails has grown in tandem—but with more footfalls, hoofbeats and wheel revolutions than ever, funding for trail maintenance is not keeping pace with demand.