TrailBlog Page 8

Indianapolis Cultural Trail | Photo by TrailLink user lunariver

USDOT’s Current RAISE Funding Opportunity Is Best Chance Yet to Secure Big Investments in Connected, Safe Walking and Biking Routes

Posted 02/08/22 by Kevin Mills in Policy | Tagged with Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Federal, Funding, RAISE, TrailsTransform

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has invited applications for the next round of its competitive, multimodal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program (formerly known as TIGER under the Obama Administration and BUILD under the Trump Administration). This round promises to be your best chance yet to secure $5 million to $25 million to build your trail and other active-transportation connections, or a big planning grant to get your regional system ready.

Considered icons of the New Orleans jazz sound, King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band recorded their debut album in 1923 at Gennett Records in Richmond, Indiana. | Courtesty Charlie Dahan

A Walk to Remember: Indiana’s Place as the Crucible of American Music

Posted 02/01/22 by Scott Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, History Happened Here, Indiana

America’s greatest contribution to cultural history is its music, and no matter what kind of music you listen to, it’s been influenced directly by the records made by those artists of Gennett records.

Gov. Eric Holcomb at the Next Level Trails program announcement in 2019 | Courtesy Indiana Department of Natural Resources

A Conversation With the 2021 Rail-Trail Champion: Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb

Posted 01/25/22 by Brandi Horton, Cory Matteson in America's Trails | Tagged with Champions, Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, Indiana, Rail-Trail Champion

The state’s Next Level Trails program, part of the broader Next Level Connections infrastructure directive pushed by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, is investing millions to accelerate trail development across the state. The program, which levels the playing field for trail projects of all sizes and spreads investment to small towns, suburbs and urban hubs alike, could serve as a model for other states and is one reason that RTC is honoring Holcomb as the 2021 Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champion.

California Coastal Trail | Photo by TrailLink user davidgordon144

Commuting Across and Exploring the Bay Area Will Become More Accessible to Millions of Residents Via 2,604 Miles of Connected Trails

Posted 01/12/22 by Heather Irish in America's Trails | Tagged with BATC, California, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Ecology and Environment, Facts and FIgures, TrailNation

This vision is becoming a reality with nearly 60% of the 2,604-mile Bay Area regional trail network complete. Leading the charge is the Bay Area Trails Collaborative, a group of more than 50 businesses, agencies and organizations that is chaired by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC).

Indiana's Big 4 Trail | Courtesy Town of Zionsville

Indiana’s Big 4 Trail

Posted 01/11/22 by Agueda Pacheco Flores in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Indiana, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Surrounded by tree canopies, beautiful countryside and the charm of small towns, the Big 4 Trail traverses a Midwestern wonderland. The developing rail-trail serves as an important regional connector—spreading diagonally across Boone County, crossing into Clinton County and, eventually, continuing into Tippecanoe County.

Fortress Bikes interior | Courtesy Hal Simon

Trail Moments | Letting the Good (and Bad) Times Roll: New York Bike Shop Opens in the Midst of a Covid World

Posted 01/03/22 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Biking, COVID-19, Demand for Trails, Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail Moments

Simon’s bike rental shop, a first for the town, is situated on Hurleyville’s Main Street, just steps from the rail-trail. “It’s 7 miles of beautiful, flat pavement,” he said. “You’ll see bodies of water, farmland and forest. And the colors are gorgeous in the fall—you have foliage, history and wildlife.”

Richmond Greenway | Courtesy RTC

A Look Ahead for the Trails Movement in 2022 and Beyond

Posted 12/21/21 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Equity, Federal, Funding, Great American Rail-Trail, Recreational Trails Program, Route of the Badger, Trail Moments, TrailNation, Transportation Alternatives

The challenges of the past couple years have shown us that our work remains more important than ever. As we look ahead, we see opportunity and potential in the work and in the inspiration provided by the partners, friends and advocates with whom we share our collective vision.

Alaska's Waterfront Trail | Photo Courtesy City of Seward

Top 10 Trails in Alaska

Posted 12/15/21 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Alaska, Best Of, Top10, Trail Destinations

With rugged peaks, sparkling seas and verdant forests, Alaska is unparalleled in natural beauty. Holding more than half of America’s national park land by area, as well as numerous wildlife refuges, national forests, state parks and other outdoor assets, opportunities to recreate in the state are nearly boundless.

Vermont's Island Line Rail Trail | Photo by Traillink user sluberry

Top 10 Trails in Vermont

Posted 12/15/21 by Amy Grisak in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Top10, Trail Destinations, Vermont

Regardless of the season, Vermonters make the most of their trails. From spring when the wildflowers abound to the stunning autumn display of the hardwood forests, traveling by trail is a part of life. And during the winter, it doesn’t matter if there are feet of snow on the ground because many of the trails are plowed or groomed for cross-country skis, snowshoes or fat-tired bikes. Exploring these routes gives trail users the most eye-catching paths leading from home into town, or venturing into the bucolic Vermont landscape that is rich in cultural history and natural beauty.