Connected Systems Page 7

It’s All About Connections: A Vision for the Dakota Rail Regional Trail

Posted 04/18/14 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Minnesota, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

Photo © Three Rivers Park District

Welcome to the Dakota Rail Regional Trail, a pathway currently less than 30 minutes west of the Twin Cities by car. As you may have guessed from the name, the trail was a railroad corridor owned by several companies over the years, including the Dakota Rail. Before its closure in 2001, the railroad ran through three counties from Wayzata, Minn., to Hutchinson, Minn., in McLeod County.

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Photo CC www.flickr/beyondDC via Flickr

Cycle Tracks: Part of the Active Transportation Solution

Posted 11/13/13 by Amy Levner in Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Healthy Aging, Urban Pathways

With the number of regular bikers on the rise, cities are starting to realize that people need safe places to ride. Bike lanes, trails and paths are being built by the mile. Forward-thinking cities know that making it easy for people to ride goes beyond the creation of healthy citizens; it provides a cost-effective way for people to get around.

Sundial Bridge | Photo by Beth Young, CC by 2.0

The Road to a Thousand Wonders

Posted 09/12/13 by Bryan Goebel in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with California, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Featured Magazine Articles, Health and Active Living

The astonishing Sundial Bridge peeks out from a tall canopy of cottonwood trees as I approach Redding, Calif., on Highway 44. It looks like an enormous white harp or an egret. Designed by Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava, the eight-year-old bridge radiates over the lush green landscape, linking both sides of the Upper Sacramento River where it makes a wide turn at Turtle Bay.

Photo © www.harahanbridgeproject.com

Bridging Two Cities Across the Mississippi, New Trail Project a Grand Moment for Tennessee

Posted 08/09/13 by Marianne Wesley Fowler in Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, State and Federal Programs, Tennessee

In the second decade of the 20th century, the world was engulfed in war. The city of Memphis was an important center of military and industrial activity, yet there were few ways for goods and people to cross the mighty barrier that was the Mississippi River.

Pennsylvania: A Tale of Two Cities

Posted 03/14/13 by Laura Stark in Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, IHTC, Local Organizing, Pennsylvania

There's no doubt about it: Pennsylvanians love their rail-trails. The Keystone State has more Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) members than any other by far. In 1999, Pennsylvania opened its 100th rail-trail—the first in the nation to reach that milestone—and continues to be in the top echelon of states for open rail-trails. It's no surprise then that its two largest cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, have expansive trail systems that are shining models for others to follow.

Photo of ribbon cutting on the Charter Oak Trail © Hartford Courant

Connecticut On a Roll As the Trail Gaps Disappear

Posted 01/16/13 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, Policy, Success Stories | Tagged with Champions, Connected Systems, Connecticut, Products of Good Policy

Driven by a supportive governor and a forward-thinking state department of transportation that is conscious of the role of biking and walking in modern planning, Connecticut has done some great things in recent years to connect, and expand, its network of trails.