Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Trail Blog

RTC Launches Development of Game-Changing Trail Planning Tool

Posted 06/12/14 by Tracy Hadden Loh in Building Trails | Tagged with Case Studies, Connected Systems, Facts and FIgures, Mapping and Technology, RTC in Action

Earlier this month, RTC announced the launch of T-MAP (Trail Modeling and Assessment Platform), a three-year, $1.2-million initiative with the potential to set a new standard for trail planning in America. In partnership with researchers and trail managers in 12 U.S. cities, RTC will lead the first-ever nationwide survey of urban trail use and produce planning models and metrics that can forecast the returns on investment that trails stimulate around the country.

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Ohio's Great Miami River Trail

Posted 06/01/14 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Ohio, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

For those whose hearts call out for adventure as the summer begins in earnest, the fully paved, sinuous Great Miami River Trail irresistibly beckons. Nestled within western Ohio's Miami Valley, the 86-mile trail winds through woodsy parks beneath the soft rustle of tall, broad-leafed trees, quietly glides into the rich green and gold hues of farm country, and resonates with all the vibrancy and excitement of Dayton at its center.

Heart of Minneapolis: The Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway

Posted 04/25/14 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Minnesota, Trail Communities

At the heart of Minneapolis’ world-class trail system is the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, a series of seven segments of interconnected parks and parkways that loop around the city, acting as a key connector to the entire network of city parks and trails, and more than 300 miles of regional trails. The 7 segments are connected by 51 miles of paved pedestrian paths and (mostly) separate bike paths, as well as 55 miles of driving parkways that give the Grand Rounds its status as a national scenic byway.

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

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.

From Recreation to Transportation: Minnesota’s Lake Wobegon Trail

Posted 04/11/14 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Minnesota, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

Lake Wobegon may be a fictional town in Garrison Keillor’s popular radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion,” but the Lake Wobegon Trail is a real, 62-mile pathway from Osakis to St. Joseph that is perfect for bikers, walkers and trail lovers.

The Frisco Trail – Fayetteville, Arkansas

Posted 12/01/13 by Jake Lynch in America's Trails | Tagged with Arkansas, Connected Systems, Rail-with-Trail, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Although only a relatively short rail-trail at 1.3 miles, the Frisco Trail in Fayetteville, Arkansas, has had an oversized impact on its city.

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.

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.

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