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With Little Backing From Municipalities, Volunteers Build Stunning Rail-Trail in Idaho

Posted 08/15/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Corridors and Railbanking, Idaho, Local Organizing, State and Federal Programs

Photo © Friends of the Weiser River Trail

In rural Idaho, Friends of the Weiser River Trail (FWRT) has been able to build and maintain an 85-mile rail-trail with no significant municipal or county backing. FWRT did all of the hard work themselves, encountering opposition from both county governments and private property owners along the way, several of whom filed lawsuits against the friends group.

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Photo © San Antonio Express-News/Lisa Krantz

All Across Texas, Cities Boost Bike-ability

Posted 08/09/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Trail Use, Success Stories | Tagged with State and Federal Programs, Texas, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability

The times are a'changing in Texas. In centers like Denton, San Antonio, Austin, Houston and Fort Worth, planners are recognizing the importance of bike (and pedestrian) infrastructure, and as a result, ridership and bike-inspired initiatives are on the up.

Photo © Friends of the Northern Rail Trail

Strong Friends Group the Driving Force Behind Northern Rail Trail in New Hampshire

Posted 07/26/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, New Hampshire, State and Federal Programs, Winter Uses

One of the great stories in Community Built features Friends of the Northern Rail Trail in rural New Hampshire. Now the longest rail-trail in the state, the corridor follows the right-of-way of the former Northern Railroad, which discontinued service in 1970. It is currently 49 miles long and will eventually cover 57.5 miles when completed.

Photo of commuters in New York © Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Americans Driving Less, Looking for Better Options

Posted 07/16/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Trail Use, Policy | Tagged with Case Studies, Demand for Trails, Facts and FIgures, Federal

The report, Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People are Driving Less and What it Means for Transportation Policy, shows that young people in particular are decreasing the amount they drive and increasing their use of transportation alternatives.

Photo © Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

RTC Continues to Lead Pennsylvania Trails Effort

Posted 06/08/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Pennsylvania, State and Federal Programs

For more than 20 years, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has been one of the strongest members of Pennsylvania's trail development, advocacy and promotion community. Thanks in part to our efforts, Pennsylvania is now a state with plenty of rail-trail activity, a strong supporter base and a wonderful network of outdoor recreation assets.

LaHood Hails "Eye-Opening Report on the Value of Investing in Nonmotorized Transportation"

Posted 05/01/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Policy, Trail Use | Tagged with Case Studies, Facts and FIgures, Products of Good Policy, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Statements of Support

The U.S. Congress last week was handed the statistical analysis of the first three years of the groundbreaking Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP), which dedicated $25 million to each of four communities across the country to accurately demonstrate whether such investments equate to significantly higher levels of walking and bicycling, and a reduction in vehicle miles traveled.

Photo © Bike Delaware

New Rail-Trail at Heart of Delaware's Push for Walk- and Bike-ability

Posted 04/14/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Delaware, State and Federal Programs, Statements of Support, Walkability and Bikeability

"There is a perception that (trails) are nice amenities from a recreational standpoint, but with $4-a-gallon gas I have seen a lot of people out there biking and making an economic choice," Shailen Bhatt, secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation, told Delaware Online this week.