Florida Page 4

A Few Hundred Strong, African-American Community Aims to Become Florida's Next Trail Town

Posted 01/08/14 by Herb Hiller in Success Stories, Trail Use | Tagged with Art, Florida, Signage and Amenities, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

Photo © East Coast Greenway Alliance

There is an experience that is unique to the people driving cars along State Road 207 in Florida. Only they can make the sharp, abrupt drop into Armstrong - a settlement where moms walk babies and folks chat along the narrow town road that abruptly ends in woods. From the high-speed, four-lane highway to the serene woods the drivers go ...plop! It's a strange juxtaposition.

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Photo © Mike Gippert

The Word From Florida: 10 Great Things Happening in the Sunshine State

Posted 01/03/14 by Jake Lynch in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Florida

Despite recognized challenges, Floridians around the state have been generating lots of sweat equity in the alternative transportation scene these days. They are working to get new projects completed and making the landscape safer and more convenient for the growing number of people who are choosing biking and walking as their mode of transportation.

Photo © Charissa Thacker

Florida's Blountstown Greenway Bike Path

Posted 01/01/14 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Florida, Heritage and Restoration, Overcoming Opposition, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Straddled between two well-known tourist hubs in the Florida Panhandle is Blountstown, a small city in Calhoun County with only two traffic lights. Nonetheless, it is a growing destination. At the center of this movement is the Blountstown Greenway Bike Path, which was taken from an unlikely prospect to the "heartbeat of the community" by a surprising trail hero, a radio-station owner.

Photo by Josh Ritchie

Connecting the Keys: Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail

Posted 12/01/13 by Sher Jasperse in America's Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Florida, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

Since then, the only way to traverse the Keys, a chain of islands stretching southwest from the southern tip of mainland Florida, has been the reliable but perennially congested U.S. Highway 1—that is, until the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (FKOHT) began taking shape over the past decade. Approximately 76 miles of the in-progress passageway are complete. Already the most popular trail in the state, it will eventually extend 106 miles from Key Largo to Key West.

Photo © Pinellas County

Florida's $50 Million a Savvy Investment in the State

Posted 04/22/13 by Ken Bryan in Building Trails, Policy | Tagged with Case Studies, Facts and FIgures, Florida, Private Fundraising, Tourism and Economic Stimulus

Florida's decision this week to set aside $50 million for the creation of a 275-mile cross-state trail is not only great news for those of us who love trails, biking, riding and hiking - it is also a tremendous shot in the arm for thousands of main street businesses and the state's economy.

Map © Florida DOT

Trail Across Old Tampa Bay a Leap Forward for Florida

Posted 10/22/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Florida, State and Federal Programs, Walkability and Bikeability

Things are starting to change, thanks in part to Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) more than 20 years of advocacy and coalition building in Florida, and a dedicated community of local planners and advocates. This month, work began on a multi-use pathway alongside the Courtney Campbell Causeway, passing over Old Tampa Bay and connecting Clearwater in Pinellas County with Tampa in Hillsborough County.

Photo © Pinellas County

Florida's Rail-Trail Champion Continues to Give

Posted 10/02/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, Taking Action | Tagged with Champions, Florida, Signage and Amenities

When Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) named Florida's Brian Smith one of the 25 inaugural Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions, it was in recognition of the years of labor and expertise he had given to the creation and expansion of the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail, one of Florida's most popular and unique urban pathways.

Photo © Reynolds, Smith and Hills Inc.

From Razor Wire to Postcard Shot - New Bridge a Fine Feature in Gainesville, Fla.

Posted 06/29/12 by Laura Stark in Building Trails | Tagged with Florida, Signage and Amenities

There's no way to put this nicely: the Southwest 13th Street bridge was just plain ugly. But construction is currently under way to transform the Gainesville, Fla., pedestrian overpass--which once featured cage-like siding and razor wire on top- into a magnificent gateway feature for the city.

Photo of opening day on the East Central Regional Rail Trail © Volusia County

'We The People' - Grassroots Energy Drives Bike/Ped Improvements in Florida

Posted 03/02/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Florida, Safety and Law Enforcement, Signage and Amenities

Saturday's opening of the first section of the East Central Regional Rail Trail (ECRRT) in Volusia County, Fla., was a great opportunity to witness firsthand the growing enthusiasm for walking and biking in that state.

Image © Transportation for America and the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership

Ask State Leaders to Improve Safety for Florida's Pedestrians

Posted 11/24/09 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Policy | Tagged with Florida, Safety and Law Enforcement

According to "Dangerous by Design," a report released on November 9, 2009 by Transportation for America and the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, Florida has the dubious honor of being home to the four most dangerous communities in the country for pedestrians.