Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Trail Blog

Kidical Mass: Training Wheels and Tots the Focus of Tallahassee Bike Crew

Posted 01/22/14 by Amy Kapp in Taking Action, Success Stories | Tagged with Florida, Local Organizing

"The bike movement has grown up, and now it has kids." These are the words of Shane MacRhodes, founder of Kidical Mass - a national program designed to "provide a safe environment for kids and their parents to learn and practice [bicycle] safety skills" while creating awareness of the growing number of cyclists-including youth-in local areas. Hence the tagline: kids are traffic too.

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In Tallahassee, the (Bicycle) House that Scot Built

Posted 01/16/14 by Amy Kapp in Success Stories | Tagged with Florida, Local Organizing

It was Scot Benton's father who inspired him to found Bicycle House Tallahassee, a Florida nonprofit that's part bike repair shop and training center, part "build-a-bike" program, part community development organization, part trail cleanup group and part kitchen/overnight space for travelers on the "Southern Tier" route from San Diego, Calif., to Saint Augustine, Fla.

Meet the Miami River Greenway

Posted 01/13/14 by Miami River Commission in America's Trails | Tagged with Florida, Miami LOOP, Urban Pathways

A shout out to the Miami River Commission for providing RTC with this great first-person (first-trail) Q&A "with" the Miami River Greenway. This 10-mile scenic rail-trail-currently in development-is connecting the incredible neighborhoods, businesses and cultural attractions around the waterway and helping to transform Miami.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 © Rails-to-Trails Conservancy/Scott Stark

Pinellas Trail the Centerpiece of Brian Smith's Legacy in Florida

Posted 08/28/12 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Success Stories, Taking Action | Tagged with Champions, Florida, RTC in Action

In his four decades in urban and regional planning, Brian Smith has witnessed firsthand the evolution of the role of trails in communities.

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.

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