There was some wonderful news for rail-trail advocates and planners in Illinois last week, with Governor Pat Quinn announcing tens of millions of dollars would be invested in trails throughout the state.
Many projects were made possible by the Trail Mini-Grant Program for Pennsylvania Rail-Trails. Managed by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), this funding source helps trail organizations or municipalities in Pennsylvania that need to make small repairs or improvements to their trail, for dollar amounts typically well below that requested in major grants.
Thanks to public pressure from trail users and supporters, including Greater Greater Washington blogger Geoff Hatchard and the District Department of Transportation's Bicycle Program Specialist and Trail Planner, Heather Deutsch, DDOT management has committed to better maintaining trailside lighting in order to ensure the trail remains lit at night.
Like many waterways through America's cities, the Bronx River in New York has seen better days. Industrial waste and the impact of millions of people living on and around its banks made the river suffer mightily from pollution in the 50s, 60s and 70s.
The urban environment of Compton, Los Angeles, provides a strong example of why Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) Urban Pathways Initiative is such urgent and important work.
The people of central Tennessee are excited about the potential of an extensive rail-trail in their region, and are wasting no time making that dream a reality.
It was wonderful to see our efforts on the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) in Washington D.C. over the past five years bloom into an energetic and supportive trail community.
Inspired by the great popularity of rail-trails all around them, the people of Londonderry in southeast New Hampshire continue an impressive volunteer-driven effort to build a rail-trail in their community.
Local business leaders have joined the groundswell of support for a rail-trail project which, when complete, will run 93 miles through the communities and recreational and rural lands of northern Vermont.
After nearly two decades of dedication and perseverance, a small group of volunteers continues to make great strides in the development of the North Central Pathway, connecting two historical north-central Massachusetts towns. The committee of local citizens, formed back in 1995 to develop and promote the trail, remains active today.
