Local Organizing

Rallying for Missouri’s Rock Island Trail

Posted 08/15/17 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Building Trails, Taking Action | Tagged with Community Events, Demand for Trails, Local Organizing, Missouri, RTC in Action, Rural Communities, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities

Supporters of the Rock Island Trail rallied at the state Capitol in Jefferson, Missouri. | Photo by Brandi Horton

I’m just coming off of a trip to Jefferson City, Missouri, where I met dozens of people who live along the Rock Island rail corridor. Hearing their stories about what this future trail means to their lives affirmed the importance of the work that we are doing. Beyond that, though, it affirmed how critical this trail is to the well-being of the small towns it will pass through.

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The trail offers unbeatable views of the Pittsburgh skyline | Photo by Kelly Carter, courtesy Friends of the Riverfront

Pennsylvania’s Three Rivers Heritage Trail

Posted 04/07/17 by Laura Stark in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Local Organizing, Pennsylvania, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Spiraling outward from downtown Pittsburgh, the 24-mile Three Rivers Heritage Trail traces the banks of three waterways—the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio—that lifted the city to prominence as America’s industrial powerhouse. The development of this paved pathway, which began more than 25 years ago, sparked a biking revolution that is continuing to turn the famed “Steel City” into “Wheel City.”

View of John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and Nashville, Tennessee, skyline | Photo courtesy C.T. Thongklin | CC by 2.0

Trail Users Help Kill Anti-Bike/Ped Bill in Tennessee

Posted 04/21/16 by Andrew Dupuy in Policy, Success Stories | Tagged with Funding, Local Organizing, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Tennessee, Walkability and Bikeability

Thanks to the grassroots mobilization of thousands of cyclists and trail users this spring, legislation that could have had negative repercussions for active transportation around the country officially died this week with the close of the Tennessee General Assembly’s annual session.

John Wayne Pioneer Trail | Photo courtesy TrailLink.com/Washington State DNR - Southeast Region

Update from the West: The John Wayne Trail Is Safe—for Now

Posted 01/22/16 by Laura Cohen in Taking Action, Policy | Tagged with Local Organizing, Overcoming Opposition, RTC in Action, Success Stories, Washington

You may be aware that longest rail-trail in the U.S. has been under fire lately, but we’ve got good news—at least for now—for John Wayne Pioneer Trail supporters. RTC learned that Rep. Schmick has decided to stop his effort to close the John Wayne.

Midway across the span of the Chartiers Creek Bridge | Photo courtesy Kordite | CC by 2.0

Pennsylvania's Montour Trail

Posted 03/16/15 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

In terms of rail-trail mileage, Pennsylvania dominates, but in a crowded field, the Montour Trail—which forms a 55-mile arc around western Pittsburgh—is a standout with plenty of “wow” moments.

All photos © Tweetsie Trail

Here Comes the Tweetsie Trail! Local Tenacity Built Tennessee’s Newest Rail-Trail

Posted 08/14/14 by Kristen Martin in Building Trails | Tagged with Corridors and Railbanking, Local Organizing, Tennessee

The 10-mile stretch of corridor between Johnson City and Elizabethton—located on the historic East Tennessee & Western North Carolina (ET & WNC) line—had not had any rail traffic since 2003. The line was no longer profitable, and its owner, Genesee & Wyoming, Inc., began to weigh its options.

Photo © Richard Anderson

Making the Most of the Met (Metropolitan Branch Trail, That Is!)

Posted 06/26/14 by Amy Kapp in Trail Use | Tagged with District Of Columbia, Local Organizing, RTC in Action, Urban Pathways

On June 25, Kathy Blaha, board member extraordinaire for both RTC and City Parks Alliance, posted this great blog on the programs helping to make the Metropolitan Branch Trail a true neighborhood gem. Programming is a valuable strategy for increasing trail use among individuals and families in local communities across the U.S., as RTC's trail development director, Kelly Pack, discusses in the blog.

Photos © Melissa Turley

Bike Advocacy: Why Teton County Commissioner Melissa Turley Is Truly Inspired

Posted 06/04/14 by Katie Harris in Taking Action | Tagged with Champions, Local Organizing, Wyoming

The trail world is filled with inspiring people. Some are folks that use and celebrate the pathways in their community on a daily basis. Others are champions, enacting change and making decisions that help the trails movement. And some, like Teton County, Wyo.’s Commissioner Melissa Turley, are both.