Local Organizing Page 5

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 Capital Trails Coalition, 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.

Photo © Tricounty Rails to Trails

Small Ticket Grants to Make Big Impact on Trails in Six Communities

Posted 03/30/14 by Pat Tomes in Building Trails | Tagged with Local Organizing, Pennsylvania, Private Fundraising

Now in its seventh year, the Trail Assistance Mini-Grant Program managed by RTC was begun as a way to assist trail organizations or municipalities who need to make small repairs and improvements to their trail outside of the regular Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant schedule and well below the higher dollar amounts usually requested on major trail development grants.

Photo © Tracie Sanchez

Inspiring Ideas: Meet the Woman Who Kick-Started the Georgia Trail Summit

Posted 03/20/14 by Tracie Sanchez in Building Trails | Tagged with Georgia, Local Organizing, Young Champions

On April 11-12, 2014, Georgia’s first trail summit in 15 years will convene in Athens. Trail groups from throughout the state will gather to share knowledge and further projects, with a goal of establishing a first-class trail network in Georgia. In this guest blog, Tracie Sanchez, organizer of the Georgia Trail Summit, talks about her inspiration for the event and how she turned the idea into a reality.

Photos © FreeWalkers

Promoting Walkability in America – From Coast to Coast

Posted 03/10/14 by Amy Kapp in Trail Use | Tagged with Local Organizing, New Jersey, Walkability and Bikeability, Washington

In America’s urban centers and rural areas, walkability is becoming a hot topic. Both the public and public leaders are recognizing the way in which pedestrian-friendly policies and infrastructure can help spur economic development, improve individual and community health, and make neighborhoods more livable.

Photos © Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Compton Kids Get Moving Outside: RTC Promotes Urban Pathways in Los Angeles County

Posted 02/28/14 by Barry Bergman in Health and Wellness, Trail Use | Tagged with California, Local Organizing, Schools and Young People, Urban Pathways

RTC worked in Compton, Calif., for several years as part of our Urban Pathways Initiative (UPI), sponsoring trail-based activities to promote increased physical activity and active transportation. As an end to RTC’s Heart Month series, here are some examples of how we helped to positively impact this passionate community.

Photos © WABI Burien and Patti Means Project Solutions

In Washington: How Nostalgia—and Lots of Passion—Made a Town More Bikeable

Posted 02/18/14 by Amy Kapp in Success Stories | Tagged with Local Organizing, Trail Communities, Washington, Why Use Trails?

In this post, as RTC continues our month-long focus on Washington State, we are pleased to explore a local community's transformation into a more walkable and bikeable place, and the nostalgic passion of one local champion who put the gears in motion.

Photo © of FSU reCycle Bike Program

FSU Bike Program Makes Student Life More Sustainable

Posted 01/24/14 by Mark Kastner in Success Stories | Tagged with Art, Florida, Local Organizing, Signage and Amenities, Young Champions

At RTC, we believe in active transportation, being environmentally friendly and, of course, changing lives. That's why we were thrilled to catch up with Florida State University (FSU) junior Mark Kastner. Kastner is FSU's reCycle Bike Program student coordinator, a role he says is "technically a job but much more of a hobby and passion." Here's what Mark has to say about the program, which is making students' lives easier, healthier and greener.

Photo © Kidical Mass Tallahassee

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.