Mode Shift

Reimagining Public Spaces

Posted 10/12/21 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with COVID-19, Demand for Trails, Featured Magazine Articles, Health and Active Living, Mode Shift, Route of the Badger, Trail Moments, TrailNation, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Met Branch Trail | Photo by India Kea

Last year, when the team at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) was elbow deep in defining the elements of our next strategic plan, a global pandemic had upended the world, and calls for justice were bringing focus to the deep and far-reaching impact of racial inequities. In that moment, we explored the strengths of our movement, our role in bringing solutions to these significant social challenges and the opportunities ahead. What we found captured our imagination and brought reason for hope.

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Met Branch Trail | Photo by India Kea

Reimagining Public Spaces

Posted 10/12/21 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with COVID-19, Demand for Trails, Featured Magazine Articles, Health and Active Living, Mode Shift, Route of the Badger, Trail Moments, TrailNation, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Last year, when the team at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) was elbow deep in defining the elements of our next strategic plan, a global pandemic had upended the world, and calls for justice were bringing focus to the deep and far-reaching impact of racial inequities. In that moment, we explored the strengths of our movement, our role in bringing solutions to these significant social challenges and the opportunities ahead. What we found captured our imagination and brought reason for hope.

42nd Street Slow Street in Oakland, California | Photo by Ben Kaufman

What’s Ahead for the Movement to Create Safe Outdoor Space in Every Neighborhood

Posted 08/02/21 by Christina Sturdivant Sani in America's Trails | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Mode Shift, Success Stories, Trail Communities, Walkability and Bikeability

An analysis of 31 trail counters for the week of March 16–22 found a nationwide trail usage increase of nearly 200% from that same week in 2019. It was clear that the demand for safe spaces to be active outside was far exceeding supply. The organization used this data as the driver for a petition that advocated for cities and towns to close streets to vehicle traffic (which had dropped substantially due to mandatory lockdowns), creating more places for people to walk, bike and roll at a safe distance from one another. In the transportation world, this is known as the Open Streets movement.

Seattle Parks and Recreation staff gathered data on nearly 10,000 trail users over the course of 25 intercept studies on five local trails for the city's e-bike pilot program. | Courtesy Seattle Parks and Recreation

Seattle E-Bike Pilot Program Promotes Safe Shared Use on Local Trails

Posted 10/07/20 by Danielle Taylor in America's Trails | Tagged with Health and Active Living, Mode Shift, Motorized Use, Washington

Like other cutting-edge West Coast cities, Seattle often sees the first waves of new technology, and recently, that tech has made its way onto the city’s trails in the form of e-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards, solo wheels and more. Micromobility devices like these feature a small electric motor the rider can engage for a boost when needed, and in Seattle and many other urban areas, e-bike and e-scooter sharing programs provide convenient alternative-transportation options.

Mural by Cinta Vidal along Napa Valley Vine Trail | Photo by Maureen Gaffney

Napa Valley Vine Trail Brings a Wealth of Benefits to California’s Wine Country

Posted 11/07/19 by Maggie McAden in America's Trails, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Art, Best Of, California, Community Events, Connected Systems, Health and Active Living, Mode Shift, Signage and Amenities, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability

Northern California’s Napa Valley is becoming known for the 47.5-mile Napa Valley Vine Trail, a developing pathway stretching north-south from Vallejo to Calistoga and featuring the area’s vineyards, clear skies and a staggering mountain backdrop.

Burke-Gilman Trail | Photo by Barbara Richey

Nation’s Mayors Support a New Vision for Connected Walking and Bicycling Routes

Posted 07/11/18 by Patrick Wojahn in America's Trails, Policy | Tagged with Capital Trails Coalition, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Mapping and Technology, Mode Shift, Ohio, Walkability and Bikeability

Just last month, the nation’s mayors met in Boston for the Annual Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors. Each year, more than 30,000 mayors from all around the country converge to help set a unified policy agenda for a diverse range of issues—including health, education, economic development and, not least in our minds, transportation and infrastructure.

Brandi Horton interviews Karina Ricks at SXSW 2018 | Courtesy RTC

Live from SXSW With Karina Ricks on the Future of Mobility—and the Role of Trails for Communities

Posted 03/14/18 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Bike Commuting, Community Events, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Design Strategies, Encouraging Trail Use, Health and Active Living, IHTC, Mode Shift, Pennsylvania, SXSW, Trail Communities, TrailNation, TrailsTransform, Transportation and Health, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Rails to Trails is at the SXSW Cities Summit this week, exploring the role of trails in the cities of the future. I caught up with Karina Ricks, director of the City of Pittsburgh’s Office of Mobility and Infrastructure. We talked about the city’s mobility needs and world-class trails—and the intersection of opportunity and infrastructure in a city that’s at the forefront of the future of mobility.

A Prescription for Congress: Invest in Transportation That Meets Americans' Needs

Posted 02/13/18 by Patrick Wojahn, Kevin Mills in Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Facts and FIgures, Federal, Funding, Government Agencies, Mode Shift, Partnership for Active Transportation, Private Fundraising, State and Federal Programs, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability

President Trump released his proposal for federal policy to build—and rebuild—our nation’s infrastructure. More infrastructure investment could be great for America, but only if it is invested in a balanced transportation system that meets the evolving needs of 21st-century America. Balanced transportation means investing in maintenance for our roads and bridges. It means investing in public transit and rail systems.

Anacostia Riverwalk Trail in Washington, D.C. | Photo by Milo Bateman

How Will Trails Change the Course of America by 2036?

Posted 09/16/16 by Keith Laughlin in Health and Wellness, Taking Action | Tagged with Celebrating 30 Years, Connected Systems, Featured Magazine Articles, Mode Shift, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability

Imagine that we are celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2036. What do we want the world to look like? How will our lives be different? And—perhaps more importantly—what do we need to achieve over the next 20 years to make this vision a reality?

Photo © City of San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services

San Jose's Annual Trail Count Sees Usage Increase 10 percent

Posted 11/09/09 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Trail Use | Tagged with California, Case Studies, Facts and FIgures, Mode Shift, Trail Communities

For the past three years, the Department of Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services of the city of San Jose, Calif., has conducted an extensive user count and survey of its major trails and greenways. This year's count, which was conducted on September 23, has resulted in some encouraging statistics.