Ohio

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Montgomery County, OH

Posted 03/22/17 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Ohio

Photo Courtesy tgkohn | CC BY 2.0

On or about March 15, 2017, Norfolk Southern Railway Company filed for the abandonment of 6.5 miles of track in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.

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Fallasburg Covered Bridge (Lowell, Michigan) along the North Country Trail/Iron Belle Trail | Photo by Tom Pidgeon Photography

Best of the Midwest: Five Major Trail Developments in America’s Heartland

Posted 11/14/16 by Brian K. Housh in Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, IHTC, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Route of the Badger, State and Federal Programs, Wisconsin

Today, representatives of 22 bike/ped organizations and government agencies from six states are convening in Illinois for Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s 2016 Midwest Policy Summit. The bike/ped landscape in the region has changed dramatically in recent years, and there are many major projects in the works. Here are five big happenings in the Heartland that are changing the face of active transportation (in no particular order).

Ohio and Erie Canalway Towpath Trail under the I-80 overpass in Summit County, Ohio | Photo by Bob Callebert

A View From ... The Industrial Heartland Trails Network

Posted 09/13/16 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Featured Magazine Articles, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations, West Virginia

The Industrial Heartland Trails system is a collection of nearly three dozen pathways featuring scenic wilderness, dramatic railroad tunnels and trestles, welcoming trail towns and historical sites from the birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution. The system is ambitious and breathtaking in scope: 1,450 miles of trail spiraling out across four states: Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and New York. Here is a sampling of the beauty to be found within the network.

Grand Teton Multi-use Pathway/Greater Yellowstone Trail, Wyoming | Photo by Camrin Dengel

Five Rail-Trails in America’s National Parks

Posted 08/11/16 by Suzanne Matyas in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Ecology and Environment, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, Ohio, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Rail-trails travel through some of America’s most iconic places—including our national parks, which officially turn 100 years old this year (Aug. 25)! On the eve of the U.S. National Park Service centennial, we thought it was a great time to bring you this list of five national park rail-trails, which dot the country’s landscapes from the Great Lakes to Western Washington. So lace up your shoes—and go explore!

The Ohio and Erie Canalway Towpath Trail in Cleveland, Ohio | Photo courtesy Canalway Partners

Enter the TIGER: $7.95 million Grant for Cleveland Metroparks Bodes Well for US Trails

Posted 08/10/16 by Eric Oberg in Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Federal, Funding, Ohio, Products of Good Policy, RTC in Action, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability

Recently, Cleveland Metroparks was awarded a $7.95 million TIGER Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to help complete a $16.45 million regional trail network through the city and traversing parts of Northeast Ohio. Included among a record-setting eight bike and pedestrian TIGER grants awarded in 2016 totaling $94 million-plus, the project, “Reconnecting Cleveland,” is part of a new and groundbreaking trend: Local communities are recognizing that trails are critical to healthy, balanced transportation systems.

Ohio and Erie Canalway Towpath Trail (under Hope Memorial Bridge) along Cleveland's Cuyahoga River | Photo courtesy Behnke Landscape Architecture

Seven Wonders of the Ohio to Erie Trail

Posted 07/14/16 by Laura Stark in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Biking, IHTC, Ohio, Tourism , Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

One state, 202 miles, four days, two wheels—it all adds up to an awesome biking adventure on the Ohio to Erie Trail, which crosses the Buckeye State at a diagonal like a prized sash. Here are seven amazing highlights of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail in downtown Akron | Photo by Bruce Ford, courtesy Summit Metro Parks

Ohio's Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail

Posted 06/09/16 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with IHTC, Ohio, Tourism , Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Like a virtual rolling history book, remnants of an early-19th century canal unfold along the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail as it journeys 85 miles through an eclectic panoply of landscapes in northeastern Ohio. Down the pathway, adventurers will discover a series of canal locks, restored historical buildings, interpretive signage and, of course, the canal itself—a magnificent structure of well-worn sandstone filled in some areas with water, but for the most part dry with the haunting beauty of an ancient ruin.

Opening Day 2015 in Concord, California | Photo by Barry Bergman

Celebrate Opening Day for Trails With RTC on April 16!

Posted 04/13/16 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Taking Action, Trail Use | Tagged with California, Community Events, District Of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

Thousands of people across the country have pledged to get out and celebrate trails on Saturday, April 16—the nation’s fourth annual Opening Day for Trails. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is hosting some awesome rides and events in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin and California. Here's more info!

Fort Duquesne Bridge and Walkway along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (the hub for the developing 1,450-mile Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition vision). | Photo courtesy Wally Gobetz | CC by 2.0

1,450-Mile Developing Trail Network to Revitalize America’s Industrial Heartland

Posted 03/29/16 by Jake Lynch in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Celebrating 30 Years, Connected Systems, IHTC, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability, West Virginia

The Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition envisions a 1,450-mile system of off-road trails that will connect many of the major centers of America’s Rust Belt and industrial Appalachia. The trail network will span 48 counties across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and New York. Here's more about this ambitious project.

RTC Policy Manager Brian Housh stands at a mile marker on the Little Miami Scenic Trail in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Housh joined community members on Oct 17 for the ribbon cutting of RTC's new Midwest Regional Office. Copyright 2015 by the Yellow Springs News; used with permission. Find the entire article online at YSNEWS.com.

RTC Midwest Office Celebrates New Location in Yellow Springs

Posted 10/26/15 by Katie Harris in Building Trails | Tagged with Community Events, Ohio

Rails–to-Trails Conservancy’s Midwest Regional Office just moved shop! Our relocation to Yellow Springs, Ohio, was celebrated in style in mid-October.

Photo courtesy Girls in Gear

Bike-Savvy Middle Schoolers Help Reclaim—and Redesign—Columbus Streets

Posted 02/03/15 by Katie Harris in Success Stories, Taking Action | Tagged with Biking, Ohio, Schools and Young People, Young Champions

A formidable group of young women travels the streets of Columbus. Helmet clad, they roll through town on their bikes, searching for sidewalks and bike lanes and assessing street lighting. They know the names of the city council members who represent them, and you may find them behind a microphone at a town hall meeting advocating for the local bicycling movement. They also help cyclists themselves; they can fix a flat bike tire without giving it a second thought. They are an impressive group. Oh, and they’re in middle school!

Photo courtesy haglundc | CC by 2.0

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Stark County, Ohio

Posted 01/20/15 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails, Taking Action | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Ohio

On or about Jan. 9, 2015, Norfolk Southern Railway Company filed for the abandonment of 1.3 miles of track near Massillon in Stark County, Ohio. The corridor is located just south of the existing Olde Muskingum Trail. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.