Trail Blog by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Photo © Rails-to-Trails Conservancy/Jake Lynch

In New Jersey: a Future Trail, a Vital Connection

Posted 10/29/14 by Tom Sexton in Building Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Urban Pathways

If you are a resident of the New Jersey communities of Merchantville, Maple Shade or Moorestown, you are lucky to live so close to so many great regional attractions. But it is not always so easy to be able to safely ride or walk to all the places you want to go.

Leveraging Federal Dollars to Create a Regional Legacy

Posted 09/29/14 by Sarah Clark Stuart in Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Pennsylvania, State and Federal Programs

In early October, the Philadelphia region will celebrate the opening of the 0.75-mile-long Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk. This trail, which is built along the east side of the Schuylkill River, is the final in a set of trail segments funded by federal dollars in 2010 that sparked an incredible amount of interest, enthusiasm and prioritization of other trail projects around the region.

A section of the Allegheny River Trail near Emlenton, Pa. | Photo by Tom Bilcze

Teacher Provides a Lesson in Trail Building

Posted 09/25/14 by Laura Stark in Building Trails | Tagged with Champions, Connected Systems, Pennsylvania, Success Stories

Personable, kind, decisive: These traits made Jim Holden both a good teacher and a trail visionary. While a professor of computer science at Clarion University of Pennsylvania more than two decades ago, he recognized the importance of preserving disused rail corridors for public use.

Tackling Obesity Head On: Hospitals and Trail Groups Team Up to Fight Obesity

Posted 09/24/14 by Elissa Southward in Health and Wellness | Tagged with Health Organizations, Pennsylvania, Success Stories

Health leaders in Pennsylvania acknowledge the importance of increasing physical activity in the fight against obesity, and in the Philadelphia region, they are tackling the issue head on.

Matters of Mobility: Adaptive Bicyclists in Pennsylvania Embrace Trails

Posted 09/18/14 by Katie Harris in Health and Wellness, Trail Use | Tagged with Pennsylvania, Schools and Young People, Why Use Trails?

For the past two years, the Pittsburgh, Pa.-based nonprofit, Variety the Children’s Charity, has been running “My Bike,” an initiative that provides customized, adaptive bicycles to children with disabilities.

Finding Common Ground for Balanced Transportation in Pennsylvania

Posted 09/16/14 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in Policy, Taking Action | Tagged with Cross-Sector Collaboration, Federal, Pennsylvania, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs

Founded by transportation policy veteran George Wolff, the Keystone Coalition comprises more than 100 advocacy groups from seemingly disparate sectors but with an interest in making transportation work for Pennsylvanians.

Pennsylvania's Allegheny River Trail

Posted 09/16/14 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Champions, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Wild and Wonderful

The 32-mile Allegheny River Trailin northwestern Pennsylvania seemingly has it all for a perfect getaway. And it's on the cusp of being even better; peak fall colors are expected to arrive in early to mid-October; the trail, lined with oaks, maples, elms and other tree varieties will be spectacular.

History Happened Here: How the Switchback Railroad Inspired the Invention of the Roller Coaster

Posted 09/12/14 by James Porterfield in America's Trails | Tagged with Heritage and Restoration, Pennsylvania, Trail Communities

The Switchback Gravity Railroad, built in 1827, was only the second railroad built in America. It ran nine miles, hauling coal from Summit Hill down to the town of Mauch Chunk and the Lehigh Canal in east central Pennsylvania.

Photo of Mae and David Nagel © David Nagel

Great Adventures on the GAP: Memoirs of an 11-Year-Old Bicyclist

Posted 09/09/14 by Mae Nagel in Trail Use | Tagged with Pennsylvania, Schools and Young People, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities

We want to extend a special thank you to Mae Nagel and her father David for this very heartfelt and very candid peak at their recent bike trip through part of the Great Allegheny Passage in Pennsylvania!

Photo © Redbank Valley Trail Association

Pennsylvanians Pitch In: Maintenance on PA Trails Is a Community Priority

Posted 09/08/14 by Katie Harris in Building Trails | Tagged with Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, Pennsylvania

Maintenance. It’s the least flashy part of the trail world, but it is one of the most important aspects of the work being done by trail organizations, municipalities and agencies across the country.

Putting It All Together: How One Pennsylvania Agency Is Turning Community Trail Visions into Reality

Posted 09/04/14 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in Building Trails, Policy | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Government Agencies, Pennsylvania, State and Federal Programs

For many, government agencies represent a land of endless bureaucracy, where dreams of new trails wither, bogged down by mountains of paperwork and red tape. Not so at the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), which has played a key role in creating new trails for over two decades. To date, Pennsylvania has more than 1,700 miles of trails.

Canal Towns Program Plugs Businesses into the Enormous Potential of Trail Tourism

Posted 09/01/14 by Jake Lynch in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities

In 2007, The Progress Fund launched the Trail Towns program, designed specifically to help communities along the GAP convert their terrific location into sustainable economic activity.

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