Tourism and Economic Development

Indiana’s Big 4 Trail

Posted 01/11/22 by Agueda Pacheco Flores in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Indiana, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Indiana's Big 4 Trail | Courtesy Town of Zionsville

Surrounded by tree canopies, beautiful countryside and the charm of small towns, the Big 4 Trail traverses a Midwestern wonderland. The developing rail-trail serves as an important regional connector—spreading diagonally across Boone County, crossing into Clinton County and, eventually, continuing into Tippecanoe County.

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Indiana's Big 4 Trail | Courtesy Town of Zionsville

Indiana’s Big 4 Trail

Posted 01/11/22 by Agueda Pacheco Flores in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Indiana, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Surrounded by tree canopies, beautiful countryside and the charm of small towns, the Big 4 Trail traverses a Midwestern wonderland. The developing rail-trail serves as an important regional connector—spreading diagonally across Boone County, crossing into Clinton County and, eventually, continuing into Tippecanoe County.

Fortress Bikes interior | Courtesy Hal Simon

Trail Moments | Letting the Good (and Bad) Times Roll: New York Bike Shop Opens in the Midst of a Covid World

Posted 01/03/22 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Biking, COVID-19, Demand for Trails, Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail Moments

Simon’s bike rental shop, a first for the town, is situated on Hurleyville’s Main Street, just steps from the rail-trail. “It’s 7 miles of beautiful, flat pavement,” he said. “You’ll see bodies of water, farmland and forest. And the colors are gorgeous in the fall—you have foliage, history and wildlife.”

Graphic by RTC, photo courtesy Missouri Rock Island Trail Inc.

Breaking News: The Rock Island Trail Is a 144-Mile On track to Be Game-Changer for Missouri

Posted 12/14/21 by Cindy Barks in Taking Action, Building Trails, Success Stories, America's Trails | Tagged with Corridors and Railbanking, Missouri, Rock Island, RTC in Action, Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

Governor Mike Parson and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced that they have officially railbanked the 144-mile Rock Island Railroad corridor between Windsor and Beaufort, Missouri. The governor’s announcement comes after decades of advocacy and negotiations, marking the final step in railbanking the corridor, which is now destined to be preserved—and enjoyed—as a trail.

Georgia's Silver Comet Trail | Photo by Seth Holladay

The Build Back Better Act Could Create New Opportunities for Trail and Active Transportation Funding

Posted 11/06/21 by Patrick Wojahn in Policy | Tagged with Ecology and Environment, Equity, Federal, Funding, Mode Shift, Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, TrailsTransform

Assuming the Build Back Better Act moves through the Senate without any additional changes, the current language includes programs that address critical transportation and infrastructure issues, such as economic development, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and equity.

Perry's depot along the Raccoon River Valley Trail | Courtesy Raccoon River Valley Trail Association

Iowa’s Raccoon River Valley Trail

Posted 09/10/21 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Great American Rail-Trail, Hall of Fame, Iowa, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

In pastoral west-central Iowa, the Raccoon River Valley Trail has won this year’s blue-ribbon prize: entrance into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. The 89-mile pathway garnered some 16,000 votes in the national competition—a figure larger than the population of most of the small towns along its route, several home to fewer than 300 people.

The Loop | Photo by Gerry Loew, Pima County Communications

Arizona’s Santa Cruz River Park Trail

Posted 04/12/21 by Cindy Barks in America's Trails | Tagged with Arizona, Best Of, Bike Commuting, Demand for Trails, Ecology and Environment, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Transportation and Health, Urban Pathways, Why Use Trails?

Starting in the centuries-old birthplace of Tucson in the south, the Santa Cruz River Park Trail follows the sandy and mostly dry riverbed, passing nearby murals and taquerias in neighborhoods like Midvale Park and Santa Cruz Southwest, lively shops and hotels of the downtown area, and busy parks and ballfields of the El Camino Del Cerro area in the northwest.

Spring to Spring Trail | Courtesy Pat Northey

Florida’s Spring to Spring Trail

Posted 03/16/21 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Florida, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

The Sunshine State’s Spring to Spring Trail doesn’t hide any tricks up its sleeve; as its name implies, travelers will see several natural springs along this scenic, nearly complete 26-mile route winding through the old-growth forests and tree-draped lakesides of Central Florida.

Metropolitan Branch Trail in Washington, D.C., and Maryland | Photo by India Kea

New Year Presents New Opportunities for Trails, Walking and Biking in Washington

Posted 12/16/20 by Mary Ellen Koontz in Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Federal, Great American Rail-Trail, RTC in Action, Tourism and Economic Development, TrailsTransform

We have an unprecedented opportunity to work with federal policymakers to put Americans to work building the strategic connections that enable healthy and resource-saving habits, unlocking billions of dollars for the U.S. economy.

Tweetsie Trail entrance in Johnson City | Courtesy Carter County Tourism

Tennessee’s Tweetsie Trail

Posted 10/13/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Health and Active Living, Tennessee, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

Nestled into the recreational playground of northeastern Tennessee, the Tweetsie Trail connects two charming towns in the Appalachian foothills, following a railroad corridor that once snaked through the mountains and crossed into North Carolina.

Caperton Trail bridge at the mouth of Deckers Creek in Morgantown | Courtesy RTC

Mon River Rail-Trail System (West Virginia)

Posted 09/09/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, TrailNation, West Virginia

Branching out from its nexus in Morgantown, home to West Virginia University, the Mon River Rail-Trail System comprises 48 miles of seamlessly connected pathway featuring an ensemble cast of environments.

Cyclist in Washington, D.C. | Photo by Anthony Le

The “INVEST in America” Act: A Strong, But Unfinished, Vision for America’s Transportation Future

Posted 06/11/20 by Patrick Wojahn in Policy | Tagged with Connected Systems, COVID-19, Federal, Funding, Tourism and Economic Development

June 3, 2020, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released the INVEST in America Act. The bill tackles many of the most critical issues—including safety, climate and maintenance; however, there is room for more innovation, including a commitment to invest in connected active-transportation infrastructure, to make walking and bicycling safer, more equitable and more convenient for Americans.

Great Allegheny Passage just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Photo by Milo Bateman

How the Great Allegheny Passage Transformed a Region

Posted 05/12/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, Pennsylvania, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail Use Tips

The story of the GAP is one of vision, tenacity and transformation. But at the heart of it all, it is the story of what’s possible when people come together with a great idea.