Trail Communities

Trail Caucus Kicks Off to Connect Wisconsin as New Projects Build Momentum

Posted 10/10/18 by Willie Karidis in America's Trails, Building Trails, Policy | Tagged with Community Events, Connected Systems, Cross-Sector Collaboration, Demand for Trails, Design Strategies, Health and Active Living, Local Organizing, Maintenance and Volunteers, Route of the Badger, RTC in Action, Trail Communities, TrailNation, TrailsTransform, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability

Last week, an active and enthusiastic crowd of public officials, trail advocates, business owners and avid cyclists in Wisconsin gathered at the Wisconsin Bike Fed offices and Velobahn Coffee & Cycle to kick off the state’s newly formed Legislative Trails Caucus.

Baltimore Greenway Trails Network Lands $250,000 Federal Grant to Close Key Trail Gap

Posted 10/04/18 by Jim Brown, Avery Harmon in America's Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, Design Strategies, Federal, Funding, Maryland, Trail Communities, TrailNation, TrailsTransform, Urban Pathways

The Maryland Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that a total of more than $17 million will go toward improvements to bicycle and pedestrian safety and connectivity across the state. This is great news for Maryland and for Baltimore’s trail vision. Included in the announcement was a $250,000 grant awarded to the City of Baltimore DOT to support the development of a key segment of the Baltimore Greenway Trails Network, located along the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River between the Gwynns Falls Trail and Baltimore’s Inner Harbor!

San Jose’s Three Creeks Trail: Recalling the Valley of Heart’s Delight

Posted 09/11/18 by Yves Zsutty in America's Trails | Tagged with BATC, California, Demand for Trails, Health and Active Living, History Happened Here, Local Organizing, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailNation, Walkability and Bikeability

San Jose’s newly opened 0.8-mile stretch of the Three Creeks Trail is the first phase of a planned trail system that will connect three other trail systems across the city. The urban trail also delivers the 60th mile of the growing San Jose Trail Network, one of the largest urban trail networks in the nation.

Indiana’s Cardinal Greenway

Posted 09/06/18 by Robert Annis in America's Trails, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Best Of, Encouraging Trail Use, Facts and FIgures, Featured Magazine Articles, Health and Active Living, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Indiana, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability

Decades ago, a disused railroad line found new life, becoming the Cardinal Greenway, Indiana’s longest rail-trail. But with some ambitious new projects planned, the newest member of the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame—which is also celebrating its 25th anniversary as a trail in 2018—is about to experience yet another rebirth.

Nine Can’t-Miss Moments from Our Guidebook Mapping Trips!

Posted 08/29/18 by Suzanne Matyas in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Biking, Encouraging Trail Use, Gear, Health and Active Living, History Happened Here, Mapping and Technology, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, RTC in Action, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?, Wild and Wonderful

We here at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy are a lucky bunch. Not only do we get to spend our days blazing the way for built and budding trails across the country, but, for a few weeks every summer, we also get to explore and map trails for our regional guidebooks.

1,400-Mile LandLine Plan Is Building Active Transportation Momentum in Boston

Posted 08/29/18 by Alan Ibarra in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Community Events, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Design Strategies, Health and Active Living, Local Organizing, Massachusetts, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability

Georgia’s Augusta Canal Trail

Posted 08/13/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Cross-Sector Collaboration, Georgia, Heritage and Restoration, History Happened Here, Local Organizing, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability

Like the fabled yellow brick road, Georgia’s Augusta Canal Trail unfolds with a soft orange hue and unexpected delights with every footstep or turn of the wheel. The packed-dirt trail, spanning just shy of 8 miles, follows an old towpath that is enveloped in history, paralleling the oldest continuously operating hydropower canal in the United States.

These Farm Markets and Gardens Are Inspiring Health on America's Trails

Posted 08/09/18 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Featured Magazine Articles, Health and Active Living, LowerRioGrande, Success Stories, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailNation, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability

What’s better than a farmers’ market or community garden for providing locally grown food and encouraging good eating? Why, a market or garden next to a trail, of course! Here are three that are leading the charge for food equity, healthy lifestyles and social interaction in America’s underserved communities.

Beautiful Inspiration: From Sea to ‘Shining Sea Bikeway’

Posted 07/16/18 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Massachusetts, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

Even now, some of my fondest childhood summer memories are of making the drive to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for a week’s vacation with my extended family. The only bikeway on Cape Cod to feature a seaside section—is the perfect way to combine both summer treats, trail and beach, for an unforgettable experience.

Wyoming’s North Pathway

Posted 07/12/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Health and Active Living, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month, Walkability and Bikeability, Wyoming

Tucked into Wyoming’s scenic northwestern corner, the North Pathway is what summer vacations are made for. From the charming town of Jackson—the gateway to two national parks—the paved pathway unwinds 20 miles north through a backdrop of sagebrush meadows and the unparalleled beauty of the Grand Teton mountain range. And at trail’s end is a pristine glacial lake surrounded by high canyon walls etched with hiking trails to explore.

Rails-to-Trails State Policy Mid-Year Recap: What’s Happening

Posted 07/11/18 by Andrew Dupuy, Brian K. Housh in Policy, America's Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, California, Capital Trails Coalition, Connected Systems, Florida, Funding, IHTC, Maryland, Miami LOOP, Minnesota, Ohio, State and Federal Programs, Trail Communities, TrailNation, TrailsTransform

With a majority of our states’ legislatures having adjourned for the year (or not meeting at all in 2018), let’s take a look at how Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has recently supported trails, walking and biking through its work in America’s state capitols, particularly this past spring. The news is good: States continue to increase their commitments to connecting healthy, thriving communities through enhanced networks of safe trails, bike lanes and walking paths.