Why Use Trails? Page 2

Gallery view of Celebrate Trails @Home broadcast | Courtesy RTC

What We Learned at Our Celebrate Trails @Home 2020 Virtual Bash

Posted 04/22/20 by Amy Kapp, Suzanne Matyas in America's Trails | Tagged with Community Events, COVID-19, Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Healthy Aging, OpeningDay, RTC in Action, Trail Communities, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

On Saturday, April 18, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) hosted “Celebrate Trails @Home,” our all-virtual tribute to America’s pathways and their impact on communities everywhere—especially right now as people flock to their local trail for physical activity and solace at a safe social distance.

2018 St. Petersburg Open Streets | Photo courtesy CityofStPete | CC BY-ND 2.0

Closing Streets to Create Space for Walking and Biking

Posted 03/27/20 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Trail use has surged. An analysis of 31 trail counters for the week of March 16–22 by RTC found a nationwide trail usage increase of nearly 200% from that same week in 2019. Largely, this is good news.

Four Mile Run in Arlington, VA | Photo by Joe LaCroix

Using Trails and Outdoor Spaces Safely in the Wake of COVID-19

Posted 03/24/20 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

It’s vital that people find ways to engage in physical activity during this time; the benefits to our immune systems and our mental health are significant. But it is critical that we do so in ways that will keep us safe and minimize the spread of the pandemic. While trails continue to serve as significant sources of health and wellness for Americans, RTC is urging everyone to practice safe and responsible trail use and self-care at all times.

Five Great Trail Activities and Their Health Benefits

Posted 01/27/20 by Suzanne Matyas, Elissa Southward in Health and Wellness | Tagged with Encouraging Trail Use, Facts and FIgures, Health and Active Living, Healthy Aging, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?, Winter Uses

When it comes to being physically active, trails provide a wide range of outdoor activities to keep us motivated year-round. Each activity has unique pluses; the key is to find one that’s right for you! Here are five fitness-forward trail activities that will help you embrace a healthy lifestyle and have a ton of fun in the process.

Connectivity Evolution: Examining a Decade of Rails-to-Trails’ Impact, 2010–2020

Posted 12/31/19 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails, Success Stories, Policy, Building Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Capital Trails Coalition, Caracara, Circuit Trails, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Great American Rail-Trail, History Happened Here, IHTC, Miami LOOP, Route of the Badger, RTC in Action, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailNation, TrailsTransform, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Here’s a look at RTC and a decade of rail-trails—their power and their impact. As the 2010s built momentum, opportunities to maximize the power of these essential community assets became clear, and a new focus took hold at RTC and across the movement: that of regional connectivity and, ultimately, connecting the country by trail like never before. Check out RTC's connectivity evolution over the past decade.

New Zealand's Otago Central Rail Trail | Photo courtesy Otago Central Rail Trail Charitable Trust

Seven Bucket List Rail-Trail Destinations Around the World

Posted 09/27/19 by Laura Stark in Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Best Of, Biking, Tourism , Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trails of the World, Why Use Trails?, Wild and Wonderful

Thousands more miles of rail-trails are available all across the globe. For World Tourism Day, we thought we’d take a look a few bucket list international rail-trail destinations.

Lake at the end of the Patuxent Branch Trail | Photo by TrailLink user dks3405_tl

When Trails United Us: A Look at Iconic People and Projects in America Right Now

Posted 09/10/19 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, District Of Columbia, Great American Rail-Trail, People with Disabilities, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

RTC launched the Great American Rail-Trail, embarking on a journey to complete the first multiuse trail across America that will be entirely separated from vehicle traffic. The enthusiasm the Great American has inspired is contagious.

Ian Mackay, founder of Ian's Ride (second from left), at the foot of Mount Rainier with friends Jesse Collens, Kenny Salvini and Todd Stabelfeldt | Photo by Teena Woodward

A Serious Injury Changed Cyclist Ian Mackay’s Life. Trails Helped Him Rebuild It.

Posted 08/27/19 by Scott Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Champions, Design Strategies, Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, People with Disabilities, Trail Use Tips, Walkability and Bikeability, Washington, Why Use Trails?

A motorized wheelchair powered by sip-and-puff inputs coupled with the ever-improving voice recognition capabilities of a smartphone offered Mackay a degree of independence, and allowed him to get outside without a caregiver at his side at all times. The Olympic Discovery Trail, a rail-trail that runs near his home, called to him. “That trail is where I found my solace,” Mackay said. “I was a field biologist before. I spent a ton of time outside.” Now, he said, “I could start exploring the Pacific Northwest on my own and appreciate those loves I had before I was injured.”

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy President Ryan Chao | Photo by Anthony Le, courtesy RTC

Rails-to-Trails' President Ryan Chao on Connecting America by Trail

Posted 07/15/19 by Ryan Chao in Building Trails, America's Trails | Tagged with Connected Systems, Featured Magazine Articles, Great American Rail-Trail, Why Use Trails?

Thank you for welcoming me into your community. I’m delighted to join Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) as its third president and to partner with you in advancing our vital mission. While this joyous work is filled with personal rewards, I joined RTC because I know how well trails can connect each of us to the things we value most: our families, our friends and neighbors, our communities and our cultural heritage.

Libby Rose on e-bike | Photo courtesy Wandering Rose Travels

E-Bikes Got This Baby Boomer Back on the Trail After Asthma

Posted 05/22/19 by Libby and Martin Rose in Trail Use, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Biking, Encouraging Trail Use, Health and Active Living, Healthy Aging, Mapping and Technology, Motorized Use, Trail Use Tips, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Riding an e-bike for the first time was exhilarating. I met my first electric bicycle in California wine country, home to hills that challenged my lungs. A one-day rental there led to a weeklong adventure in Hawaii, followed by my first of two e-bike purchases three years ago. Since then, I’ve logged more than 1,000 road and trail miles, and for me, it’s been a win-win. No more sitting on the side of the road waiting to be picked up because I could go no farther, and no fear of ending up in the hospital due to an asthma attack.