equity

Connecting to Nature, Connecting as a Family, on America’s Trails

Posted 01/14/21 by Darlene Maxfield in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with COVID-19, Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Equity, People with Disabilities, Trail Moments

The Three of Us | Courtesy Darlene Maxfield

Since COVID-19 began, our activities have been limited and our universe has shrunk. I know we’re not alone in this; so many people have been limited in what they can do during this time. But we found that one activity still brings us so much joy—biking as a family on our local trails.

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Tacony Creek | Photo by Thom Carroll

When Trails Connect Everyone, Everywhere

Posted 12/01/20 by Ryan Chao in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Equity, Great American Rail-Trail, RTC in Action, Trail Moments, TrailNation, TrailsTransform

Throughout this year, as we’ve continued to galvanize the trails movement in a virtual world, the movement itself has inspired us—in particular, the stories so many have shared of the moments of joy, respite, healing and strength they have found on the trail. The impact of our work in this time has brought urgency and focus to our path forward.

Birdwatching in Tacony Creek Park | Courtesy Tookany-Tacony Frankford Watershed Partnership

Philly Birder Takes Fledgling Bird Enthusiasts Under His Wing

Posted 09/01/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Circuit Trails, Ecology and Environment, Encouraging Trail Use, Equity, Featured Magazine Articles, Trail Moments, Trail Use Tips, TrailNation, Wild and Wonderful

“For me, the special part of those experiences has been having so many different types of people participating,” enthused Keith Russell. “You have families come out with kids and people who are in their 70s and 80s. I’m always so thrilled that you have such diversity; birding doesn’t just attract one section of the community or one type of person.”

Baltimore, MD | Photo by Side A Photography

What We Mean When We Say We Are “Standing Against Racism”

Posted 06/10/20 by Ryan Chao in Taking Action | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Capital Trails Coalition, Caracara, Circuit Trails, COVID-19, Equity, Route of the Badger, TrailNation

When we spoke out in response to the troubling and damaging displays of racism and violence against Black people these past few weeks, we heard from many of you standing in solidarity. But we also got many questions—about the prevalence of experiences of inequity and injustice in the outdoors as well as what we’re doing about it.

Tacony Creek Trail | Photo by Thom Carroll

Pennsylvania’s Tacony Creek Trail

Posted 06/09/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Circuit Trails, Connected Systems, Delaware, Ecology and Environment, Equity, Maintenance and Volunteers, Pennsylvania, Trail of the Month, TrailNation

Philadelphia is tucked between two major rivers, the Delaware to the east and the Schuylkill to the west; between them, Tacony Creek—a tributary of the Delaware—runs its course through the city’s northeast neighborhoods. In this densely populated pocket, the 3.2-mile Tacony Creek Trail, paved and smooth as a river stone, flows along the waterway under the hush of tall old-growth trees.

Lower Rio Grande Valley Active Plan biking tour in Brownsville, TX | Photo by Frontera Media

Major Trail Developments, New Potential Funding Streams in the Lone Star State

Posted 03/25/19 by Andrew Dupuy in Policy | Tagged with Caracara, Equity, Funding, Local Organizing, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Texas, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailNation, TrailsTransform

With the Texas Legislature currently in its every-other-year session, RTC and the Texas Coalition for State Parks are actively supporting legislation to ensure that an existing sporting goods tax originally intended for parks and recreational space—including trails—actually goes to parks (and trails). 

Baltimore, Maryland | Photo by Side A Photography

Protecting Trails in 2018: Five Ways We Mobilized in Communities This Year

Posted 11/15/18 by Amy Kapp, Brandi Horton in America's Trails, Building Trails, Policy, Taking Action, Success Stories, Health and Wellness | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, BATC, Best Of, Case Studies, Community Events, Corridors and Railbanking, Demand for Trails, Equity, Federal, Funding, Health and Active Living, IHTC, Legal Issues, Local Organizing, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rock Island, Route of the Badger, RTC in Action, State and Federal Programs, Success Stories, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, TrailNation, TrailsTransform, Transportation and Health, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability, Washington, Wisconsin

All across the country—from the great redwoods of California, to the trestles of Missouri, to the stream valleys and neighborhoods of Baltimore, Maryland—Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) and the national trail community put itself on the front lines to protect and defend trails in 2018. Here are five ways we mobilized in communities this year.

Ohio to Erie Trail | Photo by Eric Oberg, courtesy RTC

Ohio’s Year of the Trails: Three Major Trail Developments in the Buckeye State

Posted 11/14/18 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in America's Trails | Tagged with Repairs and Trail Safety, Demand for Trails, Equity, Funding, Government Agencies, Health and Active Living, IHTC, Ohio, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Communities, TrailsTransform, Transportation and Health, Walkability and Bikeability

It’s officially the Year of the Trails in Ohio, and the Buckeye State is building significant momentum on trail projects, from Cleveland to Cincinnati and beyond. These projects are showing how cities and entire regions can leverage the impact of existing trails to create trail "spines," and biking and walking networks that connect people and places—providing safe and healthy ways to get outdoors, while generating new economic opportunities that revitalize neighborhoods and communities.

Avery Harmon on the Jones Falls Trail, part of the Baltimore Greenway Trails Network in Maryland | Photo courtesy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Rails-to-Trails Staffer Honored As a 2018 “Emerging Leader” by SHIFT

Posted 07/16/18 by Liz Thorstensen in Building Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, Champions, Ecology and Environment, Equity, Maryland, TrailNation, TrailsTransform, Wyoming, Young Champions

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) was super excited to learn that one of our own, Avery Harmon, was designated out of more than 150 applicants nationwide as one of 30 “Emerging Leaders” by SHIFT (Shaping How we Invest For Tomorrow), a program of The Center for Jackson Hole, in Wyoming.

South Baltimore community leaders and RTC staff walk the Gwynns Falls Trail while discussing how the trail is supporting community needs by providing access to open space and nearby public transit. | Photo by Avery Harmon

Two Plans Converge to Connect Baltimore’s Green Space

Posted 03/22/18 by Avery Harmon, Jim Brown in America's Trails | Tagged with Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, Connected Systems, Design Strategies, Ecology and Environment, Equity, Health and Active Living, Heritage and Restoration, Local Organizing, Maryland, Trail Communities, TrailNation, TrailsTransform, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability

On March 14, Baltimore publicly launched its Green Network Plan—a citywide initiative to redevelop vacant land—and connect natural areas and community corridors—through a series of greening projects, including recreation areas, trails and urban gardens. As Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) continues to work with Baltimore’s leaders and citizens to create a 35-mile trail network in the city, we are honored to have been included in this historic plan—an important step toward realizing our shared vision of a more connected and vibrant city.

RTC's Amy Kapp interviews Jeff Risom from Gehl at 2018 SXSW

Jeff Risom: Creating "Platforms for Yes" to Spur Mobility in Cities of the Future

Posted 03/16/18 by Amy Kapp in America's Trails | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Design Strategies, Encouraging Trail Use, Equity, Health and Active Living, Mapping and Technology, Mode Shift, SXSW, Trail Communities, Urban Pathways, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

Rails to Trails was at the SXSW Cities Summit this week, exploring the role of trails in the cities of the future. I sat down with Jeff Risom, partner and managing director U.S. of Gehl—a cutting-edge, international design firm that focuses on the intersection of quality of life and the built environment. Jeff talked about innovative solutions to making cities more equitable with regard to mobility and transportation. Here’s what he had to say—thanks Jeff!

Hank Aaron Trail | Photo by Cindy Barks

Reimagining the Civic Commons with Carol Coletta

Posted 03/15/18 by Brandi Horton in America's Trails | Tagged with Bike Commuting, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Encouraging Trail Use, Equity, Health and Active Living, Rural Communities, SXSW, Trail Communities, TrailsTransform, Walkability and Bikeability, Why Use Trails?

I caught up with Carol Coletta, senior fellow with the American Cities Practice at the Kresge Foundation, at the SXSW Cities Summit to talk about reimagining the civic commons—the Kresge Foundation’s initiative focused on revitalizing and connecting public places such as parks, plazas, trails and libraries. We chatted about shifting perceptions about these public places and managing them in ways that connect people of all backgrounds, cultivate trust and counter the trends of social and economic fragmentation in cities and neighborhoods.