Browse by Tags

When U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stood on a table at the National Bike Summit in 2010 and said "People do want alternatives -- they want out of their cars, they want out of congestion, they want to live in livable neighborhoods," it marked a significant moment in the evolution of American transportation. Here was a politician and a bureaucrat, a guy in a suit, the person in charge, talking about being inspired by long walks on a rail-trail and the importance of pathways...

At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) 25th Anniversary celebration last year, we honored a group of men and women--the inaugural Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions--who have made a remarkable contribution to the rail-trail movement during the past quarter century. Among that revered group was Charles Montagne, RTC's first general counsel and a founding board member whose legal expertise and commitment paved the way for the rail-trail movement today. Few have been as vital to the enduring success...

A healthy rail-trail rivalry is developing in the Carolinas, with both the Old North State and the Palmetto State taking great strides this month to boost active transportation networks in their growing communities. In Beaufort Country, S.C., officials broke ground on the first section of the planned 13.6-mile Spanish Moss Trail , which when complete will provide an active transportation corridor along the former Port Royal Railroad line through Beaufort County between Port Royal and Yemassee. Also...

At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) 25th Anniversary celebration in October, we honored a group of men and women--the inaugural Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions--who have made a remarkable contribution to the rail-trail movement during the past quarter century. Over the past few months we have been recapping the achievements of each champion. Today we pay tribute to Linda McKenna Boxx, a woman whose name will be forever connected to one of America's great rail-trail networks. Linda McKenna...

Ever since the first leg of the Bayshore Bikeway in San Diego Bay, Calif. was built in 1976, this much-loved pathway has been an integral part of life in this city. Looping around San Diego Bay, this pathway has been the catalyst for the growth in walking and biking in this sunny, seaside community, serving residents and commuters as well as it does tourists and Sunday strollers. That the Bayshore Bikeway is enormously important to the people of San Diego is evident in the fact that it keeps growing...

At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) 25th Anniversary celebration in October, we honored a group of men and women--the inaugural Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions--who have made a remarkable contribution to the rail-trail movement during the past quarter century. We will be posting a blog story on each of the honorees during the coming weeks. Today we recognize Ed McBrayer, a concerned citizen who went on to become one of Georgia's most effective advocates for bike and pedestrian infrastructure...

At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) 25th Anniversary celebration last October, we honored a group of men and women--the inaugural Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions--who have made a remarkable contribution to the rail-trail movement during the past quarter century. We will be posting a blog story on each of the honorees during the coming weeks. Today we recognize Mark Ackelson's enormous contribution to preserving America's natural landscape in Iowa and beyond. Mark Ackelson's life has focused...

Few people have done more to advance the cause of trails and outdoor recreation in the state of Michigan than Fred Meijer . With Meijer's passing last week at the age of 91, the state has lost one of its great leaders, and one its most generous friends. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy offers its sincere condolences to his wife, Lena, the Meijer family, and everyone in the Michigan trails community. Meijer's name will forever be synonymous with trails and parkland philanthropy. Born in 1919 to Dutch immigrant...