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Since it opened in 2008, the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) has become a key part of the D.C.-area's bike commuter network and urban trail system. Following an active freight and Metro train line from neighborhoods in the northeast right into downtown D.C., Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has worked hard on developing and promoting the trail, and we are proud of its success. But the MBT is not yet complete. A number of on-road sections today interrupt what will one day be a safe and convenient paved...

Wow. For us here at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), and everyone who works hard to build trail systems, there are few better feelings than seeing a group of people having a great time on their local trail, beaming smiles and loving life. And so it was wonderful to see our efforts on the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) in Washington D.C. over the past five years bloom into an energetic and supportive trail community. Our MBT program coordinator Pat Fisher and her crew of helpers have shown local...

Though it is true that the rail-trail movement in America was born from a need to better utilize out-of-service rail corridors, much has changed since the pioneering railbanking legislation was passed more than 25 years ago. The first rail-trails were recreational pathways through largely wild and rural areas. But now, rail-trails have spread in both their mileage and influence, to form bustling commuter routes in big cities, and avenues to connect inner-city residents with open spaces, and each...

Whether it was a whole load of good karma, or just a meteorological fluke, the rains that had been soaking Washington, D.C., all week stopped and the gray clouds gave way to blue sky for Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) Day of Service clean-up on the Met Branch Trail (MBT) last Saturday. About 20 local residents, trail users, RTC supporters and friends of the MBT rolled up the sleeves and pulled some serious weeds, cut some unruly grass and generally tidied the place up. With summer coming to...

By Mark Cheater Kathy Wimbush is a rolling contradiction: a cab driver who not only respects cyclists, but is an avid one herself. "The traditional relationship between bikes and cab drivers isn't a positive one," she says, laughing. A lifelong resident of Washington, D.C., Wimbush thinks she might be the only taxi driver in the city who would prefer to be on two wheels rather than four. We recently asked her to share some of her experiences and advice to both cyclists and drivers. How did you get...

The recently opened Met Branch Trail connecting downtown Washington, D.C., with neighborhoods to the north is a great example of how urban rail-trails serve a wide variety of needs--from everyday commuters to casual runners and the people and businesses in communities along the trail. But one of the realities of life in a big city is the threat of crime and assault, particularly after dark. Trail users returning home of an evening are often a target. Having been one of the key proponents of the construction...

One of the great things about being part of such an active community organization like Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is getting to partner with our friends in the nonprofit world on projects where we share a common interest. Fo r the past couple years, we've especially enjoyed working with Casey Trees , which since 2002 has partnered with the neighborhoods of D.C. to make sure we have enough trees is this urban metropolis. Improving the tree canopy of communities has a close relationship to the...