Chain links: Back to school time

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:10:00 GMT

It's that time of year; vacation is over and the books are waiting to be cracked. The Onion's Twin Cities edition - no joke - encourages its readers to go back to school car-free and carefree along the Midtown Greenway.
Trails spur small businesses in urban areas: The Dallas Morning News reports on a new cafe slated to open next month along the Katy Trail, serving "snacks and drinks, including wine and beer. Games, such as checkers and chess, will be free to use." The business owner was enticed to set up shop after using the trail and seeing how many people on the trail could become potential customers. Friends of the Katy Trail is in full support.
The Trust for Public land has partnered with the City of New Orleans to purchase an 18-acre parcel along the Lafitte Greenway. Blogroll member Friends of Lafitte Corridor links to the Times-Picayune article and the TPL press release about the purchase.
Plans are moving forward for replacement of the Betzwood Bridge, which connected Valley Forge National Park and the Schuylkill River Trail. The bridge was closed in 1993.
Portland, Oregon's Metro regional government has submitted four major bicycle infrastructure projects for U.S. DOT stimulus funds, including a proposal to construct the Cazadero Trail between the Springwater Corridor and Mt. Hood, allowing a continuous nonmotorized route for city residents to access nearby wilderness. Support for improved trails are strong in this area; the town of Boring, which will be the connection point between the two trails, recently hosted a fundraiser for construction of a trailhead park there.

Photo: The race is on along the Katy Trail in Dallas to capitalize on the economic potential of this urban trail. Photo by snowboard9 on Flickr.

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Chain links: Back to school time