RTC TrailBlog : recreational trails program

California: Gov. Brown Threatening to Erode Funding for Trails, Biking and Walking

Jake Lynch — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:20:00 GMT

For more than 25 years, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has fought for dedicated funding for trail development. We secured this funding back in 1991 with the creation of the Transportation Enhancements program, (which was renamed Transportation Alternatives in the recent federal bill) and the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). Now, that funding is in jeopardy in California.

RTP may be eliminated. Governor Jerry Brown's administration has indicated they plan to opt out of the RTP, which means elimination of the program in California. RTP is the only dedicated and sustainable source of funding for trail development, and also the only funding source available for maintenance activities.

RTP is essential to enhancing California's outdoor recreation industry. Please don't let the Governor eliminate this program which has been so successful for our state and many others.

The Governor has proposed consolidating multiple programs that fund trails into a new Active Transportation Program. We need to ensure that trail projects will continue to be a priority in this new structure.

Our ask is simple: send a letter to Gov. Brown and your state legislators to keep the RTP as a distinct, successful program administered by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and ensure that bicycle and pedestrian trails and pathways are a priority in the proposed Active Transportation Program.

Here are all the resources you need to make this important ask.

A sample letter to Governor Brown: (Please visit the site to view this media)

A link to find your state legislator.

Background information about RTP: (Please visit the site to view this media)

The local projects it has funded: (Please visit the site to view this media)

For more information, or to get involved, please email me at our Western Regional Office, or call 415-814-1100.

Thank you for your support of trails and active transportation in California.

RTC Brings Trail Benefits Message to House of Representatives

Jake Lynch — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:06:00 GMT

Earlier this morning, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Pat Tomes addressed a United States House of Representatives legislative briefing in Washington, D.C. on the economic benefits of rail-trails and trail development across America.

RTC's user survey and economic impact data work, which has put hard numbers behind otherwise anecdotal evidence that destination rail-trail do support and boost local economies, continues to grow in significance as trails advocates ramp up efforts to make sure the nation's elected officials and leaders understand the true value of investing in trails.

Tomes presentation on Capitol Hill today was part of the American Hiking Society's "Hike the Hill" event, which aims to bring trail development issues to the attention of federal lawmakers. American Hiking Society tapped RTC to lead the presentation as the only national trail organization with a long history of recording and studying the impact of trails tourism and local trail use.

"The reason we began concentrating on gathering trail user data and calculating the fiscal impacts of trail tourism years ago was exactly for moments like this," Tomes said. "When our senators and representatives, and governors and officials at the state level too, begin making decisions about the value of the Recreational Trails Program and Transportation Alternatives, and whether to make room in their budgets for trail development, they need understand the real equation. Communities all over America will tell you these trails are not frivolous things. There are thousands of main street businesses, small communities, local entrepreneurs, who are making a go of it only because of their local rail-trail or trail system. That is what federal investment in trails really means, before you even start considering the health benefits, the transportation capacity, and the environmental benefits."

For more on RTC's trail user surveys and economic impact data, visit http://community.railstotrails.org/media/tags/economic+impact/default.aspx

Rec Trails Grant Spurs New Trail Development in West Virginia

Jake Lynch — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:48:00 GMT

The communities of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle are one giant step closer to connecting to the thriving trail activity of western Maryland and Pennsylvania, thanks to a Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant.

On Monday, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced $80,000 in RTP funds to support the development of the North Berkeley Rail Trail, utilizing a disused section of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line. Though still in the early stages of planning, when complete the trail will run between Berkeley Springs and the U.S. 522 Potomac River bridge, and connect to the C&O Canal towpath, the Western Maryland Rail Trail, and the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), an internationally renowned rail-trail that attracts many thousands of riders every year from throughout America and around the world.

This trails tourism traffic is worth an estimated $50 million a year to the communities along the GAP, and in recent years has breathed new life and commerce into towns and small cities suffering the decline of traditional primary industries. The North Berkley Rail Trail would allow the businesses and main streets of northeast West Virginia to connect to this booming market.

The grant to the North Berkley Rail Trail project was one of 22 West Virginian trail projects receiving support this week. Gov. Tomblin announced $1.2 million in RTP grants to trails throughout the state, including the Meadow River Rail Trail in Fayette and Greenbrier counties, the Mon River Rail Trail system in Monongalia and Preston counties, and the Potts Valley Rail Trail (above) in Monroe County.

Way to go, Mountaineers.

Photo courtesy www.TrailLink.com

20 Years Later, Massachusetts Advocates Break Through on Pathway to the Sea

Jake Lynch — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 16:30:00 GMT

Rail-trail years are like dog years. In the world of planning and building a rail-trail, calendar years equal mere months, and a decade is barely a cycle of the seasons. In this world, where even the best rail-trail projects can take 20 or 30 years to come to fruition, patience, commitment and consistency are the most valuable of traits, their owners oaks of the movement rather than blazing stars streaking across the sky.

As is Bike to the Sea, Inc. Since 1993 this Massachusetts nonprofit has been a solid voice for the creation of a nine-mile bike and pedestrian trail, known as the Northern Strand Community Trail, from Malden to the beaches of Lynn and Revere on the shores of Broad Sound and Nahant Bay. While the state has long recognized that a trail to the sea along the unused Saugus Branch rail line is feasible, the task of raising support, awareness and funds for the project has been left to local advocates.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has assisted in that crucial effort. Thanks to our partners at The Coca Cola Foundation, last year we granted Bike to the Sea $12,500 in order to meet the matching requirement for a Recreational Trail Program (RTP) grant of more than $84,000. This money enabled the first phases of construction of the Northern Strand Community Trail earlier this year, in Saugus.

This ribboncutting came at a poignant time, with Bike to the Sea this year marking its 20th anniversary--two decades since a small group of locals beginning advocating for a pathway they knew would provide a tremendous benefit for the region.

To celebrate, Bike to the Sea will hold a 20th Anniversary Gala at the Dockside Restaurant function room on the corner of Commercial and Medford streets, Malden, Friday, November 2, at 6:30 p.m. The event will be a terrific occasion to reflect on the many achievements of local advocates over the past two decades, including new sections of rail-trail in Everett, Malden and Saugus, and to look forward to the years of trail building ahead.

Space is limited. Please RSVP to swinslow4152@gmail.com.

Photo courtesy Bike to the Sea, Inc.

Virginia Celebrates New Section of Tobacco Heritage Trail

Jake Lynch — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:20:00 GMT

Great rail-trail news out of southern Virginia with a once overgrown and unused (below) section of rail corridor opened this week as a new section of the Tobacco Heritage Trail.

Thanks to the hard work and commitment of the nonprofit Roanoke River Rails-to-Trails, Inc., and the 15 towns, cities and counties pursuing their rail-trail plans in the region, the town of South Boston is this week celebrating a new 2.6-mile segment of rail-trail in their community. The rail-trail features picnic tables, benches, animal-proof garbage cans and platforms for mounting horses. Already, bike riders, equestrians, hikers, geocachers, bird watchers, dog walkers and many others have flocked to the new recreational trail made of aggregate compacted stone.

And the Roanoke coalition is thinking big. The new path, along a disused section of the old Norfolk Southern rail system, is a step toward a planned 150-mile network of trails throughout southern Virginia.

With a broad cross-section of support, from former Governor, now Senator Mark Warner, to land and recreation agencies and local municipalities, the vision for a signature rail-trail network for Virginia has been made possible by numerous grants through the federal Transportation Enhancements (TE) and Recreational Trails (RTP) programs.

Unfortunately for the people of Virginia, Congress' decision this year to weaken dedicated funding sources for trails, biking and walking through changes to the TE program jeopardizes the construction of future phases of the Tobacco Heritage Trail.

A Friends of the Tobacco Heritage Trail group has been formed to raise funds, make improvements and increase awareness of the trail. Their facebook page is www.facebook.com/TobaccoHeritageTrail. If you are interested in volunteering for the trail, or want to know more, contact Heather Susee at hsusee@southsidepdc.org or call 434.447.7101.

Photos and maps courtesy www.tobaccoheritagetrail.org

Outdoor Recreation Industry Worth $646 Billion a Year

Jake Lynch — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:30:00 GMT

Did you know... Americans spend more on bicycling gear and trips ($81 billion) each year than they do on airplane tickets and fees ($51 billion)? Or that the outdoor recreation industry accounts for $646 billion in spending each year, supporting 6.1 million direct jobs and generating $80 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue?

That outdoor recreation amenities like rail-trails are powerful economic engines is no surprise to the many communities across America sustained and bolstered by trails tourism. And the data about their true value continue to pile up.

The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) this month released an economic study that found that outdoor recreation is one of America's fastest growing industries and a major job generator in both the manufacture and sale of equipment, but also in the American communities served by recreation amenities. In fact, trips and travel-related spending accounted for $524.8 billion of the total $646 billion in outdoor recreation spending each year.

The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) was highlighted in the report, a terrific example of destination rail-trails bringing life, commerce and sustainable business back to towns once decimated by the closure of primary industries. A 2012 study by the Center for Regional Progress at Frostburg State University found that trail tourism along the GAP injects an estimated $50 million dollars a year in direct spending in these towns.

Of course, the message behind the OIA report is that outdoor recreation amenities, such as protected public lands and trails, are crucial to the continued success of this industry. With any luck, our state governors are paying attention, as this month they prepare to decide whether to opt out of Recreational Trails Program (RTC) funding and instead use that tiny percentage of funds dedicated for public trails for continued highway expansion and maintenance.

Does your Governor believe public trails are important amenities for the citizens of your state? Help us urge elected officials to retain RTP funding.

With Little Backing From Municipalities, Volunteers Build Stunning Rail-Trail in Idaho

Jake Lynch — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:30:00 GMT

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's new report, Community Built: Stories of Volunteers Creating and Caring for Their Trails, contains inspiring examples of everyday Americans across the country using their community strength to create incredible trails.

With resources for trail development and maintenance often limited or nonexistent, it can be disheartening for volunteers and advocates who face seemingly insurmountable planning challenges and multi-million dollar estimates.

But Community Built gives trail champions a reason to take heart, because across the country, stories abound of trails getting developed, extended and cared for with minimal resources.

In rural Idaho, Friends of the Weiser River Trail (FWRT) has been able to build and maintain an 85-mile rail-trail with no significant municipal or county backing. FWRT did all of the hard work themselves, encountering opposition from both county governments and private property owners along the way, several of whom filed lawsuits against the friends group.

FWRT also had no meaningful way of enforcing trail regulations since they were not backed by ordinances. Despite the adversity, they wisely leveraged equipment and volunteer operators to help create and maintain a trail so beautiful that it was designated a National Recreation Trail in 2010. Much of the credit goes to the hard-working FWRT board of directors, which represented many different user groups and helped involve those groups in the trail-building process. Strong membership, support from multiple growing events, and an endowment will keep FWRT strong in its pursuit of improvements on the Weiser River Trail.

This organization took title to the railbanked corridor in August 1997 through a donation by Union Pacific Railroad with an appraised value of $12 million. The corridor contains 60 trestle bridges, crossing the river, roads and highways numerous times.

FWRT earns about $7,500 a year sponsoring a number of yearly events, including an annual relay run at the end of April between Council and Midvale. Events are used as an opportunity to recruit new members and introduce the trail to a wider audience.

Each of the three local chambers of commerce supports the trail due to its economic benefit, and the few sponsored events during the year do bring in significant local investment. The trail development and maintenance budget is approximately $125,000 a year, most of which is spent on local vendors, businesses and contractors.

Ridley grocery stores' Home Town Advantage program donates $6,000 a year to the trail, and all trestle repairs and most trail development have been funded by grants from the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). Other than grants, membership fees are the largest consistent sources of revenue. The trail has been paved through the towns of Weiser, Cambridge and Council, using Transportation Enhancement (TE) grants.

To learn more about how FWRT, and trails groups elsewhere, have been able to do incredible things with limited resources, read or download Community Built at www.railstotrails.org.

Photos courtesy of Friends of the Weiser River Trail

Massachusetts Cheers as Work Begins on Northern Strand Community Trail

Jake Lynch — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 17:00:00 GMT

The residents and businesspeople of Saugus, close to the Massachusetts coastline, are celebrating today with the long-awaited beginning of work on their section of the Northern Strand Community Trail.

"I think it's awesome," Saugus Board of Selectmen Vice-chairmen Steve Castinetti told the Daily Item last week. "It's a huge step up for the town, and I think it will bring a lot of interest to the town. This is a win-win for the business community, as well, if we could get people from outside of Saugus to just ride through town and see what there is to offer."

The Saugus section is part of what will one day be a 10-mile rail-trail between Everett, to the southwest, and Lynn, east of Saugus on the shores of Nahant Bay.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is especially pleased to see work beginning on this formally abandoned section of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority railroad line. In 2011, RTC and The Coca-Cola Foundation awarded Bike to the Sea, Inc., two grants totaling $12,500 to provide a match for an $84,000 Recreational Trails Program grant to aid the trail's construction.

According to the Daily Item, work is also under way in nearby Malden, and "in the pipeline" in Revere. However, the city of Lynn is being described as a "holdout" on the project.

Thanks to a partnership with a group called Iron Horse, Saugus will get a 2.5-mile gravel trail with recycled asphalt for "next to nothing." Iron Horse will remove the rail line tracks and ties, which they then sell for scrap metal. With this profit, Iron Horse will construct the trail.

Congratulations, Massachusetts! The Northern Strand Community Trail will be a great addition to the growing rail-trail network in the Northeast.

Map courtesy of www.biketothesea.com

Trails Are Not Important For America?

Jake Lynch — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:30:00 GMT

America - are you ready for more traffic congestion, sprawl, obesity, fumes and oil dependence?

Right now, U.S. Congress is preparing to release a reauthorization of the Federal Transportation Bill that looks set to decimate funding for walking and biking infrastructure in favor of more spending on highways.

Information on the particulars of the bill is scarce, because the small group of senators and representatives involved are holding their negotiations behind closed doors.

But we understand that the Transportation Enhancements (TE) program, which for the last 20 years has been the largest, and only dedicated federal, source of funding for trails, walking and biking infrastructure, will be scrapped. There are also reports that Safe Routes to Schools has been eliminated, and the information about the Recreational Trails program, another major source of funding for America's trails, is ominous.

Supporters of this disastrous transportation legislation that would undo more than 20 years of innovation and efficiency gains are framing it as a "jobs bill." The reality is that with roughly equivalent funding levels and little long-term security, the promise of significant job gains is dubious, and will certainly be outweighed by a rollback of decades of progress in promoting balanced transportation choices.

Make no mistake, if this bill emerges it represents Congress telling you that "Trails Are Not Important For America."

RTC will continue to monitor developments and notify you of significant decisions.

Be ready to oppose this bill, and do your part in the fight for trails, biking and walking!

Lexington, Ky., Pushing to Extend and Connect Local Rail-Trail Network

Jake Lynch — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:56:00 GMT

The people of Lexington, Ky., are pushing ahead with plans to develop an impressive biking and walking network built around a number of urban and rural rail-trails.

Lexington Fayette Urban County announced recently it was seeking funding for phase four of the Brighton East Rail Trail, a short section that would link two existing trails and provide a transportation and recreation option for thousands of residents in a number of neighborhoods, and connect them to a number of schools and shopping areas.

For those familiar with Lexington, phase four will tie into the existing portion of the rail-trail via a pedestrian and bicycle bridge across Man O' War Boulevard, to provide a safe crossing over a busy street. For access at street level and linkage to the Brighton Shoppes, a spur from the rail-trail is provided to the corner of Man O' War and Helmsdale Place.

Since initial sections were opened in 2006, the Brighton East Rail Trail has become especially popular as a safe and accessible place to exercise, a favorite track for a number of running groups, such as the Lex Run Ladies ("women who run, kinda run, or want to run").

City planners also see the immense value in completing the Brighton Rail Trail, as it is part of the broader Big Sandy Greenway Trail, which will eventually link to other pathways throughout the county. The Big Sandy has regional and statewide significance, with the proposal to construct a trail along the entire length of the 109-mile rail corridor from Lexington to Coalton gaining momentum.

Planners are hoping to receive grant funding for trail development through the federal Recreational Trails Program.

Photos of phase one (top) and phase two (bottom) sections of the Brighton East Rail Trail courtesy of Lexington Fayette Urban County.

Determined Mississippi Communities Get Their Groundbreaking Moment

Jake Lynch — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:20:00 GMT

The moment when a rail-trail vision moves from blueprint to actual construction is a celebration of the ability of America's citizens, communities and businesses to act on the hopes and desires for their community, and make them real.

Last week it happened yet again, this time in northern Mississippi, where a sustained grassroots effort supported by a coalition of local municipalities won funding support for a 44-mile pathway for hikers, bikers and riders of all kinds along an former railway corridor.

Thanks to a $9.6 million Transportation Enhancements (TE) grant administered by the Mississippi Department of Transportation, and a $100,000 Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, construction began recently on the first stage of what will be known as the Tanglefoot Trail.

The 10-foot-wide paved path for walkers, bicyclists and horseback riders will pass through three counties in rural northeastern Mississippi, and connect a number of towns between New Albany and Houston. The trail, through scenic woodlands and fields, and featuring access to historical sites, is scheduled for completion in early 2013.

The Tanglefoot Trail will run along the former Mississippi-Tennessee Railroad, built by William Faulkner's great-grandfather, Colonel William C. Faulkner, in 1872. The name Tanglefoot comes from the narrow gauge engine of the same name used during construction of the railroad.

The first section will be built in the city of New Albany and will progress southward to completion in Houston. Trail advocates and planners in Mississippi are eager to replicate the success of the Longleaf Trace to the south, which, since it opened in 2000, has become a hugely popular regional asset.

The second phase of the project will consist of the design, development and construction of gateway buildings in New Albany, Pontotoc and Houston. These facilities will serve as trail welcome centers. 'Whistle Stops,' or rest area facilities, will be located in the Ingomar, Ecru, Algoma and New Houlka communities. Already, local entrepreneurs are being asked to consider ways to capitalize on trail traffic through restaurants, cafes, bike shops, bed-and-breakfasts, campgrounds and retail opportunities close to the trail.

Aware of the need to coordinate their individual energy for the project, in 2006 the various municipalities along the trail's route--Chickasaw County, Pontotoc County, Union County, town of Algoma, town of Ecru, city of Houston, city of New Albany, town of New Houlka and the city of Pontotoc--came together to form a Rails to Trails Recreational District. The result was an impressive study in cooperation that ultimately impressed transportation officials of the broad regional demand for the trail.

According to Kelly Pack, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's director of trail development, the announcement of funding for the Tanglefoot Trail is particularly timely, as the U.S. Congress considers a transportation reauthorization bill that could potentially eliminate or severely hobble TE and RTP.

"As we see here, these grant programs enable local entities to build the assets they know their communities need," she says. "They are powerful programs. They are an incredibly efficient use of transportation spending, but it's more than that. They reward this grassroots cooperation--and allow cities and municipalities and residents and local businesses to make good on their visions for where they live."

Photo of the Tanglefoot Corridor courtesy of Michael Jones.

Senate Amendment For Trails Attracts Republican Cosponsor

Jake Lynch — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:51:00 GMT

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) policy staff have been working hard on Capitol Hill these past few weeks to ensure the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate pass transportation bills that protect dedicated funding for trails, walking and biking. It's been a wild few days.

As the respective bills take shape, here's the latest, as of Thursday morning:

In the Senate, RTC has taken a leadership position among a broad coalition of groups promoting two bipartisan amendments to the current Senate bill (officially titled S. 1813, "Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century" or MAP-21) that would restore dedicated funding for trails and active transportation through Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and the Recreational Trails Program.

U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) have introduced an amendment (#1549) that would ensure local communities have a fair shot at dedicating funds for trails, walking and bicycling.

RTC received word late yesterday that Senator Amy Klobuchar's (D-Minn.) amendment to restore the Recreational Trails Program has attracted a Republican cosponsor, meaning the amendment will have bipartisan support. RTC hopes to be able to announce that cosponsor later today or tomorrow.

Please support these amendments by filling out this quick and simple email form.

A vote on the House transportation bill (H.R. 7) has been delayed until after next week's Presidents Day recess, a sign that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) feels he does not have the necessary votes to pass the bill, which has been widely criticized for its drastic reduction or elimination of funding for trails, biking, walking and transit. The White House issued a statement yesterday saying that President Obama would veto this legislation in the unlikely event that it passes a House vote.

House Republican leaders have indicated they will seek to dismantle H.R. 7 and submit its individual elements to the floor for separate discussion.

Stay tuned to RTC's TrailBlog for the latest news from Capitol Hill on the passage of this critical legislation.

Funding Debate Sparks Examination of New Transportation Realities

Jake Lynch — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:56:00 GMT

The recent political focus on the reauthorization of the multi-year surface transportation bill provided some nervous moments for Americans hoping to see more options for getting around that don't involve driving an automobile.

With a shrinking pot of money available for transportation projects, there were a number of, eventually unsuccessful, attempts to reduce or eliminate dedicated funding for bike paths, trails and sidewalks. The thought was that, with money tight, investing in such things was "frivolous" and did not relate to the 21^st century American concept of transportation.

As a result, the federally administered Transportation Enhancements, Recreational Trails and Safe Routes to Schools programs, though boasting an impressive record of success and value for money, found themselves on the chopping block.

But something very valuable did emerge from placing a spotlight on America's transportation future - a re-examination of what residents and businesspeople in communities across the country are demanding that future should be.

In the midst of changing social and economic patterns, and unprecedented environmental challenges, existing assumptions about how we live and move are being re-calibrated, to the benefit of transportation planning that better reflects the desire of the American people.

In an article in the New York Times last month, urban and regional planning scholar Christopher B. Leinberger wrote it was the rejection of car-dependent residential and commercial developments that contributed most significantly to the mortgage collapse.

Leinberger is one of a number of transportation experts leading the re-investigation. He says "there has been a profound structural shift" in the demand for housing in recent years, driven not primarily by any mortgage market or economic collapse but by the aging of the baby boomer population, and a widespread revision amongst homebuyers of how they want their neighborhoods to function.

This revision is inspired by environmental and social patterns; notably an expanding population, diminishing natural resources, a growing appreciation of concepts of sustainability, and the historic need to deliberately construct daily opportunities for physical recreation and movement.

The fact that high-density, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods in the city and inner suburbs represent the most in-demand and recession-resistant housing in the nation reflects these priorities. And with municipalities and regional governments increasingly eager to respond to the demands of existing and potential residents and businesses, it is driving transportation infrastructure decisions from the grassroots, up.

Surveys have shown that residents would vote for local taxes and rate increases if that money was used to pay for trails and pathways. At the city and county planning level, increasing bike- and walk-ability is a priority of a growing number of councils and planning agencies in communities large and small.

"Many boomers are now empty nesters and approaching retirement," Leinberger writes. "Boomers want to live in a walkable urban downtown, a suburban town center or a small town, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Realtors. The 'millennials'... favor urban downtowns and suburban town centers - for lifestyle reasons and the convenience of not having to own cars."

"Reinvesting in America's built environment - which makes up a third of the country's assets - and reviving the construction trades is vital for lifting our economic growth rate," Leinberger continues. "As Congress works to reauthorize highway and transit legislation, it must give metropolitan areas greater flexibility for financing transportation, rather than mandating that the vast bulk of the money can be used only for roads. We have to stop throwing good money after bad. It is time to instead build what the market wants: mixed-income, walkable cities and suburbs that will support the knowledge economy, promote environmental sustainability and create jobs."

One of the key lessons being learned is that the either/or funding equation pitting road infrastructure against non-motorized infrastructure is outdated, and unnecessarily oppositional.

In a recent interview with Bike Portland's Jonathan Maus, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Polly Trottenberg, described the inclusion of bike and pedestrian facilities in road projects as "the new normal."

"We shouldn't separate [active transportation] out, because really, it should be part of federal highways and it should be part of every roadway we design - that it's just part of what goes into them," she said. "It should be an integrated part of all the roadway planning that we do."

Trottenberg acknowledged that the growing demand for communities that are connected by non-motorized transportation was manifesting itself in organized political action.

"We went to LA for this re-authorization visit," she said. "This is LA, which people think of as the car city, and 300 bicycle activists showed up... I just see that's where the political energy is in transportation right now."

As Leinberger and other experts have determined, this energy is the result of a defined shift in American lifestyles, and not a trend or cultural glitch. Local elected officials and planning agencies have already responded to the demands for biking and walking options they are hearing from their residents. In the recent round of the federal government's TIGER 3 funding program, 22 of 46 funded projects included walking and bicycling elements, with many more unfunded applications also built around active transportation.

Whether the federal government will now enable this movement toward an environmentally, socially and economically stronger America remains to be seen. Our only dedicated sources of funding for non-motorized transportation - Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and the Recreational Trails programs - are the lynchpins of a successful move in this direction, and it is crucial they are preserved.

Computer generated image of streetscape courtesy of City of Newark. Photo of Hudson River Greenway, N.Y., courtesy of Boyd Loving.

Recreational Trails Program Funds Crucial Link in Kansas City, Mo.

Jake Lynch — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:00:00 GMT

The state of Missouri received some terrific news last month with the announcement that 11 trail projects would receive funding through the federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP).

Notably, a $100,000 RTP grant will make possible a critical link in Kansas City’s Riverfront Heritage Trail, a rail-trail that connects the banks of the Missouri River with the historical downtown area of the city, local parks and shopping areas.

The half-mile section of concrete trail to be funded by the RTP grant is a terrific example of how relatively short connections can add enormous value to regional trail systems. Connecting the eastern and southern sections of the Riverfront Heritage Trail with the western branch into Kansas City, Kan., just across the border, this small link now completes a hub reaching out toward hundreds of miles of trail stretching north to Omaha, Neb., west into Kansas, east along the Missouri River and south to Joplin, Mo.

“This is an unusually important segment of the broader trails system,” says Darby Trotter, president of Kansas City River Trails, Inc., a nonprofit corporation created to operate and maintain the Riverfront Heritage Trail and promote trail use in the region. “What we have here is the hub of a four-state trails system.”

For Trotter and fellow trail organizers, the half-mile connector is the culmination of more than a decade’s work building the Riverfront Heritage Trail and establishing river and rail-line crossings to connect to communities and trails beyond the city itself.

“We see this as the end of Phase 1,” he says. “Phase 1 was to build the hub to get to. Phase 2 is happening now – people are connecting other trails to the system.”

Trotter says much of the most difficult, and most expensive, work is already completed – bike and pedestrian crossings over the Missouri and Kansas rivers, as well as over the busy network of active rail lines in Kansas City’s central industrial district. Construction of the half-mile link is expected to begin in early 2012.

If Kansas City can promote itself as a central trail destination for hikers, bikers and riders embarking on, and returning from, journeys all across the country, local businesses will have tapped into a lucrative, and sustainable, economy.

Straddling the border between two states and two major rivers, the Riverfront Heritage Trail and connecting pathways have been a multi-jurisdictional effort, involving government agencies on both sides of the border, as well as broad support from the regional private sector.

Though its recreational utility is much appreciated by residents and visitors alike, the establishment of the Riverfront Heritage Trail had a particular inspiration – local history.

“It was an attempt to bring people back to the riverfront, back to their heritage,” Trotter says, adding that a lot of thought was put into naming the trail. “And it was always important that the trail connect with the oldest parts of the community – the initial settlements, the River Market.”

Today, the area’s history is portrayed in art works along the trail – the journey of Lewis and Clark, and the less-heralded journey of slaves escaping from Missouri to the free state of Kansas in the 1850s.

Though the area’s rich history was a catalyst for the trail, its development is now guided by a forward-looking vision. Trotter, a senior executive for a company that has been in Kansas City since 1886, says a number of area business leaders can see the direct connection between amenities like parks and trails, and strong population and commercial growth.

“Looking across the country, the progressive cities are those which are making good use of their waterfront areas, riverfront areas,” he says. “Up until recently, we weren’t doing that.”

A decade later, the Riverfront Heritage Trail is an integral part of the community – popular and well-used. And though Trotter says city authorities have been reactive rather than proactive in encouraging walking and biking (“We had to pull them along kicking and screaming at times…”), there are signs the message has been received; one of the goals of Kansas City’s new master plan is to make the downtown area more walkable.

RTP grants like this one are funded by a small portion of motor fuel excise taxes collected from recreational vehicle use. So, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles – those vehicles that use recreational trails in some states – help pay for the maintenance and establishment of such trails.

In addition to the Riverfront Heritage Trail link, RTP grants in Missouri helped fund the widespread development and maintenance of both motorized and non-motorized trails in Missouri State Parks, the construction of a backcountry hiking trail in Roger Pryor Backcountry, Shannon County, and a trail from the city of Greenville to Wappapello Lake.

For more information on the Recreational Trails Program, visit www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/

Images courtesy of Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, and Kansas City River Trails, Inc.

Sale of Disused Corridor Paves the Way for New Rail-Trail in West Virginia

Jake Lynch — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:53:00 GMT

The state of West Virginia continues to enhance its reputation as one of the nation's premier rail-trail destinations.

It is surrounded by some heavy hitters--the states on every border are replete with great rail-trails, notably Pennsylvania to the north, and Virginia to the east, two of the true leaders of the movement.

But West Virginia is ensuring it doesn't get left behind, and last month unveiled yet another exciting rail-trail project.

Fayette and Greenbrier counties have successfully negotiated the purchase of 16.7 miles of the former Nicholas-Fayette-Greenbrier rail line and plan to convert the property into a recreational trail. It will be known as the Meadow River Rail-Trail and will pass through some of the region's loveliest countryside, nestled in between the New River Gorge, Babcock State Park, the southern reaches of the Monongahela National Forest, and the Gauley River National Recreation Area. It is a place bursting with outdoor recreation options.

The purchase of the corridor from CSX is remarkable for involving two county jurisdictions, as well as funding and effort from local, state and federal governments.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) Early Warning System alerted the counties to the rail corridor's impending abandonment back in 2008, and our staff drew on their wealth of experience with similar projects to assist the trail proponents with relevant railbanking and abandonment legislation. The Rivers and Trails Program of the National Park Service also provided technical assistance throughout the three and a half-year process.

The purchase price for the152-acre railbanked property was $128,400, with an additional $50,000 spent on an environmental report.

A federal stimulus grant of $264,000, a Recreational Trails Program grant of $80,000, and $86,000 of local matches covered the purchase of the corridor, and will also pay for engineering and construction of as many miles of trail as the budget will stretch. Rail-trail projects such as this one typically cost about $100,000 per mile.

Phase one of the trail's construction is expected to begin in the fall of this year. Led by WV Division of Highways, the first stage will include the development of trail access at Russellville, and construction of at least one mile of trail, including decking one of the two long bridges over the Meadow River.

At a press conference to announce the corridor's purchase, West Virginia Congressmen Nick Rahall, who lobbied for financial support of the project, said rail-trails represented not just a recreational asset, but also a critical economic boost. "You guys really know how to cook up a healthy trail mix to feed a hungry economy," said Rep. Rahall, according to the Register-Herald newspaper. "We can all be proud of this blue-ribbon recipe ... to spur growing local economies by helping existing business and helping entice new ones."

It is hoped the Meadow River Rail-Trail will eventually stretch all the way from the Gauley River National Recreation Area to the L&R Trail, a rail-trail that will, when complete, link Lewisburg and Ronceverte in eastern Greenbrier County.

Photos courtesy of Carl Thompson/Fayette County Commission.