RTC TrailBlog : video

Watch: Do You Count? Our Webinar on Measuring Trail Use

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 20:32:00 GMT

A few weeks back, we held a webinar with experts from around the country discussing various methods of measuring trail use.

As the adage goes, "You can't manage what you don't measure." This rule is especially true for trails, which host a wide variety of transportation and recreation users. Learn how nonprofits, governments and the private sector are using trail counts to better understand bicycle and pedestrian behavior, and how these resources can assist your pathway. We discuss counter technology, volunteer management, using trail counts to conduct economic impact studies and the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project.

Presenters:

Jennifer Donlon, Alta Planning + Design
Mel Huie, Oregon Metro Regional Government
Eric Oberg, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
David Patton, Arlington County, Va.

Read biographies of the webinar presenters (PDF). For more information on RTC's trail user surveys, please visit the Trail-Building Toolbox. Special thanks to Greg Billing of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association for editing assistance.

Did you watch the webinar? Let us know how we did by completing this survey. Thank you!

Award-Winning Documentary Film Coming to Miami April 27

Ken Bryan (RTC) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:06:00 GMT

Ride The Divide, the award-winning feature-length documentary about the world's toughest mountain bike race, will descend on South Florida for two shows at the O-Cinema in Miami on the night of Wednesday, April 27. The event will be a fundraiser for the Virginia Key Bicycle Club.

The film chronicles the story of several mountain bikers who attempt the 2,711-mile race named the Tour Divide along the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains. The movie was named best adventure film at the 2010 Vail Film Festival.

This film has become an instant cycling classic and made its television premiere in September on the Documentary Channel. But the Adventure Cycling Association says the film should be seen on the big screen: "The cinematography is stunning!" says Epic Riding. "In a word? Fantastic. In more words? Moving, funny, inspiring."

Ride The Divide embraces the stories of three of the racers who experience the immense mountain beauty and small-town culture as they attempt to pedal from Banff, Canada, to a small, dusty crossing on the Mexican border. There's Mike, a 40-year-old family man who uses this challenge to chart a new course in life; Matthew, a leader in extreme endurance racing who's competing for his 5th time; and Mary, the ﬁrst female rider to race this route. As they set out, they will attempt to accomplish what very few have been able to do: During the course of a few weeks, they'll attempt to climb more than 200,000 vertical feet along the backbone of the Rocky Mountains.

They'll experience mental breakdowns, treacherous snow, hellacious blisters and total fatigue. Above all, they'll race with no support--at times in total isolation. The tests of endurance and the accomplished moments throughout Ride the Divide prompt us to reﬂect on our inner desires to live life to the fullest.

Reviewing the film, Outside magazine proclaimed that "(t)he toughest bike race in the world is not in France."

Ride The Divide will be shown at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the O-Cinema, located at 90 NW 29th Street in Miami. Tickets are $15 at the door and $10 in advance online purchase. The event is sponsored by Mack Cycles, All 4 Cycling and Scott Skate & Bike of Miami.

Media contact: Garry Harrington at 603.209.5010 or gharrington3165@hotmail.com.

Watch: Detroit's Public-Private Partnerships for Trails

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:21:00 GMT

As part of the Detroit 2020 Project, WXYZ-TV took a look at the RiverWalk and the Dequindre Cut Greenway, two connecting trails created through public-private partnerships between the city of Detroit and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. As Blogroll member M-Bike.org points out, the Conservancy has taken the lead in the partnership, with staff dedicated to trail planning and maintenance.

On a related note, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is also looking for volunteers to serve as RiverWalk ambassadors. Detroit trail supporters are highly encouraged to get involved!

Memphis Connects Parks with Rail-Trail and Complete Streets

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:36:00 GMT

In many ways, the recently opened Shelby Farms Greenline is a linear extension of the city's largest park to downtown Memphis, Tenn. But the rail-trail stops just short of Overton Park, which contains, among other attractions, the Memphis Zoo and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. What's standing in the way? Broad Avenue, an east-west connection that has seen better days.

To complete the missing link, Broad Avenue was transformed, at least temporarily, into a complete street featuring bike lanes, art-inspired crosswalks painted by local schoolchildren, and temporary businesses that set up shop for the weekend. It's part of an effort, called "A New Face for an Old Broad," to show the community what Broad Avenue could be while making the connection between the trailhead and Overton Park.

"This is a critical link ... The Greenline is the catalyst to turn around attitudes toward the city of Memphis, Tennessee," says event sponsor Charles McVean. Kyle Wagenschutz, bike and pedestrian coordinator for the city of Memphis, agrees. "Much like the Greenline gave Memphians a tangible example of off-road spaces that are safe places for biking and walking," he says, "the redesign of Broad Avenue will be a physical representation of how city streets can be designed as safe places for bicycle riders and pedestrians." Plans are already taking shape in an effort to make permanent improvements to Broad Avenue.

It's an inspiring story of extending a pathway beyond the trail corridor to foster business development, physical activity and community spirit at once. Be sure to watch the video report embedded above from WMC-TV.

Check out AAA Mid-Atlantic’s backyard, TE-funded trail

Jennifer Kaleba (RTC) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:23:00 GMT

In August, AAA Mid-Atlantic called for the elimination of critical, established programs that fund trails, walking and bicycling from our nation's transportation trust fund. De-funded programs would include Transportation Enhancements (TE), the largest funding source for trails and active transportation infrastructure.

AAA says it supports all types of transportation, but that doesn't square with the above position, which would divert crucial money away from walking and bicycling and toward the highway system.

Imagine our surprise when we learned that AAA Mid-Atlantic has a trail right outside their building that their employees get to enjoy every day... funded by TE! So we decided to go see it for ourselves.

Ask AAA to be a part of America's transportation future - sign the petition now!

Volunteers Create Teaching Garden Along D.C. Rail-Trail

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:29:00 GMT

On Saturday, the District of Columbia Building Industry Association hosted its 18th annual Community Improvement Day on the Metropolitan Branch Trail. More than 450 volunteers pitched in to help create a landscaped area along the trail through the Edgewood neighborhood. The new community amenities include a teaching garden, soft surface walking path, edible plants and a sitting area. WTTG-TV was there to document the day's events; you can view the video embedded above.

Watch our Webinar: The Secrets to Gardens on Urban Pathways

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:49:00 GMT

Last week, RTC hosted The Secrets to Gardens on Urban Pathways, a webinar that offered tips and advice on how to start and maintain community gardens along trails in urban areas. Presenter Jesse Kurtz-Nicholl of Johns Hopkins University's Center for a Livable Future was joined by Urban Tilth executive director Doria Robinson and Park Guthrie of Wildcat Farms. With trail garden experience in Richmond, Calif., and Washington, D.C., the panel offered their expertise and took questions from the audience. The webinar, embedded above, is available for replay. We also have a trail garden page in our Trail Building Toolbox available for use.

Along with Innovative Trail Projects, Indianapolis Seeks to Increase Usership of Monon Trail

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:17:00 GMT

While Indianapolis may not have the bike-friendly reputation of a city like Portland, Ore., this Midwestern capital has some groundbreaking initiatives under way that both support and expand the city's trail network.

The most high-profile of these projects is the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. Looping around downtown, the Cultural Trail is a combination sidewalk and cycle track, providing a safe and easily identifiable route for cyclists and pedestrians to move around the heart of the city. These types of "street grid greenway" projects are on the rise; in Detroit, for example, construction has begun on the Midtown Loop Greenway, which also aims to connect destinations within a neighborhood. In addition to its role as a route around downtown, the Cultural Trail will act as a hub for the central Indiana greenway network by including a direct connection to, among other trails, the Monon Trail to the northern suburbs of Carmel and Westfield.

While the Monon Trail has a sterling reputation among rail-trails, its southernmost section, spanning the three miles between the Cultural Trail and the Indiana State Fairgrounds, has not had the type of extensive usage seen farther north on the trail. Residents of the lower-income neighborhoods adjacent to this section of trail use it, yet many area residents incorrectly perceive this section of the trail to be dangerous. As IndyParks greenways manager Al Ensley tells us, while vandalism has been an issue, crime reports show that this part of the trail is no more dangerous than other areas. To promote trail usage through these neighborhoods, Ensley has been working to minimize opportunities for vandalism and support trail amenities that encourage usership. The video embedded above provides more details about how the city has been working to get more people out on the Monon Trail.

Another exciting undertaking in Indianapolis is the Smart Growth Redevelopment District, which is planning sustainable development in the neighborhoods around the southern end of the Monon Trail. Selected as one of five Sustainable Communities Pilot Projects by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the district offers an opportunity for a community-based approach to brownfield redevelopment. Part of the district's plans include converting a spur off the Monon Trail into a rail-trail, connecting the district with Brookside Park and Pogue's Run Trail via a five-mile loop system. Kaid Benfield of the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a member of a national team convened by the American Institute of Architects to provide support and guidance to the project; he offers a glimpse into the project on the NRDC Switchboard blog (parts one, two and three).

By combining new trail amenities, connections to downtown and the regional greenway network, and trail-oriented redevelopment of brownfield sites, Indianapolis is mixing all the right ingredients for a successful urban pathway.

Note: The embedded video has been slightly edited from the one originally posted.

City of Lights Program Teaches Bike Repair and Safety Skills for Immigrant Cyclists

Steve Schweigerdt (RTC) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:17:00 GMT

The challenges of safely navigating Los Angeles by bike are particularly difficult for new immigrants who depend on biking to and from work yet are not connected to the larger bicycling community. Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) is reaching out to these cyclists through their City of Lights program, which aims to help them ride safely and keep their equipment in good repair, as well as develop their potential to become local advocates for better bicycle facilities and education in their communities.

Formed in late 2008, the program works at the IDEPSCA and CARECEN day labor centers to give free bike maintenance and safety workshops in Spanish. Cyclists have also received free lights, maps, safety vests and patch kits.

These cyclists depend on their bikes to get to the labor center. Many participants attend the BiciDigna bike repair workshop every week, or they attend attend the City of Lights Volunteer Retreat. Building these safety programs helps the participants form relationships that bring them into the greater cycling community, where they are also recognized for the healthy and sustainable transportation they are using.

LACBC is hosting City of Lights' first annual awards dinner and fundraiser for the program on Thursday, August 12, to sustain and extend the program to additional day labor centers. Tickets to the dinner are still available.

In addition to a website and blog featuring video clips of the training workshops, the program has developed resource materials for download, such as a community bike parking guide in English and Spanish, and an illustrated Spanish language cycling guide. If there are immigrant cyclists in your city, consider reaching out to day labor centers, other worksites or affordable housing complexes to build some powerful alliances with the cyclists who ride there.

From the Beltway to the Bikeway: Local News Radio Rides with Trail Patrol

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:16:00 GMT

In the Washington, D.C., area, WTOP radio is known as the station with updates on Beltway traffic every 10 minutes. But reporter Kate Ryan switched her minivan for a bicycle and has been taking listeners along for the ride. From ladies nights at local bike shops to free bike clinics, Ryan has been covering the local bike scene for a mainstream audience. As part of her coverage, she's paid significant attention to trails. Recently, she took a spin with Officer Donald Brew, who patrols the Capital Crescent Trail for the Maryland-National Capital Park Police.

Brew discusses the training that a bike-mounted police officer must go through, including instruction on riding down stairs and handling a gun while on a bicycle. He also notes that proper trail etiquette is a major issue on a busy trail like the Capital Crescent. Dogs on long leashes and children wandering around the trail can create hazards for other trail users, and higher-speed trail users must give an audible warning before passing a slower trail user.

"Brew says the key to keeping the trail safe for the cyclists, the joggers and the dog walkers isn’t enforcement," Ryan writes. "It’s courtesy."

Town Connects to Regional Trail Network with Rebuilt "Green Street"

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:41:00 GMT

Edmonston, Md., is a town of a little more than 1,000 people in Prince George's County, just outside Washington, D.C. Its location along the Anacostia Tributary Trail System provides access by bicycle to major destinations, including Silver Spring and the Unviersity of Maryland at College Park. In the future, two planned off-road connections in D.C. will extend the trail network south along the Anacostia River and provide an off-road route to downtown Washington via the Metropolitan Branch Trail.

Despite the town's prime location at the nexus of a growing regional trail network, its streets have been anything but friendly for active transportation. Like many towns, Edmonston is home to wide asphalt roadways prone to speeding and excessive rainwater runoff. Because it is a low point near the confluence of two tributaries running through paved-over suburban areas, the town has suffered from severe flooding. When it came time to rebuild Decatur Street, the town's main road providing access to the trail network, a consensus emerged that it was time for a change, and the concept of a Green Street was born in Edmonston.

Designed to reduce stormwater runoff and improve access for non-motorized transportation, the new Decatur Street includes bike lanes, narrowed vehicular lanes, textured crosswalks, native trees, porous pavement and LED lights. These and other road improvements will not only naturally treat 90 percent of the pollution washed into the river and reduce the total amount of runoff, but they will also provide a safer connection to the trail network along the river banks. Funded by $1.3 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the project is being completed in what the town calls an "open source" manner. As a result, planning and engineering documents are available online for advocates, officials and other professionals to use.

At the project's November 2009 groundbreaking, attended by federal Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Mayor Adam Ortiz noted the town's diversity: a third of the population is Latino, a third black and a third white. "We're diverse in every way, except we don't have rich people," he said. "And if our little working class town can build a sustainable street like this, then anybody can."

Photo: Decatur Street before its Green Street treatment. Photo courtesy the Town of Edmonston.

Watch: Michigan's Southern Links Trailway Opens

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:14:00 GMT

From Michigan comes news of a trail opening for the Southern Links Trailway. A dream of trail advocate Lonnie Kester since 1998, the latest section of trail creates a continuous 10-mile paved link between Millington and Columbiaville. "It brings tears of joy to my eyes," Kester told WJRT-TV, which features some nice footage of trail users enjoying this new community asset.

Watch: D.C. Residents Meet the Met Branch Trail

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:59:00 GMT

On June 5, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy celebrated National Trails Day by hosting an event with Kaiser Permanente on the Metropolitan Branch Trail. The event, called Meet the Met: Party on the Met Branch Trail, introduced surrounding communities to a new pathway that had opened only one month before. While some area residents had been involved with the long history of getting the trail built, many in the surrounding neighborhoods didn't know that the trail existed. By working with our partners to host a celebration that included something for and from all parts of the community - free bike repairs and rentals, garden plantings and shows by cheerleaders from nearby Beacon House - we hoped to christen the trail and introduce it to all of Northeast D.C.

Nearly 1,000 people turned out on a hot June day for the celebration, and of the over 200 we surveyed, nearly half had never been on the Metropolitan Branch Trail before. Photos and video (embedded above) can give you a flavor of the day's events, which included salutes to longtime trail advocates, a bike rodeo to teach kids safe riding skills, live music along the trail and a raffle of four bicycles donated by local shop Arrow Bicycle.

Meet the Met is just the beginning. A new listserv connecting neighbors who care about the Met Branch Trail attracted more than 100 members in its first week and a meeting is being held on July 8 to move the conversation from the online world to the real world. Even with community support, this trail faces challenges, such as littering and public safety. But the Met Branch is not alone. As part of RTC's Urban Pathways Initiative, this trail is connected to dozens of others across the nation addressing similar issues, providing a support network to learn about best practices from other cities.

Watch: Richmond, Va., Begins to Build a Rail-Trail

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:41:00 GMT

Virginia Public Television's Virginia Currents recently aired an episode that spotlighted the James River Branch Trail, a project trail on Richmond's south side. The show's first segment features city of Richmond Council Member Doug Conner and Virginia Bicycle Federation President Champe Burnley speaking about the potential this corridor holds for the neighborhood, and how the proven benefits of rail-trails elsewhere in Virginia can translate to this urban neighborhood.

Watch: Trails Help Make Minneapolis America's Top Cycling City

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:45:00 GMT

To mark the occasion of Minneapolis joining the National Association of City Transportation Officials, Streetfilms visited the City of Lakes to document what that city is doing to make active transportation a part of everyday life. New trails and connecting infrastructure, much of it funded through the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program, have been key to boosting the numbers of bicyclists and pedestrians. Also supporting the top-notch infrastructure are community-based programs and amenities for urban pathways such as safety patrols by Midtown Greenway Trail Watch volunteers and the Freewheel Midtown Bike Center, a full-service bike station directly on the trail.

The combination of new infrastructure, innovative initiatives, soaring cyclist counts and can-do spirit (even in Minnesota's brutal winter weather!) pushed Minneapolis to the top of Bicycling Magazine's 2010 ranking of America's most bike-friendly cities. This change could happen in your city, too. Encourage your local advocates and planners to plug in to RTC's Urban Pathways Initiative to connect with more than 200 other trail practitioners working to encourage trail use in cities across the nation, and ask your U.S. representative to become a co-sponsor of the Active Community Transportation Act, which would provide competitive grants to cities that want to complete their active transportation networks.