This resource guide was created to document the Watershed Education by Bike (WEB) program developed by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. The activities and experiences included in this document are intended to help other organizations and individuals carry on the work and programming started by WEB. WEB grew from the Camden Youth Cycling Learning and Exercising (CYCLE) program, a summer […]

Amicus brief written by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, American Trails, American Hiking Society, American Recreation Coalition and National Trust for Historic Preservation in support of the United States in Marvin M. Brandt Revocable Trust v. United States, a case before the Supreme Court of the United States in 2014.

In 2013, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) conducted a study of six connected trails (the Trails) that make up the central leg of the developing 270-mile Erie to Pittsburgh Trail (EPT) and are located in northwest Pennsylvania. The Trails are connected by geography, history and marketing. Owned, operated and maintained by several trail organizations and municipalities, the […]

A Resource for Planners, Agencies and Advocates on Trails Along Active Railroad Corridors Rails-with-trails are safe, common, and increasing in number. These are the standout findings of America’s Rails-with-Trail Report, a defining new study on the development of multi-use trails alongside active freight, passenger and tourist rail lines. Rails-with-trails are valuable assets in providing safe transportation networks […]

Railbanking is a method by which lines proposed for abandonment can be preserved for future rail use through interim conversion to trail use. This document introduces the What, Where, Why, When and How of railbanking, and includes a sample railbanking and Public Use Condition request with the required Statement of Willingness to Assume Financial Responsibility.

Trail advocates sometimes use the old mantra, “Build it and they will come,” to describe the immediate success of new trails. But complexities of the built and social environments in urban areas present factors that may affect trail use and require programmatic interventions to encourage use once the trail is constructed. Research indicates that strategies […]

Studies have shown that trails themselves do not generate crime. However in many urban areas, crime and safety are serious, pervasive issues, and even the perception of trail safety may influence trail use. Addressing concerns about crime and violence is particularly important in low-income urban communities where residents, especially children and women, may not be […]

Urban Pathways Initiative (UPI) is a program of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy that advocates for equitable investment in vulnerable communities to promote the health, transportation and environmental benefits of trail use. UPI provides community-based assistance to groups and municipal agencies which promote or develop pathways intersecting low-income communities. Through case studies in Memphis, TN, Houston, TX, Compton, CA, and New Orleans, LA, this […]

Urban Pathways Initiative (UPI) is a program of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy that advocates for equitable investment in vulnerable communities to promote the health, transportation and environmental benefits of trail use. UPI provides community-based assistance to groups and municipal agencies which promote or develop pathways intersecting low-income communities. Through case studies in Chicago, IL, Washington, DC, Richmond, CA, and Cleveland, OH, this fact […]

This primer explores the benefits of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Urban Pathways Initiative (UPI), a program that advocates for equitable investment in vulnerable communities to promote the health, transportation and environmental benefits of trail use. UPI provides community-based assistance to groups and municipal agencies which promote or develop pathways intersecting low-income communities. This report shares lessons learned from UPI and focuses on strategies to encourage […]