Skip to content

Focus Term: Policy/Advocacy


Blog
America’s Trails Are Under Fire
November 26, 2025

Explore the future of America’s trails amidst challenges to bike and walking path funding in the new federal transportation bill.

Opened in the summer of 2024, this 147-foot-long pedestrian bridge on the W&OD Trail provides safe crossings for people over busy Wiehle Avenue in Reston, Virginia. | Photo by Albert Ting
resource
Webinar – Innovative State Legislative Approaches: Addressing a Challenging Environment
November 24, 2025
Join Rails to Trails Conservancy to learn more about, “Innovative State Legislative Approaches: Addressing a Challenging Environment.” During this webinar, RTC policy staff and featured guests discussed best practices for building a state legislative agenda focused on achieving policy wins and funding for active transportation. The session touched on legislative basics and timelines before diving […]
resource
Webinar – State DOT Engagement: Relationship-Building and Advocacy
November 24, 2025
Join Rails to Trails Conservancy to learn more about, “State DOT Engagement: Relationship-Building and Advocacy.” During this webinar, RTC policy staff and featured guests discussed the importance of building relationships with your state’s Department of Transportation (DOT) when advocating transportation policy change at the federal level. This session explored the connection between the work of […]
resource
WEBINAR – Power in Numbers: Building Grassroots Partnerships in Your Community | Changemaker Series
November 10, 2025
Join Rails to Trails’ Changemaker for Trails campaign for our training, “Power in Numbers: Building Grassroots Partnerships in Your Community.” During this training, Changemakers heard from individuals who have been successful in activating community members and engaging key players, including elected officials to develop trail infrastructure in their region. This was an opportunity for Changemakers […]
resource
WEBINAR – How Your Story Makes an Impact | Changemaker Series
July 21, 2025
One important way to advocate for trails, walking and biking, is to effectively tell decision makers how and why trails, walking and biking matter to you and your community. Storytelling is a vital piece of advocacy, and we want to empower you, RTC’s Changemakers for Trails, to share your stories in ways that resonate with […]
resource
Preparing for the Next Transportation Bill: How Federal Transportation Decisions Affect Walking, Biking and Trails
May 21, 2025
Join Rails to Trails’ Changemaker for Trails campaign for a training on “Preparing for the Next Transportation Bill: How Federal Transportation Decisions Affect Walking, Biking and Trails.” During this training, we discussed the federal legislation that makes trails possible and how you can directly influence the creation of this legislation. More specifically, we discussed Rails […]
resource
Changemakers for Trails Training: Making your Voice Heard and Shaping Federal Decisions
March 25, 2025
This is a crucial moment for the walking, biking and trails movement, and through our collective advocacy, we can ensure that trails have the robust support and funding they need to remain safe and vibrant pillars of our community! During this training, RTC panelists discussed how recent federal decisions could affect the way trails are […]
Photo courtesy TrailLink
Blog
Standing Up for Trails
March 12, 2025

Funding that supports trails, walking and biking which has been caught up in funding freezes and the pausing of federal programs.

View of Liberty Bridge from the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville, South Carolina | Photo by Barry Peters
resource
Advocating for a High Performing Transportation Alternatives Program
December 17, 2024
Join Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) for an interactive discussion exploring how to advocate for improved Transportation Alternatives (TA) program implementation. During this highly interactive 60-minute session, attendees heard from RTC’s Kevin Mills, Vice President of Policy and Kim Chesser, State Agency Advocacy Specialist, as they explored opportunities to accelerate progress on trail and active […]
resource
Post-Election Landscape: Next Steps for the Trail and Active Transportation Movement
December 09, 2024
Join Rails to Trails Conservancy to learn more about what the election results mean for trails, walking and biking. During this post-election landscape webinar, RTC’s VP of Policy, Kevin Mills, outlined notable developments from state and local ballot measures to shifts in Congressional leadership to expected changes in federal executive branch leadership that will shape […]