In 2023, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Awarded 30 Trail Grants Totaling $348,000 to Support Equitable Trail Development and Community Programs.

Hal Hiemstra was a pivotal figure in the active transportation movement and served as Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s vice president of national policy in the 1990s.

After 18 months, learn aboutthe Impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for trails, walking and biking.

Franco Harris, who died in December 2022 at the age of 72, became an important advocate for trails and cycling, in particular. And he did so as a member of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) Board of Directors from 1992 to 1997.

This December, we’re taking time to reflect on the challenges and changes, hard work and persistence, that’s made up the fabric of this impactful year.

RTC has awarded a combined $300,000+ in grants to 25 organizations working in rural, suburban and urban communities across the country as part of the 2022 Trail Grants program.

The State of Missouri announced that they have officially railbanked the 144-mile Rock Island Railroad corridor.

As 2020 draws to a close—a year of extreme changes and challenges—it is with incredible appreciation that we reflect on the collective impact of our movement across the country.

Throughout this year, as we’ve continued to galvanize the trails movement in a virtual world, the movement itself has inspired us—in particular, the stories so many have shared of the moments of joy, respite, healing and strength they have found on the trail. The impact of our work in this time has brought urgency and focus to our path forward.

I was lucky enough to grow up near a great rail-trail—the W&OD Trail in Northern Virginia—and as a child I used it regularly for leisurely rides.