Trail users are becoming more discerning and have high expectations about their trail experience, which means that quality infrastructure and services and marketing and promotion activities are becoming increasingly important and the user experience is central to each element of trail design and management. These guidelines have been prepared to provide a comprehensive and coordinated […]

RTC’s advocacy toolkit offers you key resources to meet with your elected officials and invite them out on the trail. For additional advocacy resources, check out www.railstotrails.org/policy/changemakers and for additional advocacy actions you can take today, head to www.railstotrails.org/takeaction!

Executive Summary The Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) is the largest dedicated source of funding for trails, walking and bicycling in the United States. Since 1991, this program, formerly known as Transportation Enhancements (TE), has transformed the landscape of the country. While projects in several categories (including eligibilities such as historic preservation and highway beautification) are […]

The Salmonberry Trail Foundation (STF) has connected countless individuals and organizations over the past few years in a concerted effort to build community and state support for implementing a visionary Rails-to-Trails system across Oregon’s northern Coast Range, connecting people from Tillamook to the Portland Metro Area and beyond. When complete, the 82-mile proposed Salmonberry Trail […]

Trails are an important contributor to the growing outdoor recreation economy, and a powerful asset that attracts people seeking outdoor-oriented destinations. Across the country, trail-based tourism presents incredible opportunities for communities of all sizes. During this webinar, we talk with community leaders from the Ecusta Trail in North Carolina, and the Cowboy Trail (Nebraska) along […]

How to Prepare Active Transportation Infrastructure for Future Successes Prepared for REI Cooperative Action Fund, March 2026 Authored by: Overview In 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)—also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)—was hailed as being transformative by its supporters, both for its size ($1.2 trillion, with a total of $550 billion […]

Estimating the cost of a trail is rarely as simple as a price per mile—material types, site conditions, prevailing wage and inflation all shape what a project will cost. This Bay Area Trails Collaborative (BATC) Trail Talk featured a trail manager, designer and contractor who utilized two case studies to share their perspectives on cost […]

Better Transportation Alternatives Implementation Key to Narrowing Gap of Unmet Demand for Safe Routes to Walk and Bike LESSONS FROM FY 2025 More Funding Represents More Progress But Still Falls Short of Demand IIJA provides states with a nearly 70% increase to the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) on average over five years beginning in FY […]

Join RTC for National Safety Month to learn the important role connected trail networks play in advancing safe outcomes for all road users. During this session, attendees hear from communities across the country that are prioritizing trail infrastructure to address safety concerns in their larger transportation networks.   RTC’s Scott Goldstein, Senior Director of Government Relations […]

Executive Summary THE GREAT AMERICAN RAIL-TRAIL VISION Imagine pedaling across the entire country on a safe, seamless and scenic pathway—or walking a local trail that connects you to historic routes from across the country. You’re enthralled in the experience of exploring America’s heritage—its potential, its beauty and bounty, its people and places. Consider the intimacy […]