Building Collaborative Relationships: Bridging the Gap Between Planning and Advocacy
Join Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) to learn more about successful collaborations between agencies and organizations to secure funding for trails and active transportation. This session highlighted the importance of collaborative relationships to accelerate trail network development and provides tools to build successful partnerships in your community.
RTC was joined by Audra Koester Thomas and Kay Bork from the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and Lori Singleton, President and CEO of the nonprofit Arizona Forward. Audra and Lori dove into their successful collaboration in passage of Proposition 479, which provides a critical source of funding for transportation projects throughout the region. Kay Bork then highlighted MAG’s work on the Rio Reimagined project, a collaboration of public, private, nonprofit and academic partners across six cities and two tribes in Maricopa County.
Resources
- Learn more about RTC’s TrailNation Initiative: https://www.railstotrails.org/trailnation/
- Read more about MAG’s regional work: https://azmag.gov/
- What is Prop 479? https://azmag.gov/prop479
- Learn more about Arizona Forward: https://arizonaforward.org/
- You can further explore the funding that has been available and the associated demand for trail and active transportation networks at www.railstotrails.org/policy/funding
- More on how trails, walking and biking performed on the ballot this year: https://www.railstotrails.org/trailblog/2024/november/14/biking-walking-and-trails-win-big-in-2024-ballot-measures/
- Here’s a bigger look at what the 2024 election means for active transportation overall: https://www.railstotrails.org/trailblog/2024/november/25/what-the-2024-election-means-for-active-transportation/
- Learn more about the Circuit Trails and other developing trail networks nationwide at www.railstotrails.org/trailnation
RTC’s TrailNation Collaborative, Trail Development and Policy teams produce a free webinar series designed to help trail professionals build, grow, manage, maintain, promote or otherwise support trails and trail networks. Sign up here to get webinar alerts.
Have a comment or question on our webinar series? Contact us below with topic or speaker ideas. We appreciate your feedback! Email us.

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