This guide serves to help local trail advocates interact with railroad companies when pursuing a trail on or adjacent to active or unused trail beds. It works to further advocates’ understanding of the economic and regulatory contexts which railroads operate in, as well as their interests and concerns with trail projects. This guide provides assistance […]

“Active Transportation for America” makes the case and quantifies the national benefits—for the first time—that increased federal funding in bicycling and walking infrastructure would provide tens of billions of dollars in benefits to all Americans. By making active transportation a viable option for everyday travel, we will cost-effectively reduce oil dependence, climate pollution and obesity […]

Across the United States, many conversions of abandoned railroad rights-of-ways into trails have faced opposition from surrounding property owners. Much of the opposition derives from the fear that developing trails would cause a decrease in property values because of loss of privacy, increase in noise, traffic, litter and crime. The objective of this study is to assess the […]

Trails and green space are important community amenities that help to spur economic development. From home owners choosing to live along a park-like trail to bicycle tourists making their way from small town to small town, trails are important community facilities that attract people and dollars.

Conducted by the Capital Metro Transportation Authority, this study developed a long-range plan offering guidelines for trail design improvements, determining bike and pedestrian trail alignments, and evaluating existing and future implementation of roadway crossings, trailheads, trail amenities, trail safety, and security options around Austin, TX. It also specifically addresses trail setbacks and separation from railroad. […]

This presentation was given at the California State Trails & Greenways Conference by Alta Planning+Design, as part of a series on accessible trail planning, design and construction. It highlights how ADA regulations should influence the design of pathways, parallel paths, intersections, on-street bikeways, and over/under crossings. Created by ALTA Planning + Design

New trail managers are often concerned that managing a trail will expose them to liability for trail-user injuries, or worry about the high cost of purchasing insurance to protect from potential lawsuits. However, trail managers have a number of legal protections that limit their exposure to liability. As a result of these legal tools, when coupled […]

This is an appendix to a report that includes cost estimates for surfacing various segments of the Eastern Trail in Maine. Author: Wilbur Smith Associates

This document is a sample agreement between a non-profit or political subdivision and a railroad for interim trail use/railbanking. The document serves as a resource and should not be relied on as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a licensed attorney.

In an effort to conserve rail corridors while still allowing rail carriers to discontinue use on unprofitable lines, the U.S. Congress included a unique and prescient provision within the National Trails System Act Amendments of 1983. The Rails to Trails Act allowed the federal government to regulate the disposition of soon-to-be abandoned railroad lines to preserve the right-of-way in case the need for […]