Rails to Trails Conservacy

Are you as big a fan of biking and hiking as I am?
Then you may be interested in joining the Rails-​to-​Trails Conservancy.
Just what is the Rails-​to-​Trails Conservancy and why do we need it? Rails-​to-​Trails Conservancy serves as the national voice for more than 150,000 members and supporters, 20,000-plus miles of rail-​trail throughout the country, and more than 9,000 miles of potential rail-​trails waiting to be built. It’s mission is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.
The Rails-​to-​Trails movement began in earnest in the early 1960s in Illinois and Wisconsin. In fact, both states will tell you that they had the first rails-​to-​trails. In Illinois, an electric freight and commuter railroad serving Chicago’s western suburbs had ceased operations in the late 1950s. Naturalist May T. Watts wrote a letter to the Chicago Tribune stating what a wonderful opportunity this was to create a nature trail for the suburbs. Today the Illinois Prairie Path covers almost the entire length of the former electric railway. A similar situation played out in the Badger State. The North Western Line had abandoned its original route through Sparta, WI, thus creating the Elroy-​Sparta Trail. In 1968 the National Trails System Act signed was signed into law, thus providing the legal mechanism for such trails. In 1976, The Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act (known as the 4R Act) included a little-​noticed section setting up a Rails-​to-​Trails Grant Program. The 4R Act was to provide funding, information exchange and technical assistance in order to preserve the corridor and create trails. And in 1986, the Rails-​to-​Trails Conservancy was formed. Today there are nearly 20,000 miles of rails-​to-​trails in the United States. My state, Pennsylvania, has been a leader in rails-​to-​trails conversions wuth more than 179 trails covering almost 5,000 miles.
So with so many trails in operation, and with over 9,000 miles in various states of planning, it would seem that rails-​to-​trails conversions have been successful. Why do we need an advocacy group such as RTC? The is a two pronged answer. First of all, the keyword here is «education». We cycling and hiking enthusiasts know about the benefits of having such trails. There are, however, many people who do not. In fact there are large numbers of people who are actually opposed to such trails. They can’t see the benefits of fitness trails. We call them NIMBYS (No In My BackyardS). Neer underestimate the power of NIMBYism folks! These are the people who believe such projects are a waste of taxpayer money, never mind the economic benefits that trails such as the Great Allegheny Passage bring in. Or they see trails as potential crime magnets. Actually, the opposite is true – trails bring in less crime and vandalism than abandoned rail corridors do. Or they see trails as somehow contributing to congestion by hindering highway development.
The second prong is that RTC fights for trail funding. While the popularity of biking and hiking has increased, in FY 2012 Congress passed a transportation bill that cut funding for trails by 30 percent. The cuts were not imposed in order to reduce the federal deficit. They were imposed to increase the 80 percent share of spending for highway projects at the expense of trails and mass transit. RTC has long advocated that trails make our communities more livable by reducing traffic congestion and gasoline consumption. Trails reduce healthcare costs associated with obesity by opening up fitness options and providing alternatives to the automobile.
Biking and hiking advocates simply can’t compete with the well funded highway lobbies. The Rails-​to-​Trails Conservancy is a lobbying group actively pressuring lawmakers to give just a tiny part of the federal pie to improving the quality of life in our communities. RTC has also been active in developing paths that weren’t rails-​to-​trails conversions too. If you’ve ever enjoyed a leisurely stroll or bike ride on your community trail or if you’ve ever biked the entire length of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail between Cumberland and Pittsburgh like I have, consider joining the Rails To Trails Conservancy.