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Carl Knoch
Expanding Our Bag of Tricks
The last half of the 20th century was a time of seismic change for the U.S. railroad
industry. Between 1950 and 2000, rail service was discontinued on almost 80,000
miles of track. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy was created in 1986 in response to the
opportunities—and the threats—associated with this downsizing.
Without our help, many of these priceless corridors would have been lost forever.
But today, more than 21,000 miles of unused corridor have been transformed into
trails that are used by tens of millions of Americans every year. Amazingly, the rail-
trail movement has now preserved almost one-quarter of the rail corridor that has
fallen into disuse since 1950. We can all be proud of this major accomplishment.
But this is no time to rest on our laurels. Much remains to be done to achieve our
goal of creating a national network of trails. The good news is that more than 7,000
miles of rail-trail projects are underway
in communities across America. This
will keep us busy for years to come.
The other good news is that the U.S.
railroad industry has stabilized, shedding
only 6,000 miles of track between 2000
and 2011. While this is undoubtedly a
welcome piece of information—because
we all love railroads—it also means there
are fewer miles of unused track available
each year for rail-trail development.
That’s why it’s time to get creative.
To expand our bag of tricks, Rails-
to-Trails Conservancy is placing an
increased emphasis on rail-
with
-
trail projects. Rather than developing trails on for-
mer rail corridors, these projects create trails along active rail lines.
To catalyze this form of trail development, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy recently
released a groundbreaking report titled
Our analysis
reveals that there are now 188 trails in 42 states that include mileage along active rail
lines. This is a whopping 308 percent increase in such trails since 2000.
Our report demonstrates that not only are such trails now common and growing,
but they are also safe. There have been tens of thousands of fatalities on rail corridors in
recent decades, but our research only discovered one fatality that involved a rail-with-trail
user and a train. It shouldn’t be a surprise that an active rail corridor that includes a well-
designed trail is probably safer than a rail line without a trail. There will always be people
who use rail corridors as pedestrian pathways. It is simple common sense that it is safer to
walk along a trail separated from a moving freight train than to walk on the tracks.
In this issue, our cover story explores the rails-with-trails approach close-up, plac-
ing an introspective eye on how they are impacting communities in terms of safety,
access, destination tourism and overall livability. The evidence makes one thing crys-
tal clear: rails-with-trails are increasingly being “built, used, loved and appreciated all
across America.”
Happy Trails!
Keith Laughlin, President
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
The magazine of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC),
a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a nationwide
network of trails from former rail lines and connecting
corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.
PRESIDENT
Keith Laughlin
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Guy Williams, chair; Richard W. Angle Jr.;
Kathy Blaha; Robert M. Campbell, Jr.; Mike Cannon;
Matthew Cohen; Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr.; David Ingemie;
M. Katherine Kraft; Gail M. Lipstein; Rue Mapp;
Charles N. Marshall; John Rathbone
MAGAZINE STAFF
Editor-in-Chief
Jake Lynch
Editorial Consultant
Wendy Jordan
Staff Writer
Laura Stark
Design/Production
McMurry/TMG, LLC
Art Director
Chad Townsend
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy was incorporated in 1985 as a
nonprofit charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code and is a publicly supported organization
as defined in Sections 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) and 509(a)(1). A copy
of the current financial statement, or annual report, and state
registration filed by RTC may be obtained by contacting RTC
at the address listed below. Donations to RTC are tax-deductible.
RAILS-TO-TRAILS CONSERVANCY
Headquarters
2121
Ward Court, NW, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20037-1213
Phone
202.331.9696
Fax
202.223.9257
Web sites
railstotrails.org
traillink.com
Field and Regional offices:
Midwest
Canal Winchester, OH
614.837.6782,
Northeast
Camp Hill, PA
717.238.1717,
Western
San Francisco, CA
415.814.1100,
Florida
Tallahassee, FL
850.942.2379,
Rails to Trails
is a benefit of membership in Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy. Regular membership is $18 a year, $5 of which
supports the magazine. In addition to the magazine, members
receive discounts on RTC gifts and publications.
Rails to Trails
is published four times a year—three in print, one digital—
by RTC, a nonprofit charitable organization. Copyright 2014
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. ISSN 1523-4126. Printed in U.S.A.
POSTMASTER
Send address changes to
Rails to Trails
, 2121
Ward Court, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20037-1213.
