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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
Brian Rees
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,
midwest@railstotrails.org
Northeast
Camp Hill, PA
717.238.1717,
northeast@railstotrails.org
Western
San Francisco, CA
415.814.1100,
western@railstotrails.org
Florida
Tallahassee, FL
850.942.2379,
rtcflorida@railstotrails.org
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.
Safe Routes to Everywhere for Everybody
About a decade ago I was diagnosed with a chronic respiratory condition that makes
climbing hills on my bike a major challenge. I gasp for air, and often have to stop at
the top to catch my breath.
This has confirmed for me the importance of the rail-trail movement. Our mis-
sion is to create safe—and relatively flat—places to walk and bike that can be used
by children, older Americans, and everybody in between. Thanks to rail-trails, my
condition has not interfered with my ability to experience the joy of riding in places
across America. On those trails I have witnessed the delight of thousands of people
who are able to get out and get active without the obstacles of steep hills or car
traffic.
But, alas, trails could not solve
the dilemma of my daily five-mile
commute to the office. It is simply
impossible to create a route that
avoids significant hills on my way
home. This drained all the joy out of
regular bike commuting.
So I usually took the bus instead.
Until, that is, this summer when
I became the proud owner of an
“
electric-assist” bicycle. This is a
conventional bike, but with an elec-
tric motor calibrated to give me just
enough boost to climb those hills
without pushing my lungs beyond
capacity. My bike trip home is now pure pleasure, not dread.
Some cycling purists might claim that the assist of an electric motor is “cheating,”
because my pedaling is not supplying all the power. That’s undeniably true. But I am
now enjoying the health benefits of riding my bike everyday—not just on weekends.
And it feels great.
I decided to write about this topic during one of those uphill rides home. It
occurred to me that this technology is part of a broader strategy to create
Safe Routes
to Everywhere for Everybody
.
In communities across America, people are imagining a
future with active transportation systems in which trails are connected to sidewalks
and cycle tracks to make it safe and easy for people to get places by walking and
biking.
While essential, those improvements do not directly address the challenges of
topography and disability. If my own experience is any guide, electric-assist bikes
could expand the pool of people who enjoy the health benefits of getting active on
these emerging active transportation systems.
Now I can’t wait to see if I can climb those hills with snow on the ground.
Happy Trails!
Keith Laughlin, President
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
CURRIE TECHNOLOGIES