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Rails to Trails is the magazine of Rails-
to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), a nonprofit
organization dedicated to creating a nation-
wide network of trails from former rail lines
and connecting corridors to build healthier
places for healthier people.
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 Trailsis 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 2016 Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
ISSN 1523-4126. Printed in the U.S.A.
PRESIDENT
Keith Laughlin
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
M. Katherine Kraft, chair; John D. Aiken, Richard W.
Angle Jr.; Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr.; Matthew Cohen;
Myron F. Floyd; Rose M. Z. Gowen, M.D.; David
Ingemie; Gail M. Lipstein; Charles N. Marshall;
Douglas Monieson; Frank Mulvey; Timothy Noel,
Ph.D., CFA; Tom Petri; John Rathbone; Rebecca Riley;
Guy Williams
MAGAZINE STAFF
VP OF COMMUNICATIONS
Brandi Horton
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Amy Kapp
STAFF WRITER
Laura Stark
EDITORS
Wendy Jordan
Sharon Congdon
DESIGN/PRODUCTION
Bussolati
RAILS-TO-TRAILS CONSERVANCY
HEADQUARTERS
2121 Ward Court, NW, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20037-1213
PHONE 202.331.9696
EMAIL
WEBSITES ,
FIELD AND REGIONAL OFFICES
MIDWEST Yellow Springs, OH 614.837.6782
NORTHEAST Camp Hill, PA 717.238.1717
NORTHEASTCamden, NJ 856.267.3456
WESTERN Oakland, CA 510.992.4662
FLORIDA Tallahassee, FL 866.202.9788
POSTMASTER
SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO
Rails to Trails, 2121 Ward Court, NW, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20037-1213
AARON FUHRMAN
IMAGINING A HEALTHIER FUTURE
As we wrap up the celebration of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s 30th anniversary, I would like to
shift the focus from the past to the future by asking you to join me in a thought experiment.
Imagine that we are celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2036. What do we want the world to
look like? How will our lives be different? And—perhaps more importantly—what do we need to
achieve over the next 20 years to make this vision a reality?
In 2036, my grandkids will be 24 and 22. I imagine them coming of age in a place much
healthier than today’s America. They will live in communities in which few people own a car.
Cars will still be a major element of our transportation system, but they will be self-driven ve-
hicles owned by a taxi fleet that you will summon when needed on an electronic device.
Because people will no longer need a place to park their personally owned vehicle, there will
be little need for on-street parking. This will permit the transformation of parking lanes on exist-
ing roadways to separated bike lanes and widened sidewalks for pedestrians. These new sepa-
rated bike lanes and sidewalks will be seamlessly connected to a national system of trails. And
this system of walking and biking infrastructure will also be connected to public transportation.
How will this 2036 community be healthier? It will be economically healthier because fami-
lies will enjoy improved mobility without incurring the costs of car ownership, while society at
large will benefit from a dramatic reduction in traffic-related deaths. It will be environmentally
healthier because these self-driven vehicles will be electric and fueled by renewable energy.
Public health will be vastly improved because it will be safe and convenient for people to build
walking and biking into their daily lives.
How will we transform this vision into reality? Over the next four years, RTC will focus on four
major priorities to move us toward this vision:
• First, we will create a portfolio of up to 12 major projects in urban, suburban and rural com-
munities to demonstrate how regional trail systems can increase walking and biking for the
purposes of both transportation and recreation.
• Second, we will develop innovative new models to finance the creation of such systems using
federal, state, local and private-sector investment.
• Third, we will deploy cutting-edge technology and data analysis to make an irrefutable eco-
nomic case for such investments.
• Fourth, we will expand the broad base of support for regional trail systems by working closely
with state and local governments, economic development entities, social equity advocates
and the health-care sector.
Just as the amazing success we have enjoyed in the past 30 years would not have been possi-
ble without the steadfast backing of our members, our ability to achieve this vision of a healthier
America will depend on the continued support of thousands of trail lovers across the U.S.
Happy trails!
Keith Laughlin, President
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
2 RAILS TO TRAILS FALL 2016
P O I N T O F V I E W