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PRESIDENT
Keith Laughlin
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
M. Katherine Kraft, chair; 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
MIDWESTYellow Springs, OH 614.837.6782
NORTHEASTCamp Hill, PA 717.238.1717
NORTHEASTCamden, NJ 856.267.3456
WESTERNOakland, 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, D.C. 20037-1213
Rails to Trails is 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.
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 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 2016 Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
ISSN 1523-4126. Printed in the U.S.A.
INVESTING IN HEALTHY 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITIES
America’s economy has grown steadily since the end of the Great Recession in 2009. Yet, as new
leadership takes office in Washington, many are looking for fresh approaches to economic devel-
opment, job creation and wage growth. Increased investment in public infrastructure will likely be
presented as a means to achieve these goals.
In the past, such investments have focused on transportation infrastructure. There is no doubt
that America’s decaying roads and bridges are in desperate need of repair. But since the dawn of
the interstate highway system in 1956, the vast majority of federal transportation investment has
focused on roads. As a result, we have built many of our communities around cars—not people.
We have created many places where it is difficult—even dangerous—to walk and bike.
If a new federal transportation infrastructure investment program moves forward, it would be
a major mistake to continue to prioritize cars over people. Instead, we should seize the opportu-
nity to create a new Active Transportation Investment Fund—thereby supporting smart invest-
ments in our trail, walking and biking infrastructure and creating more balanced transportation
systems nationwide.
In the last 25 years, America has invested billions
of dollars to create thousands of miles of trails. The
vast majority of these trails are well loved and heavily
used, contributing to the economic, environmental
and public health of local areas. But we have yet to
truly maximize their capacity to create healthier com-
munities because they were conceived as individual
trails, not as segments of larger connected systems.
When trail connectivity improves in urban or subur-
ban settings, usage soars as more people can safely
and conveniently reach more destinations by foot
or bike. When connectivity improves in scenic rural
areas with small towns, trails themselves become
destinations that attract bicyclists—and their tour-
ism dollars—from far and wide. Increased usage, in
turn, is the key factor in producing even more of the
numerous benefits that makes communities thrive.
The existing federal funding mechanisms that were created 25 years ago have helped build
America’s incredible variety of trails. We need to protect these funding sources. But now is the
time for federal policy to catch up with the evolution of the trails movement. It is time for a new
Active Transportation Investment Fund that would provide funding for communities to close
gaps to create trail systems that improve local and regional connectivity.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy will be actively advocating on behalf of increased trail investment
as the new president and a new Congress take office in January. But our success will continue to
depend on the willingness of our 160,000 members and supporters to raise their voices in sup-
port of the goal of connecting America with a national network of trails and greenways.
Happy trails!
Keith Laughlin, President
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
TOM PIDGEON PHOTOGRAPHY
P O I N T O F V I E W
2 RAILS TO TRAILS WINTER 2017