INSPIRING Movement FISCAL YEAR 2015 ANNUAL REPORT Elroy-Sparta State Trail, Wisconsin High Trestle Trail, Iowa Contents 3 Introduction 12 Trail Use 13 RTC launches National Share the Trail 4 Trail Building Campaign 4 Projects of National Significance 14 RTC’s Third Annual Opening Day for Trails 5 Baltimore Greenway Trails Network was the Best One Yet! 5 Bay Area Trails Collaborative 15 RTC Sojourns Demonstrate Economic Impact of Trail Networks 6 The Circuit Trails 16 Rail-Trail Hall of Fame Inductees 6 Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition Demonstrate Strength in Connections 7 Route of the Badger 17 TrailLink: America’s Portal to Multi-Use Trails 8 New Grant Program Launched to Support 18 Trailblazer Tour Engages Loyal Trail Trails Across U.S. Community 9 In Memory of Rail-Trail Champion Deb Hubsmith 19 Financial Information 10 Trail Advocacy 20 Board/Staff 10 Voters Support Federal Investments in Active Transportation 21 Mission/Contact 11 Rail-Trail Policy Wins! 2 PHOTOS: COVER: ERIC REISCHL PHOTOGRAPHY, ABOVE: DAVID V. JOHNSON Route of the Hiawatha, Idaho Introduction Since 1986, more and more people have looking for trail networks that help get them come to understand how trails add value to safely where they want to go by bike or on foot. our lives. Having access to trails gives us more As the potential for regional trail networks transportation options, improves our health, spurs continues to emerge in urban, suburban and rural economic development and creates powerful communities across the country, Rails-to-Trails community connections. The benefits that Conservancy (RTC) has worked to develop model trails bring to the economy, public health and trail-building projects, create network-building transportation have become the foundation of tools and inform policies that will ensure trails are healthy, sustainable communities. Now, people are essential components of a thriving, connected seeking more than independent rail-trails; they’re country. 3 PHOTO: MILT HULL Trail Building We believe that interconnected trail networks are at the heart of healthy, thriving communities, but we know that it takes hard work to build these vibrant public spaces. That’s why we’re investing in tools and models that can empower communities to advance trail systems in their cities, towns and regions. Projects of National Significance RTC’s Projects of National Significance are this work is a placemaking strategy, with trails as network-building initiatives that have the power the catalyst. to spur trail-network development nationwide, In 2015, we grew our Projects of National creating healthier places for healthier people. Significance portfolio to five, developing models The heart of this work comes through smart that are representative of the challenges and investments that close gaps in trail systems and opportunities that exist in communities across improve access to major destinations across the country. communities and entire regions. The scope of PHOTO: RTC 4 Trail Building Projects of National Significance Baltimore Greenway Trails Network Mount Pleasant Park Chinquapin R Parkwa ern y rth No Cylburn Park RTC worked with local partners, including Arboretum Notre Dame of un Pa Maryland University rk H ei gh ts A Loyola v e . University Morgan State Sinai Maryland the nonprofit Bikemore, to formally launch Hospital University Jones Wyman Johns Herring Run Falls Park Hopkins Trail the planning process for a, game-changing Trail University Lake Montebello Herring Run Park Druid Hill Clifton urban trail network in the city of Baltimore. Park Park 1 Druid Lake Building on a century-old vision conceived Maryland Institute Gwynns Falls/ Coppin State College of Art Leakin Park 895 University University of Baltimore Johns in 1904 by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., the Hopkins Hospital 40 40 Johns Hopkins project will connect three existing city trails Patterson Bayview Medical Center University Park Gwynns Falls Bon Secours of Maryland Canton 95 Hospital Waterfront and create a 35-mile loop through the city’s Trail Park Carroll Park 1 Saint Agnes 395 diverse neighborhoods and the downtown core. Hospital 95 Fort McHenry When complete, this trail network—intended Baltimore Greenway Port Covington Trail Network Middle Branch Harbor Park Hospital Existing Trail to reverse the urban fragmentation found in Cherry Hill In Progress with City Park 895 many underserved parts of the city—will greatly In Progress with Private Corporation Southwest Area Rail-Trail Opportunity Park open up bike and pedestrian access to major Established Trails Proposed Trail Extensions civic institutions and destinations, including MTA Light Rail Line MTA Subway Line universities, hospitals, museums, parks, schools, Major Transit Hubs waterfronts and employment centers. Only 10 additional miles are needed to close critical gaps. To expedite project planning and development, Initiative, the updated Baltimore City Bicycle RTC is working with other initiatives emerging Master Plan, the Open Space and Parks Task in the city, including Parks & People’s One Park Force and a revitalized master plan for the Concept, Baltimore City’s Growing Green Middle Branch. Learn More: railstotrails.org/Baltimore | Facebook.com/BaltimoreGreenwayTrailsCoalition Bay Area Trails Collaborative Originally conceptualized in the spring of Currently comprising more than 40 nonprofits, 2014, the Bay Area Trails Collaborative recognizes public agencies and private entities representing the importance of integrating the San Francisco transportation, recreation, public health, equity Bay Area’s trails into a cohesive network that will and open space and conservation interests, the connect the area’s nine counties through more diverse group is speaking in a unified voice to than 1,000 miles of trail. The completed trail regional and state planning authorities on behalf system will connect local communities with jobs, of trails. Together, coalition members are working resources and open space, and provide healthy to expand trail policy and funding opportunities; recreation and active-transportation options, leverage resources and knowledge; and improve including hundreds of miles of trails, bicycle and trail network planning, including integrating pedestrian paths, and greenways that abound in trails with the Bay Area’s roadways and public the region. The coalition that serves as the driving transportation system. force for this initiative grew into a grassroots Learn More: rtc.li/uniting-the-bay-blog advocacy and planning powerhouse in 2015. 5 Trail Building Projects of National Significance The Circuit Trails The Circuit Trails—hundreds of As the Circuit evolves, it has become miles of connected trails in Greater increasingly important to establish an identity Philadelphia—continues to build for the trail network to engage trail users and momentum since launching in generate enthusiasm for the project. RTC led 2012. New portions of the trail network were the Circuit through a branding process in 2015, completed this year, resulting in an additional introducing The Circuit Trails as the formal name 9.15 miles of trail. Included in new trail for the trail network and developing a new developments were the iconic Manayunk Bridge logo. The process offers best practices in place over the Schuylkill River that established key links branding that can be applied to the branding and between the city and the suburbs as well as the marketing of regional trail networks nationwide. Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, which represents the The Circuit is made possible with generous final segment in a set of trail segments funded by support from the William Penn Foundation. federal TIGER dollars allocated in 2010. Learn More and See a Full Network Map: circuittrails.org Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition The Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition (I Heart Trails) is a regional trail project with a mission to revitalize the Rust Belt. I Heart Trails, which was formally branded in 2015, will eventually connect 48 counties in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York through an off-road trail network of more than 1,450 miles, ultimately becoming the largest destination trail network in the country. RTC, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, took a coalition leadership role in 2015. In our role, we’re leading efforts to collect and analyze trail-traffic and trail- I Heart Trails is supported by a variety of partners, use data. To guide this effort, we’ve developed a including the Claude Worthington Benedum groundbreaking trail traffic modeling project that Foundation, the George Gund Foundation and the will allow large trail systems to be segmented Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program in a way that will guide the strategic placement (U.S. National Park Service). of automated trail counters throughout the network. We also organized a three-meeting Learn More: ihearttrails.org series with key funders that yielded investments crucial for project advancement. 6 Trail Building Projects of National Significance Route of the Badger RTC joined forces with the Wisconsin Bike upon existing infrastructure and can improve Fed in 2015 to build support for Route of the the connectivity of the region’s trail system. Badger, an idea for a world-class, 500-mile- RTC is leading this approach to trail-system plus trail network in Southeast Wisconsin. In a development-—a placemaking strategy that series of partnership-building trips throughout positions trails as community necessities, rather the year, potential