Posted on 05/09/2019 5:23:46 AM PDT by SJackson
A coast-to-coast hiking and biking trail is almost a reality.
The proposed Great American Rail Trail, a multi-use trail that will run across multiple states, has been in development for several years. Today, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) unveiled in a statement its preferred route for the trail, which will connect more than 125 existing trails and 90 trail gaps over 3,700 miles between Washington, D.C., and Washington State.
Originally envisioned in the 1980s, the RTC has been conducting a route assessment for the last 12 months, analyzing more than 34,000 miles of multi-use trails across the country and working with more than 200 local partners and 50 state agencies to plan the route. The proposed preferred route is planned to be one continuous route (or over 80 percent continuous) and entirely off-street, made up of almost all existing trails. Great American Rail-Trail Milo Bateman
“When defining the preferred route of the Great American Rail-Trail, we sought a cross-country route that would provide the highest-quality experience while delivering significant economic and social benefits to the communities it connects,” said Liz Thorstensen, vice president of trail development at RTC, in a statement.
The trail itself runs through 12 states including Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Washington State, plus Washington D.C.,
According to the RTC, nearly 50 million people living within 50 miles of the trail will be able to find new opportunities to explore the great outdoors once the trail is complete. The 3,700-mile trail will consist of 1,961 miles of existing trails and 1,782 miles of identified gaps (sections of trail in need of development to fully connect the Great American into one single route). These trail gaps also pose more opportunities for connecting trails in the future. From the sound of it, it’s sure to blow some of the best trails in the U.S. straight out of the water once complete. The Biggest Mistakes Hikers Make When They Get Lost on a Trail Whether you’re camping, hiking, or just exploring a national park, it’s important to know what to do if something goes wrong. You Might Like 4 Underrated National Parks for Your Next Trip 'Gramping' Is the Latest Travel Trend Grandparents Need to Know About
Plus, the RTC predicts that the Great American Rail Trail could potentially bring significant economic benefits to communities along the trail.
“[The Great American Rail Trail] magnifies on a grand scale the benefits that trails have delivered to communities for decades,” said Ryan Chao, president of RTC. “Whether bridging gaps within and between communities, creating safe walking and biking access to jobs, transit, shopping and green space; or serving as recreation for cyclists, runners and casual daily explorers, this will be America’s trail.” Great American Rail-Trail Hung Tran
At the moment, Washington D.C. and Maryland are the only parts of the trail that are 100 percent complete. The RTC predicts the trail completion is still “decades away,” but the whole of the trail is 52 percent complete.
The RTC has planned projects and initiatives to start making the Great American Rail Trail a reality. In addition to working with local and state partners, the organization is striving to reach one million pledges from outdoor lovers to help complete the massive trail project.
On May 8, the RTC will be hosting live events along the preferred route, which will also be broadcast live on the organization’s Facebook page and on its website from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST.
More information on the trail, live events, and how to make a pledge can be found on the Great American Rail Trail website.
That “Tunnel Hill Trail” in Southern Illinois crosses exceptionally varied terrain: Flat (for miles) farmland, rocky bluffs, bottomlands, hills, wetlands, and an out-and-out swamp. And it includes trestles over valleys and a kinda cool old railroad tunnel. It is used by many hikers and bikers.
What are you talking about? Funding from state, local and federal transportation sources spent on this does take potential funding from infrastructure improvements. Your statement makes no sense. Not smart.
https://www.railstotrails.org/build-trails/trail-building-toolbox/funding/acquisition-funding/
This I’m totally in favor of.
Right...pot holes not filled, dangerous bridges, congested road bottle necks etc. But they have money for this and carving bike lanes out of city streets.
Ah, but can they figure a way to generate significant money with the pool, quickly enough to be helpful?
It seems to me that in depth economic analysis needs to be done before starting such projects as Rail Trails - not just platitudes and generalities about benefits.
There are thousands of miles of unused railways out there and it's an excellent idea to pave stretches of it over and give people a safe place to experience nature away from the noise and traffic of city streets.
Most of us live in a concrete jungle and it's nice to go to a place where you can ride your bike, walk your dog or just stroll for a few miles without having to dodge automobile traffic and cross busy intersections. Not to mention all the noise that goes with it.
Then out in the suburbs, you don't have sidewalks in most neighborhoods. People have to take their cars to drive to a store that might be just a few blocks away but don't want to walk out in the street to get there. No wonder our biggest social problem is obesity (and all the disease that goes with it).
This is not a "liberal" thing at all. Or it shouldn't be.
How about fixing the POTHOLES in our existing highways and our crumbling bridges and dams?
Besides, we already HAVE a well-trod ‘trail’ from Central American right up to and THROUGH our border!
‘Hikers’ can start heading south, using that!
They started by raising money to build trails, and turned it into raising money to hire attorney/lobbyists to make us build the trails for them, as well as taking land away from folks who don’t want to give their land up.
Keep in mind that not all infrastructure projects make any economic sense but are designed and planned for purely political reason (i.e., to payoff constituents).
BTW, the best way to finance infrastructure is to link it to the economic benefits it creates. No economic benefit, no infrastructure project.
No bridges to nowhere.
BTW, the amount of spending on rails to trails is comparatively minuscule.
More precisely:
It seems to me that in depth economic analysis needs to be done before starting such projects as Rail Trails when public money is to be spent - not just platitudes and generalities about benefits.
Your first sentence says it all. Absolutely Correct.
We’d love to spend a day or two walking that one. Southern Illinois is completely different from the northeast part of the State. Politically it’s almost completely red. And it’s quite beautiful. Blackhawk National Forest is an under appreciated gem.
Best,
L
Will there be rape trees?
A lot of the right of ways are prime undisturbed bird habitat precisely because they are untraveled and unkempt, they can nest in peace where the would otherwise be disrupted by the curious in a park.
Will make it easier to get around after the "great die-off"....
“it will take decades to complete”. I dont have decades to wait so I’ll continue to use and enjoy Rails to Trails that are complete. My favorite is the New River Trail in SW Virginia. It runs between Galax, VA and Pulaski, VA. It’s a VA State Park. Around 58 miles of trail running along the New River, absolutely stunning.
Public funds continue to be poured into our national, state and city parks and rightfully so. I’m not a liberal nor a tree hugger but I have spent countless hours in state and national parks that help adjust my attitude so I can stay sane in a world run amok by liberals and SJWs. I also get the same attitude adjustment at a gun range.
Put our nations jail birds on it. Several months to walk. Serve out their time. Find a way to tie them to it.
I agree.
And I DO keep in mind all the things about “benefits to the community” attracting people to the town to increase the tax base, all that, but...when you have heavily traveled roads that border on the impassible for YEARS...I would think (as I think you agree with me) that kind of things should take precedence.
LOL, great...
Calling for all infrastructure to be repaired sounds good but isn't smart because it overlooks that fact that each expenditure needs to be made only after considering the cost/benefit analysis of the money spent.
Even then, it is better that each infrastructure project pay for itself where possible. That is the only way to prevent politicians from building (and repairing) roads and bridges to nowhere just to payoff constituents.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.