Rails to Trails Conservancy

Bright Ideas in Travel 2024

"This organization helped pioneer the idea of “rail trails”—public footpaths and bike lanes adapted from out-of-use rail lines—in the US. In 2019, Rails to Trails announced its largest project yet: connecting existing trails to create a more than 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trail between Washington, DC, and Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula. As of 2024, more than 55% of the planned route has been completed, including 100% of the trail through DC and Maryland. When the trail is finished, 15% of the country’s population will have access to car-free public paths within 50 miles of their home; it will also bring new opportunities for outdoor tourism investment and create new customers for businesses along the route."