RTC QUARTERLY REPORT
What We’ve Been Up To
Recreational Trail grand opening in Jefferson County, Ohio, sponsored by the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission. Local partners and RTC celebrated the formal completion and launch of the trail, which features abundant native plants and wildlife, as well as the sandstone Lincoln Bridge, built by an order from President Lincoln. The trail is momentously the first piece of trail in Jefferson County to be completed along the larger 3,700-mile developing route of the Great American Rail-Trail® connecting Washington, D.C., and Washington State. Learn more about the Hellbender Preserve: rtc.li/ hellbender-preserve-trail . Learn more about the Great American Rail- Trail: greatamericanrailtrail.org .
importance of a strong federal partnership in building the nation’s active transportation system and the value it has in delivering outcomes prioritized by the USDOT. “More than half of Americans live in a county where trail and active transportation networks are being developed. These investments are vital to the economic development and mobility plans of hundreds of regions nationwide,” said Kevin Mills, RTC’s vice president of policy. “The projects that this funding supports are saving lives while creating new jobs and delivering the quality of life that Americans deserve.” Learn more and read the letter: rtc.li/USDOT-sign-on-april25 . Celebrate Trails Day 2025: On April 26, thousands of people across America demonstrated the impact of trails during the nation’s annual Celebrate Trails Day, which included more than 275 events held by hundreds of partners and supported by more than 15 official sponsors. The events focused on showcasing the benefits trails deliver to communities—inspiring more people to make trails, walking and bicycling part of their everyday lives, while sending a clear message to decision- makers that the more than 42,000 miles of multiuse trails and over 150 networks, and growing, are essential infrastructure across the country. Of note during Celebrate Trails Day was the Hellbender Preserve and
Calling for Federal Investment in Trails: As the Trump administration assesses the range of discretionary grants awarded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), RTC has identified $3 billion in funding for active transportation projects currently under review— investments that would benefit rural, suburban and urban areas in all 50 states. In April, RTC issued a letter, signed by a bipartisan group of more than 175 local officials and business leaders from 35 states and Washington, D.C., calling on U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) leadership to protect federal investments in trails, walking and bicycling. The letter urges the agency to continue to obligate funding for awards previously announced under a collection of programs that have significantly impacted the economic health and safety of thousands of communities, including the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program (RAISE); Safe Streets and Roads for All program (SS4A); Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program; Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program; and Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program. The letter also reinforces the
Local Leaders Across America Call for Continued Federal Investment in Trails, Walking and Biking rtc.li/USDOT-sign-on-april25
Thousands Converge Across US on Celebrate Trails Day to Demonstrate the Impact of Trails on Communities railstotrails.org/celebratetrails
Jefferson County, Ohio, Celebrates Its First Completed Section of the Great American Rail-Trail rtc.li/hellbender-preserve-trail
PHOTOS: Counterclockwise, from left: Celebrate Trails Day 2025 in Union County, New Jersey | Upendra Sapkota; Celebrate Trails Day 2025 on the Hellbender Preserve and Recreational Trail in Jefferson County, Ohio | Eric Oberg; Washington State’s Snoqualmie Valley Trail | Eli Brownell, courtesy King County Parks.
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