Organizations & Strategies

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Nonprofit organization working with communities to preserve and transform unused rail corridors into trails that enhance the health of America's environment, economy, neighborhoods and people. Includes extensive information to assist in trail building as well as a "find a trail" search.

Secrets of Successful Rails-Trails: an Acquisition & Organizing Manual for Converting Rails to Trails
This download from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (679 KB - PDF format) provides straightforward advice on coalition-building, developing a feasibility study, working with stakeholders, publicity and fundraising, trail maintenance strategies and much, much more.

American Trails
Nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting a national network of trails of all types. The group is involved in everything from training trails advocates to providing increased trail opportunities for individuals with disabilities and it gives annual awards in a number of categories including: Trails for Health, Trails & the Arts, and Trail Planning & Design.

Creating a Successful Public-Private Partnership
Melissa Taylor's presentation to the National Center for Bycycling & Walking's biennial conference shows how Chattanooga used a public-private partnership to create trails.

Rail Trails Luring Retirees to Migrate
Article in The State newspaper (Columbia, South Carolina) telling how retirees are migrating to places around the country where former railroad beds that have been converted to level bike trails allow them to enjoy the outdoors and stay healthy.


Planning & Design

Project for Public Spaces
A nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and sustaining public spaces that build communities. Of particular interest to FOLC is their issue paper entitled "Health and Community Design".

Safe Routes To School Online Guide
A comprehensive online reference manual fosterign Safe Routes To School programs.

Livability 101
A publication of the American Institute of Architects with case studies and concepts for livable cities.

A Planning Primer: Greenways
Download this primer as a PDF file from the Brooklyn Greenway Intiative site.


Lafitte Corridor

Share Your Vision for the Lafitte Corridor
A public forum for discussion on what should happen in the Lafitte Corridor in New Orleans. This site, managed by urban planning students at MIT, includes exciting ideas about the proposed greenway and encourages discussion about the use of public land in post-Katrina rebuilding. (It should be noted that, contrary to the comments on the "Share Your Vision" site, the proposed greenway is not incompatible with the LIFT ("Louisiana Institute of Film Technology") project. LIFT developers are currently making plans to include passage for the greenway through their site.)

Flickr: Lafitte Corridor
Photos of the Corridor and of a hike by greenway advocates early in FOLC's history. (Thanks to Bart Everson for setting up this Flickr site.)



Selected Trails & Trail Lists

South Bronx Greenway
This "community led plan for a bicycle/pedestrian greenway along the South Bronx waterfront" stresses sustainability and shows how good community design can encourage active, healthy lifestyles. The site includes an eye-opening Phasing Plan (4 downloadable PDF files) for the greenway.

Brooklyn Greenway
Planned greenway along Brooklyn's waterfront. The site includes a master plan containing maps and points of interest as well as planning principles, design objectives and the implementation strategy for the project.

Friends of the Highline
Friends of the High Line is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and reuse of the High Line - a 1.5 mile, elevated railway that runs along the West Side of Manhattan (New York). Construction of the Highline began in April, 2006. This site also contains considerable information about the Highline's preliminary design and its underlying design principles.

V&E Greenline
1.7-mile rails-to-trails park that is owned by Vollintine-Evergreen community of Memphis, Tennessse. Website gives a well-rounded view into the operation of this successful trail/park and the community organization that owns and maintains it. The V&E Greenline was named Trail of the Month in March, 2005 by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Capitol Crescent Trail
11-mile trail connecting the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, D.C. with Silver Spring in Maryland. This trail specifically promotes bike commuting.

Trail of the Month Archive of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Profiles of trails which have won this coveted designation from Rails-to-Trails.

RideThisBike.com
List of bike trails worldwide by country and (U.S.) state with descriptions and links.

Trails.com
List of North American and Carribean trails of all types with links. A paid site subscription allows access to trailfinder and topographical map services.


Other Sites of Interest

Riding the Spine
Site published by 3-person biking team which is on a ride which "follows the backbone" of the earth - i.e. the Continental Divide. The trip, which is a benefit for FOLC, started in Alaska and will end at the southern tip of South America. The site includes a journal, photo gallery and reviews of bike gear as well as a movable magnifying glass feature which allows a visitor to zoom in to maps of the bikers' route.

Great Bicycle Trails & City Rides Worldwide
Blog dedicated to identifying the world's best bike trails, bike routes & bike lanes.