Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is a nonprofit organization that works with communities to preserve unused rail corridors by transforming them into "rail-trails" within the US. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the organization also has regional offices in California, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and a state office in Florida. At these locations, RTC works to connect, build, protect and promote rail-trails, and advocates and influences policy by:

• providing information, technical assistance and training for local trail builders

• protecting and increasing the federal Transportation Alternatives program — the largest source of funding nationally for trail development

• defending the federal railbanking statute in the U.S. Congress and the courts through the RTC Legal Program as an essential tool to preserve unused rail corridors

• encouraging trail use and development by providing trail access, information, maps and resources free to the public through the online trailfinder, TrailLink.com.

The mission of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy encourages people of all ages and abilities to get outside and be active on a rail-trail. The organization serves 150,000 members and supporters on over 20,000 miles of rail-trail.

On February 1, 2011, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy marked its 25th anniversary as the leader in creating a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines. The organization has established 20,000-plus miles of rail-trail throughout the country with more than 9,000 miles of potential rail-trails waiting to be built. The trails provide safe recreational and alternative transportation opportunities, conserve natural corridors to link fragmented habitats for wildlife, and revitalize economies by increasing local business and property values.