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#railtrails — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #railtrails, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    The Art on the Cochituate Rail Trail opening celebration is still on for 1 pm today, despite the, um, less than ideal New England spring weather.
    district2framingham.com/posts/

    #Framingham #Trails #RailTrails

    #framingham #trails #railtrails
  2. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    The Art on the Cochituate Rail Trail opening celebration is still on for 1 pm today, despite the, um, less than ideal New England spring weather.
    district2framingham.com/posts/

    #Framingham #Trails #RailTrails

    #framingham #trails #railtrails
  3. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    The Art on the Cochituate Rail Trail opening celebration is still on for 1 pm today, despite the, um, less than ideal New England spring weather.
    district2framingham.com/posts/

    #Framingham #Trails #RailTrails

    #framingham #trails #railtrails
  4. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    The Art on the Cochituate Rail Trail opening celebration is still on for 1 pm today, despite the, um, less than ideal New England spring weather.
    district2framingham.com/posts/

    #Framingham #Trails #RailTrails

    #railtrails #trails #framingham
  5. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    The Art on the Cochituate Rail Trail opening celebration is still on for 1 pm today, despite the, um, less than ideal New England spring weather.
    district2framingham.com/posts/

    #Framingham #Trails #RailTrails

    #framingham #trails #railtrails
  6. Lee 🌏 @[email protected] ·

    A Bike path from #Melbourne to #Brisbane along the semi-cancelled Inland #rail project. Discuss...
    #AUSpol #Australia #bike #cycling #railtrails

    #melbourne #brisbane #rail #auspol #australia #bike
  7. Lee 🌏 @[email protected] ·

    A Bike path from #Melbourne to #Brisbane along the semi-cancelled Inland #rail project. Discuss...
    #AUSpol #Australia #bike #cycling #railtrails

    #melbourne #brisbane #rail #auspol #australia #bike
  8. Lee 🌏 @[email protected] ·

    A Bike path from #Melbourne to #Brisbane along the semi-cancelled Inland #rail project. Discuss...
    #AUSpol #Australia #bike #cycling #railtrails

    #melbourne #brisbane #rail #auspol #australia #bike
  9. Lee 🌏 @[email protected] ·

    A Bike path from #Melbourne to #Brisbane along the semi-cancelled Inland #rail project. Discuss...
    #AUSpol #Australia #bike #cycling #railtrails

    #railtrails #cycling #bike #australia #auspol #rail
  10. Lee 🌏 @[email protected] ·

    A Bike path from #Melbourne to #Brisbane along the semi-cancelled Inland #rail project. Discuss...
    #AUSpol #Australia #bike #cycling #railtrails

    #melbourne #brisbane #rail #auspol #australia #bike
  11. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Fire, Lights, and New Year's Magic:
    New Year's Eve on the Cochituate Rail Trail TOMORROW, 12/31, 4:30 to 7:30 pm

    Via Friends of #Framingham Trails:
    district2framingham.com/posts/

    Party continues across Rte 30 into #Natick friendsofnaticktrails.org/crtn

    #NYE26 #RailTrails #RailTrail
    cc @universalhub

    #framingham #natick #nye26 #railtrails #railtrail
  12. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Fire, Lights, and New Year's Magic:
    New Year's Eve on the Cochituate Rail Trail TOMORROW, 12/31, 4:30 to 7:30 pm

    Via Friends of #Framingham Trails:
    district2framingham.com/posts/

    Party continues across Rte 30 into #Natick friendsofnaticktrails.org/crtn

    #NYE26 #RailTrails #RailTrail
    cc @universalhub

    #framingham #natick #nye26 #railtrails #railtrail
  13. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Fire, Lights, and New Year's Magic:
    New Year's Eve on the Cochituate Rail Trail TOMORROW, 12/31, 4:30 to 7:30 pm

    Via Friends of #Framingham Trails:
    district2framingham.com/posts/

    Party continues across Rte 30 into #Natick friendsofnaticktrails.org/crtn

    #NYE26 #RailTrails #RailTrail
    cc @universalhub

    #framingham #natick #nye26 #railtrails #railtrail
  14. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Fire, Lights, and New Year's Magic:
    New Year's Eve on the Cochituate Rail Trail TOMORROW, 12/31, 4:30 to 7:30 pm

    Via Friends of #Framingham Trails:
    district2framingham.com/posts/

    Party continues across Rte 30 into #Natick friendsofnaticktrails.org/crtn

    #NYE26 #RailTrails #RailTrail
    cc @universalhub

    #railtrail #railtrails #nye26 #natick #framingham
  15. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Fire, Lights, and New Year's Magic:
    New Year's Eve on the Cochituate Rail Trail TOMORROW, 12/31, 4:30 to 7:30 pm

    Via Friends of #Framingham Trails:
    district2framingham.com/posts/

    Party continues across Rte 30 into #Natick friendsofnaticktrails.org/crtn

    #NYE26 #RailTrails #RailTrail
    cc @universalhub

    #framingham #natick #nye26 #railtrails #railtrail
  16. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    What you need to know about Framingham's New Year's Eve festivities on the Cochituate Rail Trail Wednesday from 4:30 to 7:30 pm - where to find the fire pits (and port-a-potties), where you can park, links to MWRTA bus routes, and more. Plus, it'll be an even longer party now that Natick has moved their celebration to be just over the Rte. 30 pedestrian bridge.
    Maps for #Framingham and #Natick #NYE26 & more:
    district2framingham.com/posts/ #RailTrails

    #framingham #natick #nye26 #railtrails
  17. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    What you need to know about Framingham's New Year's Eve festivities on the Cochituate Rail Trail Wednesday from 4:30 to 7:30 pm - where to find the fire pits (and port-a-potties), where you can park, links to MWRTA bus routes, and more. Plus, it'll be an even longer party now that Natick has moved their celebration to be just over the Rte. 30 pedestrian bridge.
    Maps for #Framingham and #Natick #NYE26 & more:
    district2framingham.com/posts/ #RailTrails

    #framingham #natick #nye26 #railtrails
  18. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    What you need to know about Framingham's New Year's Eve festivities on the Cochituate Rail Trail Wednesday from 4:30 to 7:30 pm - where to find the fire pits (and port-a-potties), where you can park, links to MWRTA bus routes, and more. Plus, it'll be an even longer party now that Natick has moved their celebration to be just over the Rte. 30 pedestrian bridge.
    Maps for #Framingham and #Natick #NYE26 & more:
    district2framingham.com/posts/ #RailTrails

    #framingham #natick #nye26 #railtrails
  19. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    What you need to know about Framingham's New Year's Eve festivities on the Cochituate Rail Trail Wednesday from 4:30 to 7:30 pm - where to find the fire pits (and port-a-potties), where you can park, links to MWRTA bus routes, and more. Plus, it'll be an even longer party now that Natick has moved their celebration to be just over the Rte. 30 pedestrian bridge.
    Maps for #Framingham and #Natick #NYE26 & more:
    district2framingham.com/posts/ #RailTrails

    #railtrails #nye26 #natick #framingham
  20. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    What you need to know about Framingham's New Year's Eve festivities on the Cochituate Rail Trail Wednesday from 4:30 to 7:30 pm - where to find the fire pits (and port-a-potties), where you can park, links to MWRTA bus routes, and more. Plus, it'll be an even longer party now that Natick has moved their celebration to be just over the Rte. 30 pedestrian bridge.
    Maps for #Framingham and #Natick #NYE26 & more:
    district2framingham.com/posts/ #RailTrails

    #framingham #natick #nye26 #railtrails
  21. Stuart | Trailspotting @[email protected] ·

    4⭐ Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail, NH
    trailspotting.com/2022/05/conc
    New updated article and downloadable map helping you explore all the segments of this glorious trail.

    #RailTrail #RailsToTrails #RailTrails #NewHampshire #Outdoors #NewEngland #Trail #Trails #CoveredBridges #Cycling #Bikepacking

    #bikepacking #cycling #coveredbridges #trails #trail #newengland
  22. Stuart | Trailspotting @[email protected] ·

    4⭐ Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail, NH
    trailspotting.com/2022/05/conc
    New updated article and downloadable map helping you explore all the segments of this glorious trail.

    #RailTrail #RailsToTrails #RailTrails #NewHampshire #Outdoors #NewEngland #Trail #Trails #CoveredBridges #Cycling #Bikepacking

    #bikepacking #cycling #coveredbridges #trails #trail #newengland
  23. Stuart | Trailspotting @[email protected] ·

    4⭐ Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail, NH
    trailspotting.com/2022/05/conc
    New updated article and downloadable map helping you explore all the segments of this glorious trail.

    #RailTrail #RailsToTrails #RailTrails #NewHampshire #Outdoors #NewEngland #Trail #Trails #CoveredBridges #Cycling #Bikepacking

    #bikepacking #cycling #coveredbridges #trails #trail #newengland
  24. Stuart | Trailspotting @trailspotting ·

    4⭐ Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail, NH
    trailspotting.com/2022/05/conc
    New updated article and downloadable map helping you explore all the segments of this glorious trail.

    #bikepacking #cycling #coveredbridges #trails #trail #newengland
  25. Stuart | Trailspotting @[email protected] ·

    4⭐ Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail, NH
    trailspotting.com/2022/05/conc
    New updated article and downloadable map helping you explore all the segments of this glorious trail.

    #RailTrail #RailsToTrails #RailTrails #NewHampshire #Outdoors #NewEngland #Trail #Trails #CoveredBridges #Cycling #Bikepacking

    #bikepacking #cycling #coveredbridges #trails #trail #newengland
  26. Stuart | Trailspotting @[email protected] ·

    4⭐ Warren Rail Trail, NH
    trailspotting.com/2023/09/warr
    Just found this overlooked 2023 image on a SD card I was about to reformat. An actual trailside Redstone rocket.

    #NASA #Rockets #Trail #Outdoors #NewEngland #NewHampshire #Cycling #RailsToTrails #RailTrails

    #railtrails #railstotrails #cycling #newhampshire #newengland #outdoors
  27. Stuart | Trailspotting @[email protected] ·

    4⭐ Warren Rail Trail, NH
    trailspotting.com/2023/09/warr
    Just found this overlooked 2023 image on a SD card I was about to reformat. An actual trailside Redstone rocket.

    #NASA #Rockets #Trail #Outdoors #NewEngland #NewHampshire #Cycling #RailsToTrails #RailTrails

    #railtrails #railstotrails #cycling #newhampshire #newengland #outdoors
  28. Stuart | Trailspotting @[email protected] ·

    4⭐ Warren Rail Trail, NH
    trailspotting.com/2023/09/warr
    Just found this overlooked 2023 image on a SD card I was about to reformat. An actual trailside Redstone rocket.

    #NASA #Rockets #Trail #Outdoors #NewEngland #NewHampshire #Cycling #RailsToTrails #RailTrails

    #railtrails #railstotrails #cycling #newhampshire #newengland #outdoors
  29. Stuart | Trailspotting @trailspotting ·

    4⭐ Warren Rail Trail, NH
    trailspotting.com/2023/09/warr
    Just found this overlooked 2023 image on a SD card I was about to reformat. An actual trailside Redstone rocket.

    #railtrails #railstotrails #cycling #newhampshire #newengland #outdoors
  30. Stuart | Trailspotting @[email protected] ·

    4⭐ Warren Rail Trail, NH
    trailspotting.com/2023/09/warr
    Just found this overlooked 2023 image on a SD card I was about to reformat. An actual trailside Redstone rocket.

    #NASA #Rockets #Trail #Outdoors #NewEngland #NewHampshire #Cycling #RailsToTrails #RailTrails

    #railtrails #railstotrails #cycling #newhampshire #newengland #outdoors
  31. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Plans in the works for an outdoor art exhibit on the Cochituate Rail Trail May 1 - Sept 1 next year. Framingham Cultural Council and Friends of #Framingham Trails seeking artists to participate
    district2framingham.com/posts/
    #Trails #RailTrails

    #framingham #trails #railtrails
  32. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Plans in the works for an outdoor art exhibit on the Cochituate Rail Trail May 1 - Sept 1 next year. Framingham Cultural Council and Friends of #Framingham Trails seeking artists to participate
    district2framingham.com/posts/
    #Trails #RailTrails

    #framingham #trails #railtrails
  33. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Plans in the works for an outdoor art exhibit on the Cochituate Rail Trail May 1 - Sept 1 next year. Framingham Cultural Council and Friends of #Framingham Trails seeking artists to participate
    district2framingham.com/posts/
    #Trails #RailTrails

    #framingham #trails #railtrails
  34. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Plans in the works for an outdoor art exhibit on the Cochituate Rail Trail May 1 - Sept 1 next year. Framingham Cultural Council and Friends of #Framingham Trails seeking artists to participate
    district2framingham.com/posts/
    #Trails #RailTrails

    #railtrails #trails #framingham
  35. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Plans in the works for an outdoor art exhibit on the Cochituate Rail Trail May 1 - Sept 1 next year. Framingham Cultural Council and Friends of #Framingham Trails seeking artists to participate
    district2framingham.com/posts/
    #Trails #RailTrails

    #framingham #trails #railtrails
  36. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Informational meeting this Monday about the planned #Framingham extension to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail
    district2framingham.com/posts/
    #Trails #RailTrail #RailTrails

    #framingham #trails #railtrail #railtrails
  37. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Informational meeting this Monday about the planned #Framingham extension to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail
    district2framingham.com/posts/
    #Trails #RailTrail #RailTrails

    #framingham #trails #railtrail #railtrails
  38. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Informational meeting this Monday about the planned #Framingham extension to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail
    district2framingham.com/posts/
    #Trails #RailTrail #RailTrails

    #framingham #trails #railtrail #railtrails
  39. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Informational meeting this Monday about the planned #Framingham extension to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail
    district2framingham.com/posts/
    #Trails #RailTrail #RailTrails

    #railtrails #railtrail #trails #framingham
  40. Framingham District 2 @[email protected] ·

    Informational meeting this Monday about the planned #Framingham extension to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail
    district2framingham.com/posts/
    #Trails #RailTrail #RailTrails

    #framingham #trails #railtrail #railtrails
  41. pseudoramble @[email protected] ·

    There are a lot of cool looking #railtrails planned or existing in #NH. I need to start scheming of getting myself to check them out!

    #railtrails #nh
  42. pseudoramble @[email protected] ·

    There are a lot of cool looking #railtrails planned or existing in #NH. I need to start scheming of getting myself to check them out!

    #railtrails #nh
  43. pseudoramble @[email protected] ·

    There are a lot of cool looking #railtrails planned or existing in #NH. I need to start scheming of getting myself to check them out!

    #railtrails #nh
  44. pseudoramble @[email protected] ·

    There are a lot of cool looking #railtrails planned or existing in #NH. I need to start scheming of getting myself to check them out!

    #nh #railtrails
  45. pseudoramble @[email protected] ·

    There are a lot of cool looking #railtrails planned or existing in #NH. I need to start scheming of getting myself to check them out!

    #railtrails #nh
  46. DrWeb @[email protected] ·

    Opinion | Rail trails offer space to reconnect with community – The Washington Post

    Opinion

    Meet us on the rail trail

    A street artist paints a mural along the Metropolitan Branch Trail in D.C. on Sept. 13, 2023. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / For The Washington Post)

    A place to gather as Americans, not partisans.The Island Line Trail on the Burlington, Vermont, waterfront, which Howard Dean played a role in creating. (Courtesy From Rails to Trails Film, LLC)

    By Tommy Thompson and Howard Dean – Tommy Thompson, a Republican, is a former governor of Wisconsin. Howard Dean, a Democrat, is a former governor of Vermont.

    September 28, 2025 at 7:00 a.m. EDT, Yesterday at 7:00 a.m. EDT, 3 min

    Life in much of America today seems fractured, offering fewer opportunities for people to meet, mingle and feel part of the same community. But there is at least one exception: local rail trails — quiet, leafy greenways that follow the paths trains once traveled.

    Over the past six decades, a citizen-led movement has transformed more than 26,000 miles of abandoned rail corridors into thousands of public paths for walking, biking and recreation. Tens of millions of people use these trails each year — in the countryside, in small towns and in big cities. This successful effort to convert rails to trails has never belonged to just one political party.

    Railway tracks incorporated into the High Line in New York in 2018. (Jesse Dittmar / For The Washington Post)

    We know this because we’ve lived it; rail trails have been important to both our lives. One of us (Thompson) grew up along the nation’s first rail trail: the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin, which ran through his family farm. The other (Dean) helped create the Island Line Trail in Vermont, which swings from Burlington out onto a causeway far into Lake Champlain.

    A runner along the High Line in New York in 2018. (Jesse Dittmar / For The Washington Post)

    It was Thompson’s father who helped bring the Elroy-Sparta trail to life, setting in motion a project that revived local communities and became a model for the nation. And it was Dean whose leadership helped secure a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that validated the concept of saving rail corridors.

    These trails do more than repurpose land. They restore communities. They promote health, tourism and local business. They give Americans a place to meet as neighbors, not partisans.

    Continue/Read Original Article Here: Opinion | Rail trails offer space to reconnect with community – Washington Post

    #2025 #America #Biking #community #Education #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #OpenSpaces #Opinion #PublicPaths #RailTrails #Railroads #Rails #Reconnect #Recreation #Science #TheWashingtonPost #Travel #UnitedStates #Walking

    #america #biking #community #education #health #history
  47. DrWeb @[email protected] ·

    Opinion | Rail trails offer space to reconnect with community – The Washington Post

    Opinion

    Meet us on the rail trail

    A street artist paints a mural along the Metropolitan Branch Trail in D.C. on Sept. 13, 2023. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / For The Washington Post)

    A place to gather as Americans, not partisans.The Island Line Trail on the Burlington, Vermont, waterfront, which Howard Dean played a role in creating. (Courtesy From Rails to Trails Film, LLC)

    By Tommy Thompson and Howard Dean – Tommy Thompson, a Republican, is a former governor of Wisconsin. Howard Dean, a Democrat, is a former governor of Vermont.

    September 28, 2025 at 7:00 a.m. EDT, Yesterday at 7:00 a.m. EDT, 3 min

    Life in much of America today seems fractured, offering fewer opportunities for people to meet, mingle and feel part of the same community. But there is at least one exception: local rail trails — quiet, leafy greenways that follow the paths trains once traveled.

    Over the past six decades, a citizen-led movement has transformed more than 26,000 miles of abandoned rail corridors into thousands of public paths for walking, biking and recreation. Tens of millions of people use these trails each year — in the countryside, in small towns and in big cities. This successful effort to convert rails to trails has never belonged to just one political party.

    Railway tracks incorporated into the High Line in New York in 2018. (Jesse Dittmar / For The Washington Post)

    We know this because we’ve lived it; rail trails have been important to both our lives. One of us (Thompson) grew up along the nation’s first rail trail: the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin, which ran through his family farm. The other (Dean) helped create the Island Line Trail in Vermont, which swings from Burlington out onto a causeway far into Lake Champlain.

    A runner along the High Line in New York in 2018. (Jesse Dittmar / For The Washington Post)

    It was Thompson’s father who helped bring the Elroy-Sparta trail to life, setting in motion a project that revived local communities and became a model for the nation. And it was Dean whose leadership helped secure a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that validated the concept of saving rail corridors.

    These trails do more than repurpose land. They restore communities. They promote health, tourism and local business. They give Americans a place to meet as neighbors, not partisans.

    Continue/Read Original Article Here: Opinion | Rail trails offer space to reconnect with community – Washington Post

    #2025 #America #Biking #community #Education #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #OpenSpaces #Opinion #PublicPaths #RailTrails #Railroads #Rails #Reconnect #Recreation #Science #TheWashingtonPost #Travel #UnitedStates #Walking

    #america #biking #community #education #health #history
  48. DrWeb @[email protected] ·

    Opinion | Rail trails offer space to reconnect with community – The Washington Post

    Opinion

    Meet us on the rail trail

    A street artist paints a mural along the Metropolitan Branch Trail in D.C. on Sept. 13, 2023. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / For The Washington Post)

    A place to gather as Americans, not partisans.The Island Line Trail on the Burlington, Vermont, waterfront, which Howard Dean played a role in creating. (Courtesy From Rails to Trails Film, LLC)

    By Tommy Thompson and Howard Dean – Tommy Thompson, a Republican, is a former governor of Wisconsin. Howard Dean, a Democrat, is a former governor of Vermont.

    September 28, 2025 at 7:00 a.m. EDT, Yesterday at 7:00 a.m. EDT, 3 min

    Life in much of America today seems fractured, offering fewer opportunities for people to meet, mingle and feel part of the same community. But there is at least one exception: local rail trails — quiet, leafy greenways that follow the paths trains once traveled.

    Over the past six decades, a citizen-led movement has transformed more than 26,000 miles of abandoned rail corridors into thousands of public paths for walking, biking and recreation. Tens of millions of people use these trails each year — in the countryside, in small towns and in big cities. This successful effort to convert rails to trails has never belonged to just one political party.

    Railway tracks incorporated into the High Line in New York in 2018. (Jesse Dittmar / For The Washington Post)

    We know this because we’ve lived it; rail trails have been important to both our lives. One of us (Thompson) grew up along the nation’s first rail trail: the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin, which ran through his family farm. The other (Dean) helped create the Island Line Trail in Vermont, which swings from Burlington out onto a causeway far into Lake Champlain.

    A runner along the High Line in New York in 2018. (Jesse Dittmar / For The Washington Post)

    It was Thompson’s father who helped bring the Elroy-Sparta trail to life, setting in motion a project that revived local communities and became a model for the nation. And it was Dean whose leadership helped secure a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that validated the concept of saving rail corridors.

    These trails do more than repurpose land. They restore communities. They promote health, tourism and local business. They give Americans a place to meet as neighbors, not partisans.

    Continue/Read Original Article Here: Opinion | Rail trails offer space to reconnect with community – Washington Post

    #2025 #America #Biking #community #Education #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #OpenSpaces #Opinion #PublicPaths #RailTrails #Railroads #Rails #Reconnect #Recreation #Science #TheWashingtonPost #Travel #UnitedStates #Walking

    #america #biking #community #education #health #history
  49. DrWeb @[email protected] ·

    Opinion | Rail trails offer space to reconnect with community – The Washington Post

    Opinion

    Meet us on the rail trail

    A street artist paints a mural along the Metropolitan Branch Trail in D.C. on Sept. 13, 2023. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / For The Washington Post)

    A place to gather as Americans, not partisans.The Island Line Trail on the Burlington, Vermont, waterfront, which Howard Dean played a role in creating. (Courtesy From Rails to Trails Film, LLC)

    By Tommy Thompson and Howard Dean – Tommy Thompson, a Republican, is a former governor of Wisconsin. Howard Dean, a Democrat, is a former governor of Vermont.

    September 28, 2025 at 7:00 a.m. EDT, Yesterday at 7:00 a.m. EDT, 3 min

    Life in much of America today seems fractured, offering fewer opportunities for people to meet, mingle and feel part of the same community. But there is at least one exception: local rail trails — quiet, leafy greenways that follow the paths trains once traveled.

    Over the past six decades, a citizen-led movement has transformed more than 26,000 miles of abandoned rail corridors into thousands of public paths for walking, biking and recreation. Tens of millions of people use these trails each year — in the countryside, in small towns and in big cities. This successful effort to convert rails to trails has never belonged to just one political party.

    Railway tracks incorporated into the High Line in New York in 2018. (Jesse Dittmar / For The Washington Post)

    We know this because we’ve lived it; rail trails have been important to both our lives. One of us (Thompson) grew up along the nation’s first rail trail: the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin, which ran through his family farm. The other (Dean) helped create the Island Line Trail in Vermont, which swings from Burlington out onto a causeway far into Lake Champlain.

    A runner along the High Line in New York in 2018. (Jesse Dittmar / For The Washington Post)

    It was Thompson’s father who helped bring the Elroy-Sparta trail to life, setting in motion a project that revived local communities and became a model for the nation. And it was Dean whose leadership helped secure a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that validated the concept of saving rail corridors.

    These trails do more than repurpose land. They restore communities. They promote health, tourism and local business. They give Americans a place to meet as neighbors, not partisans.

    Continue/Read Original Article Here: Opinion | Rail trails offer space to reconnect with community – Washington Post

    #2025 #America #Biking #community #Education #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #OpenSpaces #Opinion #PublicPaths #RailTrails #Railroads #Rails #Reconnect #Recreation #Science #TheWashingtonPost #Travel #UnitedStates #Walking

    #walking #unitedstates #travel #thewashingtonpost #science #recreation
  50. DrWeb @[email protected] ·

    Opinion | Rail trails offer space to reconnect with community – The Washington Post

    Opinion

    Meet us on the rail trail

    A street artist paints a mural along the Metropolitan Branch Trail in D.C. on Sept. 13, 2023. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / For The Washington Post)

    A place to gather as Americans, not partisans.The Island Line Trail on the Burlington, Vermont, waterfront, which Howard Dean played a role in creating. (Courtesy From Rails to Trails Film, LLC)

    By Tommy Thompson and Howard Dean – Tommy Thompson, a Republican, is a former governor of Wisconsin. Howard Dean, a Democrat, is a former governor of Vermont.

    September 28, 2025 at 7:00 a.m. EDT, Yesterday at 7:00 a.m. EDT, 3 min

    Life in much of America today seems fractured, offering fewer opportunities for people to meet, mingle and feel part of the same community. But there is at least one exception: local rail trails — quiet, leafy greenways that follow the paths trains once traveled.

    Over the past six decades, a citizen-led movement has transformed more than 26,000 miles of abandoned rail corridors into thousands of public paths for walking, biking and recreation. Tens of millions of people use these trails each year — in the countryside, in small towns and in big cities. This successful effort to convert rails to trails has never belonged to just one political party.

    Railway tracks incorporated into the High Line in New York in 2018. (Jesse Dittmar / For The Washington Post)

    We know this because we’ve lived it; rail trails have been important to both our lives. One of us (Thompson) grew up along the nation’s first rail trail: the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin, which ran through his family farm. The other (Dean) helped create the Island Line Trail in Vermont, which swings from Burlington out onto a causeway far into Lake Champlain.

    A runner along the High Line in New York in 2018. (Jesse Dittmar / For The Washington Post)

    It was Thompson’s father who helped bring the Elroy-Sparta trail to life, setting in motion a project that revived local communities and became a model for the nation. And it was Dean whose leadership helped secure a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that validated the concept of saving rail corridors.

    These trails do more than repurpose land. They restore communities. They promote health, tourism and local business. They give Americans a place to meet as neighbors, not partisans.

    Continue/Read Original Article Here: Opinion | Rail trails offer space to reconnect with community – Washington Post

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