Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
FormationFebruary 1, 1986; 38 years ago (1986-02-01)
FounderPeter Harnik
David Burwell
Legal statusNonprofit organization
PurposeTo convert unused railway corridors into rail trails
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.
Ryan Chao
Websiterailstotrails.org

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is an American nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works with communities to preserve unused rail corridors by transforming them into rail trails within the United States. RTC's purpose is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors.[1]

In addition to its headquarters in Washington, D.C., RTC has smaller offices in California, Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio.[2] RTC receives its funding largely from paid memberships and receives no government funding. As of December 2012, RTC had approximately 80,000 paid members, the remainder of its funding coming from foundation and corporate grants and major donors.

RTC members have developed programs focusing on urban rail trails and trail systems since 2009, including RTC's Urban Pathways Initiative (UPI),[3] which features ongoing programs in Washington, D.C., Camden, New Jersey, Jacksonville, Florida, Compton, California, New Orleans, Louisiana, Springfield, Massachusetts, and Cleveland, Ohio, and is funded by The Kresge Foundation.

  1. ^ About Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. "Our Work | Rails-to-Trails Conservancy". Railstotrails.org. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  3. ^ Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. "Urban Pathways Initiative | Rails-to-Trails Conservancy". Railstotrails.org. Retrieved 2019-11-11.