In many ways, this multiuse path, and my activity on it, exemplifies the tremendous power of the nation’s more than 20,000 miles of rail-trails. Beyond exceptional recreational resources, rail-trails are economic engines for local communities. They reduce traffic, cut global warming emissions, improve public health, and protect green corridors of car-free tranquility and wildlife.
In short, rail-trails come close to being an absolute good. It’s a fact demonstrated in communities across America, and one that has driven significant rail-trail growth in recent years. Yet rail-trails often remain a secondary consideration in regional planning—a nice but non-essential add-on to America’s car-centric culture—rather than an integral and hugely beneficial component of transportation infrastructure that planners should embrace and expand.
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