New program could connect trails across the US so you can walk and pedal from coast-to-coast!

If you're into biking or hiking you'll want to know about this new program from the Biden Administration that plans to create a continuous network of biking and walking routes from the west coast to the east coast of the U.S. The program is part of Biden's bipartisan infrastructure law that passed in 2021. Here's the story: 

(Photo: A bike on a trail. Credit: C. Laskey) 

A new program could connect trails across the US so you can walk and pedal from coast-to-coast

The Biden administration was set to open applications Tuesday for a new grant program that, for the first time, prioritizes not just building trails but connecting the existing ones like in the proposed Great American Rail-Trail — a continuous network of walking and biking routes spanning from Washington state to Washington, D.C.

Why this matters: The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law allowed for as much as $1 billion over five years for the program, but Congress has authorized less than $45 million so far. Still, trail activists say the commitment is almost as key as the dollar figure.

Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said active transportation options provide health benefits and are as important as electric vehicles in limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Amanda Cooley, one of the leaders of an initiative to close western Montana’s trail gaps, said residents often don’t understand the importance of such projects until they’re complete.

(Photo:   A bike and walking trail in  Big Sur, California. Credit: C. Laskey)

Pedal coast-to-coast without using a road? New program helps connect trails across the US

BY JEFF MCMURRAY, Associated Press March 19, 2024

When Mike O’Neil opened his bicycle repair shop in Muncie, Indiana, the Cardinal Greenway trail just outside its window stretched only 2 miles south of the shop.

Today, it extends 33 miles (53 kilometers) beyond that, but the ultimate vision is far grander.

O’Neil hopes the trail born from eastern Indiana’s old railroad tracks will eventually become a central cog in the

proposed Great American Rail-Trail — a continuous network of walking and biking routes spanning from Washington state to Washington, D.C.

“As the trail gets longer, more and more people use it,” said O’Neil, who has completed five coast-to-coast bike trips and usually comps the repair costs for out-of-state cyclists visiting his Greenway 500 Bike Shop, which he’s owned for nearly two decades. “It would be a wonderful blessing to have it all connected.”

The Biden administration opened applications on March 19 for a new grant program that for the first time prioritizes not just building trails but connecting the existing ones. The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law allowed for as much as $1 billion over five years for the program, but Congress has authorized less than $45 million so far.

(Photo: Sunrise in southern Maine. Credit: R.Gutro)