The U.S. Is Building a Bike Trail That Runs Coast-to-Coast Across 12 States

Lehigh Gorge State Park with River and cyclist on Lehigh Gorge Rail Trail path, Poconos Mountains, near Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. Jumping Rocks / Universal Images Group / Getty Images By Natalie Marchant The Great American Rail-Trail will be almost 6,000km when complete, and will serve 50 million people within 80km of the route. Trails have proved invaluable for recreation and transport during lockdown. Cycling and safe routes are vital for cities planning their post-pandemic recovery. Stretching almost 6,000km and crossing 12 states, the Great American Rail-Trail will enable cyclists, hikers and riders to traverse the entire US. The multi-use trail will run from Washington DC in the east to Washington state on the Pacific coast. Launched in May 2019, the route will eventually connect more than 145 existing paths. So far more than 3,200km of it has been completed . Decades in the making, the project is led by the Rail-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), which has raised more than $4 million in public and private funds . It will serve 50 million people within 80km of the trail once finished. COVID-19 Lockdown Proves Rail Trails Invaluable Rail trails – paths built on disused railway tracks – and other recreational routes […]

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