Benefits of Rail-Trails:

Trails and Greenways are often seen narrowly when it comes to their benefits. People tend to focus on the recreational or environmental aspects of trails and greenways, failing to see the big picture - the total package of benefits that a trail or greenway can provide to communities including public health, economic and transportation benefits, and even the effect on community pride and identity. When seen as a whole, the evidence about the far-reaching benefits of trails and greenways is compelling, especially given the minimal public investment involved compared to other undertakings with the same community goals.

Benefits include:
Health
Transportation/Livability
Conservation/Environment
Economy/Revitalization
Historic Preservation/Community Identity

Health
Trails and greenways create healthy recreation and transportation opportunities by providing people of all ages with attractive, safe, accessible and low- or no-cost places to cycle, walk, hike, jog or skate. Trails help people of all ages incorporate exercise into their daily routines by connecting them with places they want or need to go. Communities that encourage physical activity by making use of the linear corridors can see a significant effect on public health and wellness. In our fact sheet "Health and Wellness Benefits," see how trails and greenways are helping to create healthy communities from coast to coast.

Transportation/Livability
In addition to providing a safe place for people to enjoy recreational activities, greenways and trails often function as viable transportation corridors. Trails can be a crucial element to a seamless urban or regional multi-modal transportation system. Many areas of the country incorporate trails and similar facilities into their transit plans, relying upon trail facilities to "feed" people in to and out of transit stations in a safe and efficient manner. The ability to avoid congested streets and highways, and travel through natural areas on foot or by non-motorized means, is a large factor in a community's "livability." Check out the "Trails and Greenways for Livable Communities" fact sheet for more information.

Conservation/Environment
Linear greenspaces including trails and greenways have all the traditional conservation benefits of preserving greenspace, but also have additional benefits by way of their linear nature. As tools for ecology and conservation, greenways and trails help preserve important natural landscapes, provide needed links between fragmented habitats, and offer tremendous opportunities for protecting plant and animal species. They also can be useful tools for wetland preservation and improvement of air and water quality. In addition, they can allow humans to experience nature with minimal environmental impact. See the fact sheet "Enhancing the Environment with Trails and Greenways" for further details.

Economy/Revitalization
The economic effects of trails and greenways are sometimes readily apparent (as in the case of trailside businesses), and are sometimes more subtle, like when a company decides to move to a particular community because of amenities like trails. There is no question, however, that countless communities across America have experienced an economic revitalization due in whole or in part to trails and greenways. Check out "Economic Benefits of Trails and Greenways," our fact sheet describing the growing evidence of the positive economic impact of greenways and trails.

Historic Preservation/Community Identity
Many community leaders have been surprised at how trails have become sources of community identity and pride. These effects are magnified when communities use trails and greenways to highlight and provide access to historic and cultural resources. Many trails and greenways themselves preserve historically significant transportation corridors. The fact sheet "Preserving Historic and Cultural Resources" has more information.