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

From left; Emerson Howard and dog Dixie enjoy a walk along with Destiny Porter and her children, 2-year old Merrick Mercer and 4-year old Maxton Mercer at the Kitselman bridge connecting the Cardinal and White River Greenway trails in Muncie, Ind., Wednesday, March 13, 2024.

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. The “Unless we have these networks fully developed, many people won't be able to take advantage of it,” Bhatt said., including applications from many of the communities along the planned route of the 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trail. While the ambitious project currently includes more than 125 completed trails across 12 states and the nation's capital, significant gaps remain — particularly in rural Western states such as Montana and Wyoming.

Another Montana segment of the Great American Rail-Trail passes by the 50,000 Silver Dollar Inn in Haugan. Brooke Lincoln, who owns the motel and other businesses nearby, said linking the trails to a national network could be a huge benefit to numerous small towns. “When you go to a place like Deer Lodge, Montana, people still wave at you at the stop light,” Cooley said. “The pace of life is just a little slower. When you’re a pedestrian or on a bike, it allows you to experience more. It allows you to take more in instead of just flying by.”

“Without the infrastructure bill, we wouldn't be having these conversations,” Paprocki said. “We'd be fighting tooth and nail to get money and would probably be left off the food troth.”

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