Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is an American nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works with communities to preserve unused rail corridors by transforming them into rail trails within the United States. RTC's purpose is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors.
| Formation | February 1, 1986 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Peter Harnik David Burwell |
| Legal status | Nonprofit organization |
| Purpose | To convert unused railway corridors into rail trails |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Ryan Chao | |
| Website | railstotrails |
In addition to its headquarters in Washington, D.C., RTC has smaller offices in California, Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio. RTC receives its funding largely from paid memberships and receives no government funding. As of December 2012, RTC had approximately 80,000 paid members, the remainder of its funding coming from foundation and corporate grants and major donors.
RTC members have developed programs focusing on urban rail trails and trail systems since 2009, including RTC's Urban Pathways Initiative (UPI), which features ongoing programs in Washington, D.C., Camden, New Jersey, Jacksonville, Florida, Compton, California, New Orleans, Louisiana, Springfield, Massachusetts, and Cleveland, Ohio, and is funded by The Kresge Foundation.