A blog for Rails to Trails Conservancy March 2014
All
my life, I’ve been riding bikes, hiking mountains, paddling rivers and seeking
those activities every place I visit on the planet. Being on a trail makes for
wonderful escapes, new adventures and challenges, new friends, maintained
health, fresh air and increased botanical knowledge. And great photo albums.
Earning my Masters of Public Administration late in life allowed me to focus on which public policy I wanted to champion. Clearly, alternative transportation solutions which often include recreation are my passion. For me, active living is all about the intersection of health and mobility. Trails offer both. So with a background in graphic design (first career), leadership development (second career), public transportation policy, and some spare time during the job search, I reached out to all the trail gurus I knew in Georgia.
Earning my Masters of Public Administration late in life allowed me to focus on which public policy I wanted to champion. Clearly, alternative transportation solutions which often include recreation are my passion. For me, active living is all about the intersection of health and mobility. Trails offer both. So with a background in graphic design (first career), leadership development (second career), public transportation policy, and some spare time during the job search, I reached out to all the trail gurus I knew in Georgia.
Public data from traillink.com revealed there were
82 trail and greenway projects proposed or underway in Georgia. I was familiar with many of them simply
because I sought them out where I lived and across communities where I served
as a mobility manager for a regional commission. Occasionally I heard about a
few others while attending Smart Growth conferences, Transportation Camp, the Georgia
Bike Summit and transit/mobility workshops. But something was missing. No one knew about anyone else’s project or
seemed to be sharing lessons learned. Why
wasn’t there an easy opportunity to convene this important community of trail
experts statewide? There was so much to
learn from each other.
One snow day last year during the National Bike
Summit in DC, I hoofed it over to the RTC office to see what I could learn. RTC Development Director Kelly Pack inspired
me with great advice, “Round everyone up and hold a summit.” So in April 2013 I pitched the idea and have been
recruiting and collaborating with numerous trail, greenway and blueway partners
ever since, designing and planning the inaugural Georgia
Trail Summit. We got
our start with a generous $5,000 donation from MillionMile
Greenway and raised an additional $8,000 in sponsorships in
six months, attracting 30+ trail groups to also endorse the idea.
It’s been an amazing team effort. Join us for this timely conversation April 11 and 12 in Athens.
It’s been an amazing team effort. Join us for this timely conversation April 11 and 12 in Athens.
Tracie
Sanchez, MPA, Trail Champion
“I love the outdoors, so I go out in it.”
“I love the outdoors, so I go out in it.”
