FILE - In this July 14, 2012, file photo, bicyclists finishing a three-day ride of the Great Allegheny Passage between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, Md., enter a downhill section of the trail near Cumberland, Md. As the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy marks its 30th anniversary in 2016, Pennsylvania's rail trails, ranging from local trails a few miles long to the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage, are among 1,970 trails nationwide that cover more than 22,300 miles. (AP Photo/Cal Woodward, File)
FILE - In this July 14, 2012, file photo, bicyclists finishing a three-day ride of the Great Allegheny Passage between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, Md., enter a downhill section of the trail near Cumberland, Md. As the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy marks its 30th anniversary in 2016, Pennsylvania's rail trails, ranging from local trails a few miles long to the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage, are among 1,970 trails nationwide that cover more than 22,300 miles. (AP Photo/Cal Woodward, File)
With our coronavirus coverage, our goal is to equip you with the information you need. Rather than chase every update, we’ll try to keep things in context and focus on helping you make decisions. See all of our stories here.
Rails-to-Trails Opening Day events have been forced online by the COVID-19 outbreak, but advocates are staying active.
With shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders continuing, the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is putting on a virtual opening day celebration beginning at noon today.
The conservancy has an online petition drive underway calling on mayors, county officials and local elected leaders to take immediate action to close select streets to create safe places for walking and biking during the pandemic, essentially providing a trail in every neighborhood.
The group reports trail use is up nearly 200-percent nationwide, making it difficult for people to keep six feet of space between each other.
While state parks and forest facilities are closed in Pennsylvania, the public can still access trails, lakes, roads and parking for passive recreation. The closure remains in place until at least April 30.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources says more than 4 million people use Pennsylvania trails each year for recreation and transportation. Rail trails are multi-purpose public paths created from former railroad corridors. There are dozens in the central Pennsylvania region.
Sometimes, your mornings are just too busy to catch the news beyond a headline or two. Don’t worry. The Morning Agenda has got your back. Each weekday morning, host Tim Lambert will keep you informed, amused, enlightened and up-to-date on what’s happening in central Pennsylvania and the rest of this great commonwealth.
