RTC Participates in the James L. Oberstar Forum on Transportation Policy and Technology
WASHINGTON, D.C. — April 9, 2006

On April 9th and 10th Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) participated in the James L. Oberstar Forum on Transportation Policy and Technology in Minneapolis. This annual summit brings together transportation professionals from around the country to discuss pressing issues in transportation. At this year's forum, entitled Transportation Choices: The Important Role of Walking and Biking, RTC was actively involved in discussions focused around the future of non-motorized transportation and how to integrate bicycling and walking into the day-to-day fabric of communities.

RTC's Director of Research, Billy Fields, participated in a public session focusing on the pressing needs in bicycling and walking research. At this session, the intricacies of constructing solid research methodologies for examining the impact of the new bicycling and walking transportation program were addressed.

The Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program, which provides $25 million each to Columbia, MO, Marin, CA, Minneapolis, MN, and Sheboygan, WI towards creating a non-motorized system of transportation, provides an amazing opportunity to show how bicycling and walking investments can help to provide residents with new transportation options that help to improve both the quality of life and environment within communities.