The Maryland Department of Transportation recently issued a new Statewide Transportation Trails Strategic Plan that will help map out a “safe, accessible, and connected trail network” for communities across the state.
[Above photo by the Maryland DOT]
The agency said this strategic trail plan reflects on its “broader commitment” to safety, equity, and multimodal transportation in support of both its Complete Streets Policy and Serious About Safety initiative; all part of a larger effort to link people to jobs, schools, parks, transit, and each other while enhancing safety, sustainability, and quality of life.
Developed with public input and in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and other state and local agencies, the plan also builds upon the foundation of Maryland DOT’s 2009 Trails Plan and the 2050 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
Key attributes of the new rail plan include empowering local communities to plan, fund, build, and maintain locally significant transportation trails in partnership with Maryland DOT; prioritizing safety-focused trail projects that reduce pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and injuries; developing trail connections that link residents and visitors to Maryland’s economic, recreational, and cultural opportunities; and coordination across state agencies to align resources and funding that strengthen community connectivity and improve quality of life for all state residents.
“Maryland has a strong and growing transportation trails system, and this plan provides a clear roadmap to deliver safer, more accessible and more equitable transportation options for all Marylanders,” said Samantha J. Biddle, Maryland DOT’s acting secretary, in a statement. “[We are] committed to develop integrated, multimodal connections that link pedestrians and bicyclists to destinations, reduce reliance on motor vehicles and support the state’s tourism economy.”
Additionally, as part of the plan’s development process, the agency conducted a statewide assessment of trail conditions and policies and created an interactive map of existing, planned, and proposed transportation trails.
Also, to support local implementation, the plan includes three practical toolkits on building project support, leveraging funding and trail operations and maintenance. It also recommends project selection criteria to help state and local partners align trail investments with Maryland’s safety and connectivity goals, the agency said.
Various state departments of transportation across the country are involved in bolstering trail networks with the regions they oversee.
For example, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation recently joined with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation, and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism to launch the “MassTrails 10” campaign to showcase the recreational opportunities of trails, as well as how they connect to local transit services and other broader trail networks.
Out west, the Utah Department of Transportation has been engaged in a broad effort to develop the Utah Trail Network; a statewide system of paved trails that connects communities and gives people more choices for how they get around.
The latest project in that trail initiative is a paved multi-use trail from the town of Enoch to Cedar City in the northeastern part of the state. Previously, in May 2024, the Utah DOT issued nearly $95 million to support 19 trail projects – including the construction of new paved trails as well as funding for planning efforts to fill in existing trail gaps – as part of expanding the state trail network.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Transportation recently began work on the latest extension of the Route 66 Trail in McLean County. Made possible by a $3.2 million grant via the agency’s Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, the project will extend the trail 4.5 miles from McLean to Funks Grove – enhancing a popular travel and recreation option in central Illinois while drawing tourists, creating economic opportunity and improving connections for communities along the old Route 66.
The Washington State Department of Transportation is currently building the Gravelly-Thorne Connector; a 1.3-mile-long, 14-foot-wide path between Tillicum and Gravelly Lake Drive Southwest in Lakewood. That paved urban trail will run parallel to southbound I-5 and is expected to open in late fall 2026.
And in December 2024, the Hawaii Department of Transportation completed construction of the $15.7 million Leeward Bikeway – a dedicated bikeway within the former Oahu Railway & Land Company right-of-way between Philippine Sea Road in ‘Ewa and Waipahu Depot Street.
