LINCOLN, Neb. —Media are invited to a VIP tour hosted by Rails to Trails Conservancy, the nation’s largest trails, walking and biking advocacy organization, to learn about the transformative power, potential, and progress of the Great American Rail-Trail® in Nebraska, neighboring regions, and beyond.
The Great American Rail-Trail is a signature RTC project and will be the nation’s first multiuse trail across the country, creating an entirely walkable and bikeable route that is separate from vehicle traffic across 3,700 miles between Washington, D.C., and Washington State. The trail will serve 50 million people within 50 miles of the route, and countless more who travel to it from across the country and around the world.
Nebraska’s portion of the Great American is built on the legacy of the Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail—a rustic experience through the west and one of the longest rail-trails in the country. It provides an example of the trail’s potential to create economic opportunity and safe walking and biking routes that link rural, suburban and urban communities. In Nebraska, the Great American is expected to generate $1.3 million in new tax revenue and over $14.5 million in visitor spending annually, adding 170 new jobs and $6.1 million in labor income to the state. During the tour, participants will connect with local leaders, business owners and advocates who are tapping into this possibility to accelerate the completion of the trail in the state.
Media are invited to register on RTC’s website to join the 100-mile VIP bike tour departing from Lincoln, Neb., on Sept. 23 and ending in Norfolk, Neb., on September 27. The event is designed for bicyclists of all skill levels. Media who are unable to attend the full week can join key events or single days of the tour. For more information about these opportunities and to RSVP, contact Patricia Brooks at patricia@matchmapmedia.com.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
SEPT. 24—FROM LINCOLN TO WABASH (27.4 MILES)
The tour will kick off with lunch at the Bike Walk Nebraska Summit, where participants will meet with leaders working to connect trails, including the Great American, across the state.
Media will travel along the MoPac Trail through Platte River Valley, with special stops hosted by the organizers of the famous MoPac Trail Pie Ride. There will be an opportunity for photos and pie.
Media will attend a Happy hour at Grandpa’s Woods, followed by an evening event at the new Ashland Glamping Barn. Lodging on Sept. 24 will be at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park with limited lodging available at the Glamping Barn.
SEPT. 25—FROM SOUTH BEND TO OMAHA (29.6 MILES)
Riders will depart Eugene T. Mahoney State Park and enter the Greater Omaha area, riding over the Lied Platte River Bridge along the river for the first few miles of the trip.
Once entering Omaha, participants can explore the incredible Gene Leahy Walking Mall at the Missouri River and the Lewis and Clark National Park Service Headquarters, crossing state lines into Iowa and the Missouri River over the 3,000-foot-long Bob Kerrey Bridge heading into Council Bluffs, Iowa.
SEPT. 26 – 27 NELIGH TO NORFOLK (35.9 MILES)
Media will have the opportunity to travel west on the final days of the tour to explore the Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail. In Neligh, participants will pay respects to the White Buffalo Girl, the Ponca child lost as the tribe was forced to leave their homeland in the late 19th century.
The Great American will be the nation’s first cross-country multiuse trail—a route that is entirely bikeable and separated from vehicle traffic across 3,700 miles between Washington State and Washington, D.C. For more information about the Great American and its regional impact, visit RTC’s website.
Rails to Trails Conservancy is the nation’s largest trails organization—with a grassroots community more than 1 million strong—dedicated to building a nation connected by trails, reimagining public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors. Connect with RTC at railstotrails.org and @railstotrails on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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