MTGA Trails Toolkit

This is a portion of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trailway Master Plan. It defines various trail types, designs, and treatments — both on-road and off.

Ownership of a recreational trail, whether by a governmental entity or a non-profit corporation, provides a host of liability considerations. Ownership of a railroad corridor 60 feet wide and many miles long upon which the public is invited for recreational purposes ensures that there will be numerous liability questions for which the trail organization must anticipate and plan. Indeed, much of the administration and management of a rail trail is directed to minimizing risks and reducing liability exposures by providing a safe and user friendly recreational experience for the trail patron.

The experience on 372 trails. Written by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in cooperation with the National Parks Service.

Section 8(d) of the National Trails System Act (“the Trails Act”) was enacted by Congress in 1983 in response to this crisis of corridor loss. It provides an effective mechanism for preserving railroad rights-of-way for future rail service and for energy efficient alternative transportation use, without imposing additional burdens on rail carriers. The law allows railroads to transfer inactive railroad corridors to qualified trail managers for interim use as trails, until such time as these rights-of-way are needed for future rail service on the condition that trail managers assume all carrying costs (liability, maintenance, and taxes) of the rights of way. This process is known as “railbanking.”

Michigan laws which help define how the state handles railroad abandonment and their conversion to trails.

Two documents answering common questions about rail-trails and railbanking.

A list of contacts and web links for Michigan trail advocates. If you know of a publication, photos or other information that you don’t see listed, contact Josh DeBruyn @ 517.335.2918 or Cindy Krupp @ 517.335.2923 for assistance. The publication may be available online or via the League of Michigan Bicyclists.