• The federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) is responsible for railroad abandonments
• How railroad abandonments work from the STB
• Acquiring Rail Corridors: A How To Manual
• Reactivated Railbanked Corridors: rail trails returned to railroad service
• Railbanking and Railtrails: a legacy for the future (pdf 394kb)
• Railbanking: a primer on this essential legal tool for corridor preservation
• Sample letter requesting Public Use Condition and railbanking
• Basic text required for Public Use Condition and railbanking filing
• Analysis of rail corridor legal issues from trail opponents Natl Assn of Reversionary Property Owners
• Rails To Trails: are landowners railroaded? an insightful article by a rail trail opponent
• Prairie Spirit Rail Trail: state legal issues in Kansas
• Nebraska Board Blocks Bike Trail by Denying Permit and editorial reply, An Obstruction in Sarpy County
• Ohio bill would require fencing along planned and existing rail trails
• Court denies challenge to financial responsiblity of non-profit trail group (Kansas)
• Rail trails face another battle (Fall 1996 Trail Tracks)
• Rail trail problems in Indiana
• Outlining property rights of railroads
• Sample easements, licenses, and other agreements for trail rights-of-way

• Photos of rails with trails projects
• Rails-with-Trails: Lessons Learned, Literature Review, Current Practices, Conclusions, U.S. DOT, FHWA
• Rails-with-Trails: A Preliminary Assessment of Safety and Grade Crossings, November 2005 (pdf 1.4mb)
• Rails-with-Trails Design, Management and Operating, 61 Trails Along Active Railroads (pdf 797kb), 2000
• Rails-With-Trails: A Progress Report, 1999
• Results of questionnaire on rails with trails safety survey, 1997
• Rails with trails: summary of safety workshop
• Can Trails Reduce Rail Trespass Fatalities?
• Sullivan's Gulch Trail Study (pdf 7.8mb) potential trail in a rail and transportation corridor, Portland, OR
• Plans for Rail-with-Trail facilities in Marin and Sonoma Counties (CA)
• San Diego Coastal Rail-Trail proposes a 44-mile trail along active railroad from San Diego to Oceanside
• Can Capital Crescent Trail and Purple Line Co-exist?: transit and trails possibilities on DC Metro system
• Rails and trails on the Aspen Branch in Colorado
• Trail proposed in MetroLink llight rail coridor, Illinois
• Rails AND trails: an idea whose time has come

• Judge rules Nebraska landowners are owed in rail trail suit
• Settlement allows Missouri to extend Katy Trail closer to KC on rail right of way
• Owners of properties along Legacy Trail (FL) could collect an estimated $40 million
• Judge dismisses lawsuit that held up Great Western Trail
• Old rail bridge would be the longest elevated pedestrian walkway in the world

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More resources:

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Bibliography
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American Trails members with more good information:

•Rails to Trails Conservancy