I have been involved in active transportation and trail town efforts as a person advocating for cycling and trails. Trail town discussions tend to center around the economic and tourism impact of trails on a community. Active transportation discussions tend to focus on providing pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorized modes of transportation with safe and accessible travel from point A to point B.
Active Transportation
Active transportation is any mode of transportation that relies on human power, such as walking, bicycling, scooters, rollerblading, and skateboarding. Active transportation aims to be accessible and affordable for all, a safe place for all people on all modes of transportation, connected and convenient to easily travel between places in a comfortable and inviting setting.
Trail Towns
Trail towns are communities along a trail that welcome trail users to venture off the trail into their community. Community businesses offer goods and services that trail users need. Residents see the trail as an integral asset of the community and welcome trail users with a spirit of hospitality.
Active transportation and trail towns
Trails provide safe and accessible transportation. Connecting the trail to the town brings trail users to the town's front door. Active transportation ushers trail users through the front door into town.
Active transportation ushers trail users through the front door into town.
Trail visitors want a safe and inviting passage to shops, restaurants, and accommodations. A safe place to park and lock a bike, restrooms, bike repair stations, and inviting green spaces say, “You are welcome.” These bicycle and pedestrian amenities and infrastructure are parts of active transportation.
Towns often encounter barriers to bringing active transportation to life. Not seeing the value of welcoming cyclists, sacrificing parking spaces for bicycles, and constraining traffic by adding bike sharrows or bike lanes are common misconceived barriers. The opposite is true for all.

Auto-centric culture, competing priorities, and limited finances in towns lead to not prioritizing active transportation. Active transportation makes the town more livable for residents and welcomes trail visitors growing the town’s outdoor economy.
Education and advocacy advance the cause for active transportation. Residents are some of the most effective advocates for active transportation. Local voices to the town council and business leaders show support for active transportation that grows tourism, business, and the livability of the town.
A key piece of embracing a trail town culture is the spirit of welcoming visitors through the front door on the trail. Trail town programs prioritizing active transportation emphasize the importance of accessibility, safety, convenience, and connectivity in opening that door wide.
My takeaway for you is understanding that active transportation plays a significant role in a trail town. Active transportation infrastructure and amenities benefit residents and welcome trail visitors down Main Street.
Open the trail’s front door!
Tom on the Trails
Bonus Video
Montreal is a model of urban transformation from a car-centric city to a livable city embracing active transportation.