Over 60 years ago, the Chicago Tribune ran a letter to the editor that would change the shape of America’s landscapes.

On Sept. 30, 1963, May Theilgaard Watts, a Chicago resident, naturalist and writer, called for the transformation of a disused Chicago rail line into a multiuse pathway, imploring, “If we have courage and foresight … we can create from this strip a proud resource.” With those words, she inspired the Illinois Prairie Path on the western outskirts of the city — widely regarded as the country’s first successful rail-trail — and gave energy to a movement that was bubbling up across the country.

I expect that Theilgaard Watts would be humbled by the way her call to action has transformed the American experience. Today, there are 42,500 miles of mulituse trails across the country, the majority built from former railroad corridors creating space to walk, run, bike, roller skate, ride horses and more. The country’s trails are truly a vital resource, delivering resilience and quality of life in thousands of communities nationwide.

Across party lines, voters consistently support investments in trails, walking and biking. On average, more than 80% of Republican, Democratic and independent voters agree that spending tax dollars to build trails, connect trail networks, and maintain and improve trails is important, according to Rails to Trails Conservancy’s national opinion poll conducted in September 2022. At a time when common ground can be hard to find, the power of trails to bring people together proves durable — and fundamental to our well-being.

Despite the interest so many people have in making it safer and easier to walk and bike, the movement Theilgaard Watts launched faces headwinds.

In May, the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed its version of the country’s next surface transportation bill, which provides the lion’s share of funding to create, connect and maintain trails across the U.S. and in Illinois. Despite a backdrop of harsh rhetoric that trail and bike projects are “hostile to cars” and that no federal dollars would be invested in trails, walking and biking, the bill didn’t represent the draconian funding cuts that were feared — in large part because it, and the very issue of America’s trails, is intrinsically bipartisan and widely supported among voters across rural, suburban and urban geographies.

However, the outcome is far from a victory lap, making it harder to build the connected active transportation infrastructure Americans want and need. The House’s BUILD America 250 Act removes accountability, striking provisions in key programs that ensure funding is used as intended to support trail, walking and biking projects. It goes even further to repeal programs that provide direct investment in large-scale projects that connect active transportation infrastructure — a requisite for maximizing the benefits of this infrastructure.

This is a big deal because it takes investment, combined with community support and intentional planning, to create, connect and maintain the nation’s trails. With the right mix of public and private investment, we can bridge gaps in trails, creating the connections that are indispensable to the country’s well-being.

One example of the immense benefit of connecting America’s trails can be seen in the national vision to develop the Great American Rail-Trail between Washington, D.C., and Washington state, across 3,700 miles and 12 states, including Illinois. As this trail is further connected, we have the potential to unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity each year for the country, including over 2.1 million trips and 200 new jobs in Illinois alone. That translates to tangible revenue for the state, including a contribution of $15.3 million to Illinois’s GDP each year and $2.3 million in new tax revenue.

In Illinois, a critical 15-mile gap exists between the state’s famed Hennepin Canal State Trail and the Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail — the belt on the buckle of the Great American Rail-Trail across Illinois and a missing link in the Grand Illinois Trail, a 300-mile endeavor that encompasses central and northern Illinois. The communities that the trail serves — local organizers, elected officials and business owners among them — have been pushing for this connection between LaSalle and Bureau Junction for years. Early planning has shown the feasibility of trail connectivity through the gap, and now, dedicated federal funding is among the necessary ingredients to accelerate progress.

The House bill would repeal the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program, the only federal program dedicated to connecting and completing active transportation networks and one that is desperately needed. In the only round of funding ever made available, it was oversubscribed by grant applications at a rate of 40:1. The investment program is important to the nation and it matters to Illinois — with the potential to close the gap in canal trails and countless other projects across the region like the Madison County Trails system, Trails of the Grand Prairie and the continued expansion of the Lakefront Trail.

There is much work to be done in the process of finalizing the country’s next surface transportation law, and Illinois is home to some of the country’s most steadfast trail champions in Congress. Representatives Jesús “Chuy” García of the 4th District and Mike Quigley of the 5th District have consistently fought to deliver safe walking and biking infrastructure. Quigley’s leadership as a co-sponsor of new legislation to fully fund and strengthen the investment program moving forward is what we need to realize the potential of trails across Illinois and the nation.

As Rails to Trails Conservancy’s board gathers in Chicago this week with leaders from across the state, we’re focused on what it will take to unlock the federal, state and local resources needed to fulfill a vision that extends far beyond what Theilgaard Watts could have imagined. One where the Grand Illinois Trail connects Lake Michigan to the Mississippi, where Illinois is connected to the country across the Great American Rail-Trail, and where trails are part of everyone’s life across Illinois.

Again, like in 1963, Illinois stands at the forefront of what’s possible.

Ryan Chao is the president of Rails to Trails Conservancy, the nation’s largest trails, walking and biking advocacy organization and the organizers behind the Great American Rail-Trail, which connects through Illinois. The organization celebrates 40 years of impact in 2026.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.