Maryland Statewide Strategic Trails Plan
Maryland
Project Summary
Maryland’s trails already connect people to some of the state’s most memorable places, from waterfronts and parks to historic towns and regional destinations. The 2025 Maryland State Transportation Trails Strategic Plan builds on that foundation with a statewide vision for a safer, more connected network of shared-use paths that help people reach jobs, schools, parks, transit, and everyday destinations.
Toole Design led the development of the Strategic Plan, working closely with the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). The plan inventories existing and planned trails across the state, identifies key gaps and opportunities through stakeholder and public feedback, and establishes practical criteria to help prioritize future trail investments. Our team also developed three companion toolkits: Building Support for Trails, Funding Transportation Trails, and Maintaining Transportation Trails with checklists and case studies to help guide trail advocates and implementors through key stages of the trail project lifecycle. This way, the Strategic Plan not only sets the state’s strategy for trail development, but also supports trail building projects across the state where they often happen, at the local and regional level.
Expertise Applied
Grounding the Plan in Public Input
Public input played a central role in shaping the Strategic Plan’s vision, goals, and recommendations. Guided by a Technical Advisory Committee representing all 23 counties in Maryland and Baltimore City, the project team gathered perspectives from trail stakeholders, organizations and agencies involved in trails, and the general public throughout the project. A Transportation Trails Survey, shared via public webinars, social media, and partner networks, gave Marylanders an opportunity to weigh in on how they use trails today and what priorities should guide future trail investments.
Creating a Framework for Statewide Investment
Our team worked across MDOT’s modal administrations and state agencies to establish a shared set of statewide policy and project recommendations for advancing transportation trails. These recommendations map out best practices across the full trail project lifecycle, from building support and identifying funding to acquiring land, planning and designing projects, and maintaining trails over time. We also helped MDOT create a new designation for signature trail corridors: Maryland Destination Trails. These trails serve as destinations in their own right while providing access to natural, historic, and cultural places.
The result is a strategic framework for a more cohesive trail network — one that connects Maryland’s regions from the mountains to the shore, expands mobility options in cities and towns of all sizes, and lays the groundwork for long-term investment in active transportation. Communities across Maryland now have the tools to expand and improve their transportation trail networks. Explore all the resources on this interactive website.