Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I found a typo or other error in the information in the RTP Database. What should I do?
A: Tell us! You can contact us directly using our contact form.
Q: What if I have more detailed information about a project than is showing in the RTP Database?
A: Tell us! You can contact us directly using our contact form.
Q: Who should I contact for information about a specific RTP project in my State?
A: Your State Trail Administrator. Visit the Recreational Trails Program State Administrators contact list to view contact information for each State Trail Administrator.
Q: How do I search for projects in all States?
A: Locate and click on the "All States" option in the dropdown menu. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Search."
Q: How do I search for projects in my State only?
A: Locate and click on your State on the dropdown menu. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Search."
*If you would like to select more than one State at a time, hold down the [CNTRL] key while you click – you can select up to five States at once.
Q: How do I search for projects in a specific County?
A: Type in the name of the County in the box below the "County" heading. You can only search for one County at a time. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Search." It is important to note that County information has not been provided for every single project. If you cannot find a specific project by searching the County, try using different search criteria.
Q: How do I search for projects in a specific Congressional District?
A: Select the State of your choice, then enter the number of the Congressional District in the box below the "Congressional District" heading. Enter the district number as an integer: for example, enter "1" – not "one". Then scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Search." It is important to note that Congressional District information has not been provided for every single project. If you cannot find a specific project by searching the Congressional District, try using different search criteria. Note: This is the Congressional District that existed when project funds were obligated.
Q: How do I search for projects in multiple Congressional Districts?
A: Select the State of your choice, then enter the numbers of the Congressional Districts in the box below the "Congressional District" heading, separated by a comma with NO spaces. Enter the district numbers as an integers: for example, enter "1,2" – not "one,two." Then scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Search." It is important to note that Congressional District information has not been provided for every single project. If you cannot find a specific project by searching the Congressional District, try using different search criteria. Note: This is the Congressional District that existed when project funds were obligated.
Q: How do I search for a project by trail name?
A: Enter the name of the trail in the box below the "Trail Name" heading. Using less information will return more results. For example, if the name of the trail is the Wild Goose State Trail, simply enter wild goose or goose if you are unable to find the trail by entering the entire name. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Search." It is important to note that some projects are listed by trail name and others are listed by project name. If you cannot find a specific project by searching the trail name, try searching by project name.
Q: How do I search for a project by the project name?
A: Enter the name of the project in the box below the "Project Name" heading. Using less information will return more results. For example, if the name of the project is the Wild Goose State Trail, simply enter wild goose or goose if you are unable to find the trail by entering the entire name. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Search." It is important to note that some projects are listed by trail name and others are listed by project name. If you cannot find a specific project by searching the project name, try searching by trail name.
Q: I have entered my project for both the "Trail Name" and "Project Name" but my search returned no results. How can I find the project I'm looking for?
A: Most projects are either listed by project name OR by trail name, few are listed as both. Try searching for the project by trail name and project name separately.
Q: How do I search for projects by their Permissible Use category?
A: Check the box next the category or categories you would like to search. If you check multiple boxes, the database will search for projects that meet ALL of the criteria checked. For example, if you check the boxes for "Maintenance and Restoration" and "Trailhead and Trailside Facilities," your results will only contain projects that meet BOTH of those requirements, not just one or the other. If you would like to find projects that meet any of those requirements, try searching each Permissible Use category separately.
Q: How do I search for projects during a specific year?
A: Use the dropdown box under the "Project Fiscal Year" heading and select the desired year. Then select the same year in the dropdown box under "Project End Fiscal Year." It is important to note that projects within the RTP Database are organized by the year they received RTP funding, not the year the work was completed. It is also important to note that data has not been provided for all States for all years. If the year you are searching for does not return any results, go to the Recreational Trails Program State Administrators contact list to find your State Trail Administrator's contact information so you can call or email them to request the data.
Q: How do I search for projects during a range of years?
A: Use the dropdown box under the "Project Fiscal Year" heading and selected the earliest year of the desired range. The select the latest year of the desired range in the dropdown box under "Project End Fiscal Year." It is important to note that projects within the RTP Database are organized by the year they received RTP funding, not the year the work was completed. It is also important to note that data has not been provided for all States for all years. If the year(s) you are searching for does not return any results, go to the Recreational Trails Program State Administrators contact list to find your State Trail Administrator's contact information so you can call or email them to request the data.
Technical Printing Guidelines
If you are having trouble printing your search results, this is a step-by-step guide to help them print properly:
- The first thing that is important to know is that the number of records showing on the screen are the same number of records that will print to your .pdf file.
- To change the number of records that print, use the dropdown menu to change the number of entries shown. This dropdown menu is directly below the Print to PDF button on the screen that is showing your search results.
- If you want to print all the records for your search, make sure the number of entries you choose to show is larger than the number of results your search returned, which is located directly above the Print to PDF button.
- Once you have chosen to print your search results to a .pdf file, your computer will show you a dialogue box that prompts you to save that file somewhere. Here are a couple of hints on how to save the file:
- The simplest way:
- Use the dropdown menu at the top of the dialog box to select Desktop.
- Then name the report and click Save.
- The report is now saved as a .pdf on your desktop, and you can move it from there to wherever you would like to find it in the future.
- Another easy way:
- Use the dropdown menu at the top of the dialog box and select Libraries.
- Then click on Documents.
- Now choose the specific folder where you will be looking for the report later.
- Once that folder has been selected, name the report and click Save.
- Now the .pdf will be located in the folder that you expect to find it in the future.
- The simplest way:
- Now that you have saved your .pdf file, you are ready to print it. The report is made to print in the landscape orientation. Some people's printers will automatically do this for them, but if your printer does not, you need to manually change your print orientation from "Portrait" to "Landscape" format. Then you are ready to print your report.