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The Manayunk Bridge Is Officially Opening!
It’s the moment runners, cyclists and pedestrians have all been waiting for! The Manayunk Bridge will officially open as a pedestrian and bicycle trail connecting the Cynwyd Trail in Lower Merion to Manayunk and the Schuylkill River Trail on October 30. The bridge will serve as a key link in the Circuit Trails, a unique connection between the city and the suburbs, and a site for spectacular views of the river valley. Join us on October 30 at 11 a.m. to celebrate this major milestone and be one of the first people to cross the bridge. Be sure to join the Facebook event here for more information and updates.
What's on Deck for the Circuit
Based upon a review of the status of Circuit trail projects in the nine counties, we are able to update the estimated completion dates of twenty-six trail projects and four on-road bike lane projects that are likely to occur over the next 24 months. There are roughly 30 miles of trails and 15 miles of bike lanes expected to be added over the next two years. Many exciting trail projects that everyone has long been waiting for are on this list!
|
Project Title |
Type |
Mileage |
County |
ESTIMATED Completion date |
|
Delaware Avenue Extension |
Paved Trail |
0.6 |
Phila |
Fall 2015 |
|
Green Lane Connector |
Paved Trail/Sidepath |
0.1 |
Bucks |
Fall 2015 |
|
Newtown Square Trail |
Trail |
0.9 |
Delaware |
Fall 2015 |
|
Darby Creek Stream Valley Park |
Paved Trail |
1.2 |
Delaware |
Fall 2015 |
|
Tinicum Route 291 ECG |
Trail/Sidepath |
0.5 |
Delaware |
Fall 2015 |
|
Pennypack Trail - Route 63 to Byberry Road |
Stone Dust Trail |
3 |
Montco |
Fall 2015 |
|
Cobbs Creek Segment A |
PavedTrail |
1 |
Phila |
Spring 2016 |
|
Manayunk Bridge |
Paved Trail/Bridge |
0.6 |
Phila |
Spring 2016 |
|
Pennypack Trail - Crossing of Frankford Ave |
2-Way Protected Bike Lane |
0.05 |
Phila |
Spring 2016 |
|
Marcus Hook ECG |
Bike Lanes |
1 |
Delaware |
Spring 2016 |
|
Betzwood Bridge |
Bridge |
0.5 |
Montco |
Spring 2016 |
|
Big Woods Trail |
Stone Dust Trail |
2 |
Berks |
Spring 2016 |
|
Kinkora Trail |
Trail/Sidepath |
3 |
Burlington |
Spring 2016 |
|
Lawrence Hopewell Trail - Carter Road Section |
Trail |
2 |
Mercer |
Spring 2016 |
|
Chester Creek Trail |
Paved Trail |
2 |
Delaware |
Summer 2016 |
|
SRT Pottstown - Phase 1 |
Trail |
1.5 |
Montco |
Summer 2016 |
|
Tookany Creek |
Paved Trail |
0.5 |
Montco |
Summer 2016 |
|
Bartram's Mile |
PavedTrail |
1.25 |
Phila |
Fall 2016 |
|
Baxter Trail |
Paved Trail |
1.75 |
Phila |
Fall 2016 |
|
K&T Trail |
Paved Trail |
1.8 |
Phila |
Fall 2016 |
|
SRT - South St to Christian |
Paved Trail |
0.3 |
Phila |
Fall 2016 |
|
Tyburn Road Underpass |
Trail |
0.2 |
Bucks |
Fall 2016 |
|
Del Rvr Heritage Trail |
Trail/Sidepath |
5 |
Burlington |
Fall 2016 |
|
Gray's Ferry Swing Bridge |
Bridge |
0.75 |
Phila |
Spring 2017 |
|
Lindberg Blvd - 84th St to John Heinz |
Paved Trail/Sidepath |
0.5 |
Phila |
Spring 2017 |
|
Ben Franklin Bridge Ramp |
Bridge |
0.3 |
Camden |
Spring 2017 |
|
Delaware River Waterfront Trail - Washington Ave to Pier 70 |
Trail Improvement |
0.5 |
Phila |
Spring 2017 |
|
TOTAL TRAIL MILEAGE |
32.3 |
|||
|
Tuckahoe Road Bike Lanes - Monroe Twp to Route 40 |
Bike Lanes |
10 |
Gloucester |
Fall 2015 |
|
Camden/North Camden Waterfront Bike Facilities |
Bike Lanes |
1.6 |
Camden |
Fall 2015 |
|
Camden/North Camden Waterfront Bike Facilities |
Sharrows |
2 |
Camden |
Fall 2015 |
|
North Park Drive Bike Lanes (Part of the Circuit) |
Bike Lanes |
1.6 |
Camden |
Summer 2016 |
|
TOTAL BIKE LANE MILEAGE |
15.2 |
Circuit Trail Segments Poised For the PA TIP
Since May 2014, the PA counties have been working to strategically prioritize segments of the Circuit. As a result of this work, a number of these projects are being nominated to receive Regional Trail Program funding for design and engineering, construction, or additional study. The nominations will be up for approval at the June 2015 DVRPC Board meeting. If approved, this phase will distribute almost $1.4 million in funding.
The PA counties have also sought to identify projects that could be placed on the PA Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which is the 5 counties' transportation capital budget program. An action will be introduced at the June 2015 Board meeting to create a Circuit line item on the TIP. Seven high-priority trail projects deemed ready for design have been identified for inclusion in this line item.
The DVRPC Board is poised to dedicate $5 M of Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funds to that line item for the construction of the projects. Identified projects will be eligible to use those funds for construction. They will also work through the PennDOT process during design, making them well-positioned to compete for future federal construction funding sources.
In addition, six of the seven projects in the line item will receive Regional Trails Program funding to pay for design and engineering. Finally, it should be noted that approximately $9.5 million in construction funds are already programmed for the Chester Valley Trail Extension. This project is included among the seven because it has been nominated to receive supplemental funding for design and engineering from the Regional Trails Program.
The PA Circuit TIP Projects will be:
Philadelphia - 1) Pennypack Trail - State & Rhawn Crossing
2) Cobbs Creek Segment D– 84th Street to entrance of John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge along Lindberg Blvd.
3) Spring Garden Street Greenway - Final Preliminary Design
Montco - 4) Chester Valley Trail Extension
5) Pennypack Trail - Byberry Road to County Line Road
Bucks - 6) Newtown Branch (Southampton section)
7) Bridge Street Crossing – D&L Canal Towpath
The following projects will receive Regional Trail Program Round 2 funds for construction or study, but will not be placed onto the TIP:
- Chester - Chester Valley Trail Phase 4A (construction)
- Schuylkill RIver Trail - 422 to Moser Rd (construction)
- Frankford Greenway (alignment analysis study)
- Cross County Trail (alignment analysis study)
DVRPC Shares Data, Revealing Which Philly Streets Cyclists Use Most
CyclePhilly – an app produced by Code for Philly, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, DVRPC, Septa and the City of Philadelphia – logs voluntarily-shared cyclist trip data. DVRPC recently released six months of that data, revealing which routes cyclists like best. The data was gathered from 220 unique CyclePhilly users and 8,340 individual trips.
Some highlights include:
| Activity | Number of Trips | Top Philly Street |
| Total Trips | 866 | Spring Garden, between 9th & 10th |
| Commuting | 672 | Spring Garden, between 6th & 7th |
| Doing Errands | 68 | Pine, between 15th & 17th |
| Exercise | 65 | Schuylkill River Trail, between Art Museum & 25th |
| Social | 99 | Spring Garden, between 9th & 10th |
Read the full article on Plan Philly here to learn more about the app and what’s in store for the future of biking in Philadelphia: http://planphilly.com/articles/2015/05/06/dvrpc-releases-new-cyclephilly-data-on-which-streets-cyclists-use-most
National Bike Month Calls for Bike To Work Day!
May is Bike Month and to celebrate, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is hosting their 20th Annual Bike to Work Day Friday, May 15. The Bike Coalition is dedicated to making 2015’s Bike to Work Day the biggest ever, complete with six energizer stations (more details below) with free swag, including Kind bars and Peet's Coffee. Stations will be located conveniently around the city. Later in the afternoon, there will be a Happy Hour at Yards Brewery with half-priced drafts!
So, what can you do to participate? Pledge to bike to work by registering or signing up to volunteer! Then download the Bike to Work poster, print it, and share it with your colleagues at work.
See additional details below. We look forward to seeing you!
AM Energizing Stations from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- LOVE Park
- Clark Park
- The Penn Museum
- 13th and Spruce Streets
PM Energizing Stations and community events from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Chew Playground (18th and Washington)
- 44th and Walnut
EAST COAST GREENWAY TO CELEBRATE PHILADELPHIA’S LEADERSHIP IN TRAIL DEVELOPMENT AT SPRING SUMMIT: MAY 1
Philadelphia is the hosting the East Coast Greenway’s State of the Greenway Summit on Friday, May 1! The Summit, held at Lloyd Hall, 1 Boathouse Row, will celebrate Philadelphia as a leader in trail development, as well as several new world-class sections of the East Coast Greenway (ECG) here in the City.
The Summit will feature special remarks from regional and national bike-ped and transportation leaders, including:
- Leslie Richards, Secretary, PennDOT
- Mark Focht, Deputy Commissioner, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
- Diane Ellis-Marseglio, Commissioner, DVRPC
- Dennis Markatos-Soriano, executive director, East Coast Greenway Alliance
- Alex Doty, executive director, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
- Andrew Johnson, Watershed Protection Program Director, William Penn Foundation
- Meg Daly, founder, Friends of the Underline
When completed, the 2,900-mile greenway, which connects with the region’s Circuit trails, will link Philadelphia to major cities throughout the eastern seaboard. In PA, a car-free, 55-mile route runs from Trenton, N.J. to Wilmington, Del., through Center City Philadelphia.
Get your tickets today! Be sure to wear comfortable shoes to the Summit and take part in a walk along the Schuylkill River Trail to a reception at the Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk after the Summit. The Summit and reception are open to the public; registration is $10 for ECGA members and $20 for non-members. To learn more or purchase tickets visit greenway.org.
Summit: 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Ride/Walk to reception: 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Reception at Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Sly Fox Brewing Co. Releases New Ale in Celebration of the “SRT Spree”
Here’s a great way to start your weekend… today marks day 2 of the Sly Fox Brewing Co.’s SRT Spree, a week-long celebration of the recreational opportunities along the SRT or Schuylkill River Trail from Pottsville to Philadelphia. The Sly Fox launch team is traveling the trail via various methods such as hiking, biking, kayaking, horseback and more. Each day of the journey, the team is making stops to take part in efforts, such as trail clean-ups, to help build awareness and appreciation for the trail. Community members are encouraged to travel along any segment of the SRT Spree journey and to participate in any of the volunteer clean-up locations.
One stop is particularly important, as a critical two-mile segment of the Schuylkill River Trail is opening in Phoenixville on Monday, April 20 with a ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. On Monday, “Spree” participants will kayak from Riverfront Park to Lock 60 then bike to the trail head to demonstrate how easy it is to transition from river to trail.
Additionally, Sly Fox Brewing Co. has joined forces with the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area for the release of its newest canned beer, SRT Ale, which will hit the market appropriately on Earth Day, April 22, the final day of the SRT Spree. Proceeds from the sale of SRT Ale will benefit the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area. For more information on how to get involved, visit www.slyfoxbeer.com/index.php/front/srtspree.
Philly Mag Shares Some of the Region’s Best Running Trails, Including Many on the Circuit
With the iconic Broad Street Run just a few weeks away, Philly Mag shared some of the best running trails and parks in the Philadelphia area and beyond, and several Circuit trails made the recommended list! Trails with spectacular views included the Ben Franklin Bridge, Boxers’ Trail, Cobbs Creek Trail, Cynwyd Heritage Trail, Wissahickon Trail, Tyler State Park, Valley Forge Historic National Park, Schuylkill River Trail, and Cooper River Park. Go to Philly Mag to see the full list of trails and parks to take advantage of while the weather is warming up!
The Schuylkill River Heritage Area Announces New Executive Director
The Schuylkill River Heritage Area Board of Directors recently announced Silas A. Chamberlin of Allentown, Pa., as the new executive director to lead the National and State Heritage Area. The Schuylkill River Heritage Area celebrates the Shuylkill River watershed as one of America's most significant cultural, historical and industrial regions. Silas previously served as regional director for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR). Prior to that, he served as senior director for the Delaware & Lehigh Heritage Corridor.
While Chamberlin’s projected start date is May 4, current executive director since 2003, Kurt D. Zwikl won’t retire until June 30, allowing for a two-month transition period.
Chamberlin was selected as executive director through an extensive search that began last fall and was conducted by a search committee of the board, in conjunction with executive search firm Leadership Recruiters. He has published numerous articles on the subject of trails and currently has a book manuscript entitled On the Trail: A History of American Hiking, under review for publication. He also has served on Pennsylvania's Statewide Trails Advisory Committee and as an advisor to numerous regional trail organizations.
We are pleased to have Silas Chamberlin formally back with the Circuit Coalition!
Recent Study Reveals Philadelphia Among Top Cities for Biking
Philadelphia was recently ranked the 10th most bike-friendly city based on the percentage of commuters who bike to work, the number of on-bike fatalities and ongoing infrastructure improvements to support bikers, according to survey results from BetterDoctor.
Some interesting statistics revealed the following: approximately 2.14 percent of Philadelphia’s commuters bike to work; there are 2.3 fatalities per 10,000 commuters; the city’s federal transportation funds obligated to bike and pedestrian projects are $6.91 per capita; and Philadelphia has an overall biking score of 57.21 out of 100.
The top five cities for biking included Portland, Ore.; Washington D.C.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Oakland, Calif.; and Sacramento, Calif.
Find more data results at the Philadelphia Business Journal
2014 Highlights of the Circuit
2014 Milestones
- 12 miles of new trails were added, including the Boardwalk on Schuylkill Banks
- Manayunk Bridge and four other trails broke ground
- $13.2 million in federal, state and local grants were made in 2014 for Circuit projects.
- The Willilam Penn Foundation awarded $8.6 million for Circuit trails and a communications plan
- 8 counters were installed on Chester Valley Trail, Cynwyd, SRT at Kelly Drive, SRT at Pawlings Road, Lawrence Hopewell Trail, US 202 Parkway Trail, Wissahickon Trail.
- The Pennsylvania FY 2015-2018 Transportation Improvement Program committed an additional $1 million for Circuit projects in the next round of Transportation Alternatives awards and the five PA counties agreed to prioritize their Circuit trails for future funding.
- Coverage in 47 outlets that reached 89 million viewers
300 miles are now complete
The Circuit grew in 2014 through the opening of the following trails:
Eleven Ribbon Cuttings/Trail Openings
- Neshaminy Creek Trail - Doylestown & New Britain
- Pennypack North/South Extension
- Chester Valley Trail 2 & Trail 3
- Schuylkill River Trail-Boardwalk
- Kinkora Trail
- Lawrence Hopewell Pennington Connection
- Schuylkill River Trail-Leesport
- Baldwin Run Trail
- Poquessing Creek Trail (not an official Circuit Trail)
- Yellow Springs Trail (Valley Forge) (not an official Circuit Trail)
- Destination Peace Valley Trail (not an official Circuit Trail)
Five Groundbreakings
- Manayunk Bridge
- ECG- Baxter Trail
- Pennypack N/S Extension
- Sullivan's Bridge
- Schuylkill River Trail West (not an official Circuit trail)
Media Impressions
Number of Viewers/Readers Reached:
89,776,236
**Huffington Post Viewership: 54,657,952**
Estimated Advertising Value:
$349,257.10
**Does not include Huffington Post advertising value**
*All readership, unique viewers and advertising equivalency numbers are estimates based on the best available data
Major Messages
- As the trail network grows, small businesses are benefitting
- Key assets in the Circuit are being completed
- Collaboration leads to progress in trail development
- Philadelphia is one of the most accessible cities for cyclists
- The Circuit will make Philadelphia a world-class city for trail access
- Funding is key for further trail development
Media Placements:
- Since June, 47 different outlets covered stories
- More than 16 TV segments
- An impressive 8 Inquirer stories
- All 4 Major Philly news channels covered events
50 Miles in Progress
Circuit Trails in the 9 county region were awarded $13.2 million in federal, state and local funding.
400 Miles to Go
We expect the following trails in the coming years to open:
2015:
- Manayunk Bridge
- Bartram’s Mile
- SRT in Phoenixville and along the tow path in Mont Clare
- Baxter Trail
- Pennypack between Welsh Road and Byberry Road (Bryn Athyn)
2016:
- Ben Franklin Bridge ramp,
- Chester Valley Trail in Montgomery County
- new bridge over the Schuylkill River at Valley Forge
Poquessing Creek Trail to Open December 10
Philadelphia Parks and Recreation cordially invites you to the Poquessing Creek Trail Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Wednesday, December 10th, 2014 at 1:00 PM. The ribbon cutting is taking place on the trail, which begins at Junod Playground (12770 Dunks Ferry Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154). Please see the map below for directions to the ribbon cutting site. Please park in the parking lot off Mechanicsville Road, shown on the map. FYI—the estimated amount of time from Center City Philadelphia to this site is 30 minutes during non-peak traffic times.
PA awards grants to Circuit Trails
PennDOT's Multi-modal Fund
Philadelphia County
- Delaware River Waterfront Corporation – $200,000 for pedestrian and bicycle facility improvements on Spring Garden Street between Columbus Boulevard/North Delaware Avenue and 2nd Street to enhance mass transit access and leverage transit-oriented development.
- Schuylkill River Development Corporation – $1.7 million for Bartram's Mile, the extension of the Schuylkill River Trail, a multi-use commuter and recreational trail, along the west bank of the Schuylkill River from just south of Grays Ferry Avenue to 56th Street.
Montgomery County
- Upper Dublin Township – $2.9 million to reduce the width of part of Commerce Drive to allow the construction of a 10-foot wide trail to connect Pennsylvania and Delaware Avenues, allowing construction of .75 miles of a section of the Cross County Trail
Commonwealth Financing Authority's Greenways, Recreation & Trails Program
Philadelphia County
- Delaware River City Corporation - $150,000 for the K&T Trail
- Natural Lands Trust - $150,000 for the Friends Hospital Conservation Easement (Tacony Creek Trail)
Northhampton
- Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Inc.- $217,375 for Lehigh Valley Trail Connectivty Project
Delaware
- Natural Lands Trust - $224,000 for the Darby Creek Greenway Addition
Chester
- East Goshen Township - $52,500 for the Paoli Pike Trail
Bucks
- Solebury Township - $110,000 for Solebury Route 202 Gateway Trail
Manayunk Bridge Groundbreaking Recap
Lots of dignitaries -- Congressman Chaka Fattah, Senator Vince Hughes, State Rep. Pam Delissio, Montco Commissioners Leslie Richards, Josh Shapiro and Bruce Castor; Deputy Mayor Rina Cutler, Deputy Mayor Mike DiBerardinis, DCNR Deputy Secretary Flood, SEPTA General Manager Joe Casey.
Lots of smiles -
Lots of words about partnerships, colloborations, persistence and getting stuff done! We think Leslie Richards said it best...."This is the coolest project!"
A great day for the Circuit. More photos here!
Philadelphia Trail Update Symposium
What are the next big trail projects in Philadelphia? What is in store for trails near your home?
Hear the answers directly from City and non-profit development organizations that plan and build Philadelphia’s trail network. Alan Urek, Director, Strategic Planning & Policy of Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Deputy Mayor Michael DiBerardinis of Parks & Recreation, and Andrew Stober, Chief of Staff of the Mayor's Office of Transportation and other non-profit partners will share updates on how trail projects are envisioned, prioritized and developed; which segments will be constructed next; and the vision for the citywide trail network.
5:30 – 6 Registration and Refreshments
6 – 7:30 Program
Please RSVP here
Look for Rails to Trails Conservancy Trail Surveys #onthecircuit
- Chester Valley Trail
- Cynwyd Heritage Trail
- Port Richmond Trail
- Perkiomen Trail
- Radnor Trail
- Route 202 Parkway Trail
- Schuylkill River Trail (Valley Forge area)
- Schuylkill River Trail (Fairmount Park area)
- Schuylkill River Trail (Schuylkill Banks area)
- Wissahickon Trail
- Blackwood Railroad Trail
- Cooper River Trail
- Elephant Swamp Trail
- Lawrence-Hopewell Trail
- Monroe Township Trail
Philadelphia Trail Symposium October 30
Trail Update – Building and Planning the Network in Philadelphia
What are the next big trail projects in Philadelphia? What is in store for trails near your house?
Hear the answers directly from City and non-profit development organizations that plan and build Philadelphia’s trail network. Staff from the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Parks & Recreation, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, and other entities will share updates on how trail projects are envisioned, prioritized and developed; which segments will be constructed next; and the vision for the citywide trail network.
Academy of Natural Sciences
5:30 – 6pm - Registration and Refreshments
6 – 7:30pm - Program
Time Lapse of Boardwalk Construction
These pictures were taken from the lower overlook on the Connector Bridge. There is an image for each month over the course of the Boardwalk's construction starting in July 2013. See you at the ribbon cutting on October 2nd at 11:30am!
