Authored By: Circuit Trails Coalition | January 10, 2022

This blog was originally posted by The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and has been reformated below.

The Bicycle Coalition and the Circuit Trails Coalition are excited about new funding awarded for the Circuit Trails and local trail projects in the Greater Philadelphia area. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has announced its Community Conservation Partnerships Program grants for projects funded with a variety of state and federal funding sources:

BUCKS

• Warrington Township, $350,000, Development of the Route 202 to Bradford Dam Trail in Warrington Township, Bucks County. Work to include construction of approximately 0.8 miles of trail from the Warrington Township Public Works Building to Bellflower Boulevard and intersection improvements; ADA access, landscaping, project sign and other related site improvements.

CHESTER

Notable project for Chester is funding for their Countywide Trail Plan. Congratulations to the Chester County Planning Commission!

• Chester County, $60,000, Prepare a Countywide Trail Plan for Chester County. Work to include a written, bound report.

CHESTER AND LANCASTER

• Bart Township, $450,000, Development of the Enola Low Grade Trail in Bart, Eden, and Sadsbury townships, Lancaster County. Work to include construction of approximately 9 miles of trail from Quarryville Borough (near SR 372) to the Chester County line and 3 trailheads; rehabilitation of 2 bridges; ADA access, landscaping, project sign, and other related site improvements.

DELAWARE

Notable project in Chester City includes the $50,000 for the development of the East Coast Greenway.

• Chester City, $50,000, Design for the development of approximately 0.3 miles of the East Coast Greenway in Chester City, Delaware County from the intersection of West 2nd and Norris streets to the Delaware River. Work to include drawings, specifications and related documents.
• Delaware County, $200,000, Design for the development of approximately 0.5 miles of the Darby Creek Trail in Clifton Heights and Lansdowne boroughs and Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, from Kent Park in Upper Darby Township to Baltimore Pike in Lansdowne Borough. Work to include drawings, specifications and related documents.

MONTGOMERY

Closing the gap along the SRT is a major achievement in Montgomery County. Congratulations to the Montgomery County Planning Commission.

• Montgomery County, $397,800, Development of the Schuylkill River Trail in Lower Pottsgrove Township and  Pottstown Borough, Montgomery County. Work to include construction of approximately 0.95 miles of trail  from the Pottstown Borough line to the US 422 Bridge; ADA access, landscaping, project sign and other  related site improvements.

PHILADELPHIA

Notable Philadelphia projects include the $60,000 to go toward designing an East Coast Greenway extension in the City of Chester to provide residents with enhanced access to the river and the highly anticipated FloatLab at Bartram’s Garden which is expected to be complete by 2023.

• Philadelphia City Treasurer Department of Parks and Recreation, $60,000, Prepare a trail study for the development of approximately 0.64 miles of the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia City, Philadelphia County from Bartram’s Garden to Passyunk Avenue. Work to include a written, bound report.

STATEWIDE/REGIONAL

• Appalachian Mountain Club, $105,000, Coordinate and fund the activities of the Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Network and the Pennsylvania Highlands Coalition; update the Pennsylvania Highlands Conservation Atlas; and assist with multi-use trail development and land protection. Work to include a written summary report.
• Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Inc., $180,000, Coordinate and fund activities of the Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape including the 2022 mini-grant program and implement THE LINK trail network marketing plan. Work to include a written summary report.
• Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Inc., $250,000, Manage the heritage area and heritage area initiatives; facilitate the closing of gaps on the D&L Trail; promote the D&L Trail Guidebook; and host outreach programs. Work to include a written summary report.
• Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Inc., $57,000, Coordinate the collection of priority trail gap data; further development of the trail implementation and management tool and training; and develop a trail data sharing system. Work to include a written summary report and updated priority trail gap GIS dataset.
• Schuylkill River Greenway Association, $275,000, Manage the heritage area and heritage area initiatives; support the 2022 Schuylkill Watershed Congress; further design and develop the Schuylkill River Trail in Berks and Schuylkill counties; support educational programs and events including the Schuylkill River Sojourn; and provide technical assistance to communities along the river to help design access points. Work to include a written summary report.