The Board of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) today approved over $5 million for 14 trail projects in Greater Philadelphia.
Funded by the William Penn Foundation, the DVRPC Regional Trails Program funds planning, design, and construction projects to complete gaps within Greater Philadelphia's multi-use trail network.
“Our region has a variety of opportunities to create a connected network of multi-use trails, including both right-of-ways inherited from the area’s long history as a hub of railroad activity, and greenway corridors that follow the region’s creek buffering and park systems,” said Louis Cappelli, Jr., DVRPC Board Chair and Freeholder Director, Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders. “These projects capitalize upon these opportunities to help create a truly connected, regional network of multi-use trails with Philadelphia and Camden as its hub.”
The following 14 projects have been selected for funding:
- Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area – Reading to Hamburg Schuylkill River Trail Gap (Leesport section) – $142,630 (design and construction) – Berks County
- PA DCNR – Big Woods/Schuylkill-Hopewell Furnace Trail – $500,000 (construction – Phase 1, survey – Phase 2) – Berks and Chester Counties – Berks County
- Doylestown Township – Neshaminy Creek Greenway (Phase I) -- $130,148 (construction) – Bucks County
- PA DCNR – US Route 13 Crossing – $471,000 (construction) – Bucks County
- Cooper's Ferry Development Corporation (Camden) – Baldwin’s Run Tributary Trail – $150,000 (design) – Camden County
- Chester County – Chester Valley Trail Phase III – $500,000 (construction) – Chester County
- Phoenixville Borough – Phoenixville Schuylkill River Trail Segment – Phase I -- $285,000 (design and construction) – Chester County
- Haverford Township – Darby Creek Trail -- $290,000 (construction) – Delaware County
- Lawrence-Hopewell Trail Corporation – Lawrence-Hopewell Trail: Lewisville Road Section -- $248,000 (construction) – Mercer County
- Montgomery County Commissioners – Chester Valley Trail Extension – $325,000 (construction) – Montgomery County
- Montgomery County Commissioners – Canal Towpath Spillway Bridge – $170,000 (construction) – Montgomery County
- Philadelphia Parks & Recreation – Tacony Frankford Greenway Trail – $500,000 (construction) – Philadelphia
- Delaware River Waterfront Corporation – Penn Street Trail – $500,000 (design and construction) – Philadelphia
- Schuylkill River Development Corporation – Schuylkill Crossing at Grays Ferry – $260,000 (preliminary design) – Philadelphia
In addition, the DVRPC Board today approved $125,000 in funding for Camden County’s Kaighn’s Avenue to Route 130 Connector Trail. This project was one of four “early action” projects originally approved for $50,000 of funding in July 2011. The grant has since been revised to $125,000. The other three early action projects were:
- Manayunk Development Corporation – Manayunk Bridge -- $400,000 (design) – Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania Environmental Council – Spring Garden Street Greenway – $75,000 (design) – Philadelphia
- Philadelphia Parks & Recreation – Schuylkill South -- $165,000 (acquisition for future extension of waterfront trail) – Philadelphia
The funded projects are Phase I of the two-part Regional Trails Program. The project selection process began in June when a Request for Expressions of Interest (REI) was issued. A technical advisory committee then evaluated the projects. Phase II of the Regional Trails Program is underway, and will provide grants for multi-use trail planning and feasibility studies. A Request for Proposals is currently posted on the DVRPC website. For more information, visit
www.dvrpc.org/RegionalTrailsProgram.