Manayunk Bridge Trail Construction Job Is Now Advertised!

After several years of hard work among numerous regional, municipal, state and transit partners, the City of Philadelphia and PennDOT have advertised the construction job of building a trail on top of the Manayunk Bridge.  WootWoot!   

This new Circuit trail will connect the Cynwyd Heritage Trail in Lower Merion over to the corner of Dupont and High Streets in Manayunk. A second phase will continue the trail to the Ivy Ridge Train Station.

The technical jargon is as follows:

The Manayunk Bridge Trail MPMS# 92413 has now been listed on the City of Philadelphia Office of Procurements list of Public Works Bidding Opportunities.

The listing indicates that the specifications will be available through Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Engineering and Construction Management System (ECMS) on 12/17/2013 and that the bid opening date is planned to be 1/16/2014. The City’s bid number is 3749ECMS.

Congratulations to the many partners who made this project possible!  It's going to be a phenomenal addition to the Circuit!

Lower Merion and Overbrook Talking Public Transit Problems On City Ave Nov 15th

Lower Merion Township and the City Avenue Special Services District want to talk about public transit on City Ave.

From the event flyer: "The Connectivity Plan's goal is to make travelling by public transit a better option for people who live, work, and shop on both sides of City Avenue."

On Thursday, November 15th, Lower Merion and the City Ave SSD are inviting public input on this plan. Members of the public are invited to stop by anytime between 7-9, and a brief presentation will be given at 7:30pm.

Date: Thursday, November 15th
Time: 7:00 - 9:00pm
Location: Lower Merion Township Board Room / 75 East Lancaster Ave, Ardmore PA

For more information, contact the websites above or Terry Foley (City Ave SSD; 610-747-0311) or Angela Murray (Lower Merion; 610-645-6117).

Here's Your Opportunity to Plan for a Bicycle & Pedestrian Friendly Lower Merion Township

Lower Merion Township is in the middle of developing a Comprehensive Plan and it's a great opportunity to advocate for better bicycling facilities (bike lanes, bike parking etc.) in Lower Merion. In particular, there is a Circulation Element Comprehensive Plan Committee meeting five more times before it finalizes its final report.

The next meeting is on July 30th at 7 pm on the 2nd Floor of the Township Building in Ardmore. (Meeting notes from previous meetings are on the Comp Plan webpage.)

The Circulation Committee is tasked with preparing recommendations for circulation improvements to the Board of Commissioners. The major focus is to develop bike and pedestrian improvements throughout the Township. The Committee wants to update/prioritize the 2004 Bike and Pedestrian Network Plan and promote policies and infrastructure improvements to facilitate walking to school a priority.

If you live or work in Lower Merion and want Montgomery, Haverford or City Line Avenues (among many others) to be safer for cycling, please go to these meetings and get involved!

If you do start going to the meetings, please provide updates on the Biking The Suburbs facebook page. Any questions can be directed to compplan@lowermerion.org.

Good Trail News! Pencoyd Bridge & Trail Moves Forward

The Pencoyd Bridge connects Manayunk to Lower Merion

Last night, the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners approved a settlement agreement and a Preliminary Plan with O’Neill Properties to allow them to develop 569 apartments along the Schuylkill River in Lower Merion. The pending litigation and various lawsuits need to be resolved, but it is very likely that construction will begin later this year.

The first phase of construction will include construction of an 8’ pedestrian outrigger on the Pencoyd Bridge from Philadelphia to Lower Merion, construction of a .75 mile long, 14’ wide multi-purpose trail along the waterfront, and construction of 2 large public gathering space/plazas at the base of the bridges at either end of the site. The western end of the site will include a 9,000 sq. ft landscaped plaza overlooking Venice island.

O’Neill will also contribute approximately $550,000 as the project is being built, money which will be used to build a connection between his property and the Cynwyd Trail through the Township-owned Connelly property. 

Two New Trail Events in Manayunk and Lower Merion Need Cyclists Participation

Two must-do events for cyclists in the Philadelphia and Montgomery County, especially those who live near Lower Merion Township and Manayunk, are around the corner. Mark your calendars!

On Thursday, September 15th, trail design concepts for the Manayunk Bridge will be presented at a public meeting to be held at the Lower Merion Township offices at 7pm. This is the YOUR BEST opportunity have input into the design of the trail across the Schuylkill River on top of the Manayunk Bridge. Lots of activities must be accommodated on the Bridge, and how bikes move through is an important component. Please attend if you plan to use the Bridge for transportation or recreation. The Manayunk Bridge will connect the Cynwyd Heritage Trail over to Schuylkill River Trail in Manayunk at Dupont and High Streets.

Speaking of which, on Sunday, October 23 11am-2pm, Lower Merion Township will hold a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony of the Cynwyd Heritage Trail at the Barmouth Station. This exciting new 1.2 mile trail, designed by the Studios of Bryan Haynes, is an exciting new addition to the Regional Trail Network and is part of the a critical link between Lower Merion and Philadelphia. The opening will feature music, restaurant samplings and other festivities.

Please RSVP to etrainer@lowermerion.org if you plan to attend. Bicycle Coalition staff will lead a ride from Center City to the ceremony. More to come closer to that date.