9/11 Memorial Dedication on Schuylkill Banks Tomorrow

Date: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 1:00pm - 1:30pm

Location: Schuylkill Banks (Schuylkill River Park Trail)
East side of the Schuylkill River just south of the Chestnut Street Bridge, Philadelphia, PA 19103
See spot: Google Maps

Please join the Schuylkill River Development Corporation and the City of Philadelphia as SRDC unveils the 9/11 Memorial on Schuylkill Banks. Mayor Nutter and representatives from the Police and Fire Departments have been invited to dedicate the memorial and reflect upon the heroes and victims of the tragic events on September 11, 2001, including three Philadelphians who lost their lives in the World Trade Center attacks.

The ceremony will begin at 1 PM on Tuesday, September 11, 2012, and last approximately 30 minutes.

Bike Rentals and a New 4-Wheel Trail User Coming To Lloyd Hall

Last Saturday, seasonal bike rental service returned to Lloyd Hall. A new concession between Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (PPR) and Wheel Fun promises a more robust inventory of rental bikes as well as a new Center City location at the Fairmount Park Welcome Center in JFK Plaza (Love Park), which will open in late April or May in time for Bike to Work Day. Wheel Fun is a national franchise operation that specializes in hourly rentals. They will be open on weekends until Memorial Day from 9:00 AM to dusk, then 7 days a week from 9:00 AM to dusk through the fall.

In addition to bikes and tandems, Wheel Fun also offers for rent surreys (also known as quadracycles) and double recumbents. You may have seen these in the early morning rumbling down the boardwalk in Seaside, Ocean City, or Wildwood. These slow moving pedalcycles appeal to families or friends who wish to socialize while they pedal at slow pace.

Schuylkill River Trail from Port Royal to County Line Closed for Construction

Philadelphia's Park and Rec Department and their general contractor, Tony DePaul & Son, have announced that the trail from Port Royal to Montgomery County line will be closed for the next four months for a trail widening project. This trail improvement project will also build a new off-road trail segment from Shawmont to Port Royal Ave. This will end on the street routing through Shawmont.

We caution all cyclists that travelling through a construction zone is illegal. There is no official detour for the trail. River Road has been a tried and true alternate route used by cyclists in the know for many years. The road has passable gates near the City line where the right of way crosses private property. Proceed at your own risk.

Detour Route River Road to Manor Road to the stairway at the Schuylkill River Trail overpass.

View Schuylkill River Trail Closure in a larger map

Cynwyd Trail and Chesco's Schuylkill River Trail Ribbon Cuttings

Two new regional trail segments will open in late October. The public is encouraged and invited to attend!

Cynwyd Heritage Trail Ribbon Cutting & Fall Fest
When: Sunday, October 23rd from 1:00-4:00 pm.
Where: 154 E. Levering Mill Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA (map)

Cynwyd Heritage Trail map

The Cynwyd Heritage Trail runs from the Cynwyd rail station northeast between West Laurel Cemetery and Westminster Cemetery, terminating where Belmont Avenue meets Rock Hill Rd. The Manayunk Bridge extension will eventually connect this trail to the Schuylkill River Trail.

The community is invited to enjoy a host of fun activities, in addition to the multi-faceted Trail. Entertainment will be provided by Philadelphia radio host Dan Reed who will provide a “Trail Mix” of music. In addition to music, there will be pumpkins, savenger hunts, face painting, giveaways, food and excitement for the entire community. The Main Line Art Center’s new Art Mobile will be on hand to provide arts and crafts fun for the younger set, and of course, the Friends of the Cynwyd Trail will play a prominent role, providing walking tours (and signing up new members!)



Schuylkill River Trail (Phase 1) in Chester County
Official opening

When: Tuesday, October 25th at 1:00 pm

Where: adjacent to the Riversedge Shopping Center in the Borough of Spring City. (map)

The Schuylkill River Trail (Phase 1) runs from Parker's Ford, PA south, following the Schuylkill River to the edge of Phoenixville, PA. Half of this segment (between Bridge Street and the Cromby trailhead on Township Line Road) opened in April 2011. The newest section to open is between Parker's Ford and Bridge Street in Spring City. Three SRT segments are being planned for and built by Chester County.

Three Cheers for Bob Thomas: Our Own Trail Champion!

In honor of its 25th Anniversary, Rails to Trails Conservancy just announced the winners of the Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions Award!  Established through the generous support of the Doppelt family, this award program honors 25 individuals who have made significant contributions to the rail-trail movement through their work, volunteerism or support—in short, people who have gone above and beyond in the name of trails.

Our own Bob Thomas is one of the recipients of this award.  Bob Thomas, of Campbell Thomas Architects, has been working since 1974 on planning, designing and building trails throughout the Delaware Valley.  He played a key role in making possible the Schuylkill River Trail, The Radnor Trail, The Audubon Loop, the Perkiomen Trail, the East Coast Greenway, the Chester Valley Trail, the Cobbs Creek Trail, the Philadelphia City-wide Ped/Bike Plan, the 1980's Bicycle Coalition map of the Delaware Valley, and Township-wide Ped/Bike Plans for Whitemarsh, Lower Merion, Upper Merion, and Thornbury Township.

Congratulations Bob!  Our region's trail network would not be what it is today without you. 

SRT Groundbreaking on Monday, March 14

At 10am on  Monday, March 14th, Mayor Michael Nutter and Park & Rec Commissioner Mike DiBerardinis will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction project that will repair and reconstruct the sidepath along Kelly Drive between Falls Bridge and Ridge Avenue.  All are invited.  This long awaited project is the first among several that will break ground during 2011 to improve or build new sections of the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia.  Come and partake in this event and learn more about how Philadelphia is marching toward Completing the Trail.

Biking the Suburbs: A Bicycle Conference for Southeast Pennsylvania County Cyclists

If you are a cyclist who lives or works in Delaware, Chester, Montgomery or Bucks counties and wants to become more involved in advocating for improved roads and other facilities that accommodate bicyclists, this event is for you!

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is sponsoring a one day conference on Saturday, February 12th for cyclists to learn more about how to make biking better in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

This conference (9am to 3:30pm) will be held at the Spring Mill Corporate Center in Conshohocken.    Montgomery County Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffle will be the keynote speaker.  The conference will feature sessions with county planners from each of the four counties and issue briefings on topics ranging from chip and tar, the future of the region's trail network to the National Bike Summit.  The agenda is here.

This conference is being generously sponsored by the William Penn Foundation and the Central Bucks Cycling Club.  The meeting location is right next to the Schuylkill River Trail, the Spring Mill transit stop, and valet bike parking will be available.  Lunch will be provided and the event is free, although donations are certainly welcome.  We invite anyone who signs up and isn't already a member of the Bicycle Coalition to join.  Space is limited, so sign up today!


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Bikes Belong Awards BCGP $10K For Schuylkill River Trail Campaign

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia has been awarded a $10,000 grant from Bikes Belong which will help complete the popular Schuylkill River Trail network. This high-profile campaign has also received funding from the William Penn Foundation, and will leverage more than $22 million in trail construction costs when the network is complete.

Bikes Belong is a national bicycle advocacy group sponsored by the Bicycle Industry whose mission is to put more people on bicycles more often.

TIGER applications from the Delaware Valley Region

As reported before on this blog, the Bicycle Coalition and Pennsylvania Environmental Council helped the City of Philadelphia and five other counties submit a TIGER application called GREAT-PA/NJ to build 17 multi-use trail segments along the Schuylkill River Trail, East Coast Greenway and Camden GreenWay. US DOT recently announced the total amounts applied for by each state; Pennsylvania applied for over $2 Billion worth of projects. All states are limited to receiving no more than $300M (the total grant program has only $1.5B to distribute).

Needless to say, this is a very competitive grant program. Today, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission released a summary of all projects that were submitted from the region.

TIGER Grant Applications in the DVRPC Region

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant applications were due to U.S. DOT on Tuesday, September 15, 2009. $1.5 billion is available nationwide for surface transportation infrastructure projects of regional significance. Using a team review process, U. S. DOT will evaluate applications and will notify applicants of awards no later than February 17, 2010. Priority will be given to projects that can be completed by February 12, 2012. The following represents a summary of applications worth $490 million submitted by stakeholders in the DVRPC region:

1. SEPTA -- FareCard Payment System Total Cost: $100 Million TIGER Amount: $75 Million
2. GREAT PA/NJ -- Multi-county trail greenway to fill gaps Total Coast: $55 M TIGER: $36m
3. PennDOT -- I-95 Cottman-Princeton Reconstruction Total Cost: $195M TIGER: $95
4. Lower Merion Township -- Belmont Ave Corridor/Rock Hill Road Widening Total Cost: $20 M TIGER: $20 M
5. Center City District -- Transforming Dilworth Plaza Total Coast: $45M TIGER $30M
6. Philadelphia Regional Port Authority -- Container Handling Total Cost: $28M TIGER: $25M
7. Norfolk Southern -- Crescent Corridor Freight Project Total Cost: $618M TIGER: $300
8. South Jersey Port Corp -- Rail & Port network improvements Total Cost: $63M TIGER: $44M
9. NJDOT -- Route 30/130 Bridge Replacement Total Cost: $50M TIGER: $41 M
10. City of Trenton -- Route 29 Boulevard Realignment Total Cost: $150 TIGER: $63M

Philadelphia and surrounding counties collaborate on $36M grant proposal to fund multi-use trail network

Grant would connect Schuylkill River Trail, East Coast Greenway & Camden GreenWay
















For the first time ever, Pennsylvania and New Jersey are poised to create a regional network of bicycle and pedestrian trails. In an unprecedented collaboration, six different counties and agencies in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey submitted a joint proposal to build 17 different trail segments to the U.S. Department of Transportation. On September 15th, the City of Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Schuylkill, Camden counties and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources applied for $36 million of U.S. DOT Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary grant funds to add 16.3 miles of trails and bridge crossings to the “spines” of the region’s network: The Schuylkill River Trail and the East Coast Greenway along the Delaware River.

The proposal, called Generating Recovery by Enhancing Active Transportation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey (GREAT-PA/NJ), would significantly complete an integrated, multi-county bicycle pedestrian network for the region. By filling in 17 critical gaps along the Schuylkill River Trail and the East Coast Greenway, it would help connect over 128 miles of bicycle trails in the region, providing more active transportation options and more multi-modal connections for the region’s 6 million residents.

“We are thrilled that after years of planning and public outreach but little construction, this grant program offers the Greater Philadelphia region an opportunity to finally build new trails so it can transform itself into a more connected, economically competitive and sustainable community,” said Spencer Finch, Director of Sustainable Communities at the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.

The public benefits of filling out this network include the creation of 1,400 jobs, the connection of residential neighborhoods to commercial corridors and places of work, the connection of residents to transit stops, economic development, enhancement of underserved neighborhoods access to green space and alternative modes of transportation, and improvements in public health. It will enhance the sustainability of the region by increasing the number of those who are able to (and enjoy!) walking and biking instead of driving for short trips, thus reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.

“If this application wins approval, the region will finally have what it needs to entice more people to switch from their car to more sustainable modes of transportation for short trips: a connected trail network that can be used by users of all ages and backgrounds throughout the region to commute, run errands, exercise or go to a nearby park,” said Sarah Clark Stuart, Campaign Director at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

The submitted proposal includes trail segments and bridge crossings in Schuylkill (1 segment), Montgomery (3 segments), Philadelphia (7), Delaware (1), Bucks (2) and Camden (3) counties. The sponsors of the projects include: Schuylkill River Heritage Association, Montgomery County Planning Commission, Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, Schuylkill River Development Corporation, Bartram’s Garden, Delaware River City Corporation, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Borough of Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Cooper’s Ferry Development Association. The proposal also received letters of support from over 52 elected officials, institutions and non-profit organizations, including all four Senators and eight Members of Congress in the region.

The proposal submission coincides time-wise with Philadelphia’s celebration of a new bicycle facility the Mayor’s inaugural ride of the new Spruce and Pine Street bike lanes on September 23rd.

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council promotes the protection and restoration of the natural and built environments through innovation, collaboration, education and advocacy with the private sector, government, individuals and communities as partners to improve the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians. For more information: www.pecpa.org and www.pecpa.org/eastcoastgreenway

Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization working with area governments and community organizations to help improve bicycling safety and education in southeast Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. The Bicycle Coalition is a member of and contributor to various national, state, regional and county bicycling, pedestrian and transportation organizations. For more information: www.bicyclecoalition.org

Campaign to Complete the Schuylkill River Trail Comes to Montgomery County

The Bicycle Coalition is hosting a public meeting on August 20th at the Montgomery County Planning Commission to make a presentation about the Complete the Schuylkill River Trail campaign. This campaign is an effort to raise public awareness about the potential to build and finish critical gaps and connections that exist in the trail in the Greater Philadelphia region.

The meeting will run from 7-9pm at the Montgomery County Planning Commission, on the second floor of One Montgomery Plaza, across the street from the Montgomery County Courthouse at 425 Swede Street (intersection of Swede and Airy Streets) in Norristown. You'll have to sign in at the information desk in the front lobby. Directions.

The program will feature a presentation about the Complete the Trail Campaign, a Q&A, followed by an open discussion about other Montco SRT issues, such as public safety, cleanups, etc.

Schuylkill Slop

Yesterday's storms caused some serious damage on the Schuylkill River Trail. BCGP Volunteer Mike Szilagyi documented the damage today:

After yesterday's 4+ inches of rain, parts of the Schuylkill River Trail are barely passible due to flood debris. It wasn't river water that did the damage, but runoff from the steep slopes adjacent. I pedalled in from Norristown this morning and found three spots where the trail is almost blocked:

• South of Spring Mill in Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County. Mud and stones up to a foot deep.
• North of Port Royal Avenue in the City of Philadephia. Mud and stones up to two feet deep. Photo:
• Between Manayunk and Flat Rock Dam in the City of Philadelphia. Fist-size stones litter one stretch of the trail.

Hopefully Montgomery County and Fairmount Park will clear the trails soon.

Trail Reporter.Com - Reporting Incidents on the Schuylkill River Trail

www.trailReporter.com is now online and ready to collect incident reports on the Schuylkill River Trail.



With less than 20 postings entered to date I was happy to see that it being is used to report more than violence. Graffiti and trail conditions were also noted and this information is just as useful. One posting I liked was "Two Girls Smiled and Wave" right at the notorious basketball courts east of Haws Avenue. We could use more good news like that.

Norristown Area Media Coverage

Also there is this report on KYW - Police Patrols Stepped Up In Montco

We are really impressed at the level of response by the Borough and the County, volunteers are also working on a incident report form that will forwarded to the County and the Police which will be accessible through the BCGP website. In the meantime you can use our generic incident report form.

Finally if you are a little skittish about returning to the trail alone you can join us on Sunday for Bike Freedom Valley where you will have plenty of company and sag support.

Norristown Police Seen Patrolling the Trail

A Norristown PD Police Cruiser was spotted traveling slowly down the Schuylkill River Trail (with the Blue and Red lights turned on) in Norristown. As accounted by a recent email:

I was heading east about 1/4 mile west of Haws Ave when I saw an NPD SUV coming toward me, with roof-mounted emergency lights flashing red and blue.

At first I thought it was an emergency. But when I realized that the NPD prowler was taking a leisurely westbound cruise (maybe 10 mph) along the SRT, it dawned on me that this is part of the NPD being visible, real VISIBLE on the SRT. THAT is the most law enforcement visibility I've ever seen on the SRT. I gave the officers a smile and wave, which was returned, as they drove off the trail to let me pass.

Many thanks to the Norristown PD for being pro-active, I hope at some point that a regular bicycle patrol could be justified.

Update On Norristown Assault Followup

A coalition of local bicycle clubs and other concerned cyclists met on Wednesday Night with the Norristown Police Department and County Officials to discuss harrassment and assault issues in the vicinity of Haws Avenue.

The Meeting was covered in the Times Herald and cyclist Howard Hochheiser reported his observations in an email:

...one of the most important things I got out of the meeting was the value of reporting ALL incidents. I was amazed when we were told that there were very few incidents in the last 3 years, while the experiences of those in the audience painted a very different picture. It seemed like many had a story to tell, mostly of harassment, but some with violence or the threat of violence. It appeared that the scope of the problem in that area was news to many of the police/government people in attendance.

Bottom line, PLEASE report anything, regardless of how small it is, not just something that would require a 911 call. Its the only way to capture the extent problems, and where they lie.

The county and borough will step up patrols in the area. Tasks for the bicycle community resulted in these three strategies:

1. Web Based Reporting System for events that are not 911 worthy, but police should be made aware of. Complaints will be forwarded to the Norristown PD and the County Parks. There is a prototype already in development and when it is formally released it will be available through the BCGP Report a Problem page where for now you can use the generic reporting form.

2. Cameras to monitor the area where the Assault occurred, the cost will be about $2000 plus internet usage fees.

3. Trail work days to clean up the brush where the kids who are throwing rocks at the cyclists are hiding.

Stop the Violence! Show Your Solidarity on the SRT

Come out on Wednesday June 10th from 7:00 to 7:30 PM for a bike/skate/sit-in as a showing of solidarity against violence at the location of last Wednesday's assault on the Schuylkill River Trail above the basketball courts between Haws Avenue and the double bridge over US 202 in Norristown.

Changes coming to Spring Garden St and MLK Drive

We don't have the precise drawings but we are trying to give people an idea of what the configuration of the Spring Garden St switchback connection to MLK Drive will be.


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The big news is that Spring Garden and Art Museum Drive will be signalized, with a crosswalk allowing for easier transition from Spring Garden St to the Art Museum Area.

Meanwhile down on MLK a new crosswalk with yield signs will be put into place. We are sceptical about the traffic really yielding to non-motorized traffic without any traffic calming devices but we will see. Another concern a new curb cut in front of the Art Museum at the entrance to the MLK path that is giving trail users fits. We are in touch with the streets department and will encourage them to come up with a safe solution.

This portion of the Westbank Greenway project is due to be completed by the end of September.

Schuylkill River Trail Extension Opening Ceremony

MONTGOMERY COUNTY'S NEW SCHUYLKILL RIVER TRAIL DEDICATION

Monday, April 14, 2008

1:00 p.m.

At the Longford Road Trailhead (at the Schuylkill Canal)

Take Egypt Road to Longford Road (just west of Oaks), Turn West toward the Schuylkill River and see the Trail head parking lot on your left just after crossing the railroad tracks. This is a 2 MILE first phase construction of the Trail from Oaks to Mont Clare (Rt. 29).

This segment dedication is for the area between Longford Road and Oaks where the Trail connects to the existing Schuylkill River Trail AND Perkiomen Trail.

Bring your walking shoes or bikes and join us! ! ! !


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Schuylkill River Trail West Of Oaks Under Construction

From Montgomery County Deputy Chief Operating Officer Steve Nelson:



The County is working on completing the section between the Oaks railroad bridge (over the Perkiomen Creek) and the new Longford Road parking lot. It will hopefully be done by April. From there, there will be local roads with share-the-road signage to the Route 29 bridge.


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The County is currently planning to upgrade the Schuylkill Canal towpath which will be a cinder path going west to the Route 29 Bridge for an offroad route to Phoenixville. That project is currently in the early stages of design.