Pennsylvania applies to bring another TIGER to the Delaware Valley

On the heels of the TIGER I grant that Philadelphia and Camden received in February 2010, Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources submitted  a TIGER II grant application in mid-September for $35 million to fund trail projects on 10 regional trail systems in PA, NJ and DE. 

Let's hope that lightening strikes twice.

Trail segments in Delaware Valley proposed for TIGER II funding

Generating Recovery by Enhancing Active Transportation in the Mid-Atlantic (GREAT-Mid Atlantic) proposes to build or plan 30 different trail projects in PA, NJ, and DE, over 10 regional trail systems directly impacting a population of over 8 million Americans.

In our neck of the woods, GREAT-Mid Atlantic proposes to build:

• Schuylkill River Trail towpath near Phoenixville
• Schuylkill River Trail widening near Valley Forge
• Manayunk Bridge
• State and Harrison Avenue in Camden
• Haddonfield Greenway 
• Pennypack Trail Bridge
• Bensalem Trail
• Delaware Canal Trail on Route 13
• Delaware Canal Trail over Conrail RR Crossing

 The application is being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Transportation.  A decision is expected sometime before December 31, 2010.  

You can help by sending a letter of support.  Please do one or both of the following: 

1) Send a snail mail letter of support for the application to Secretary Ray LaHood at 

U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590 

2) Email a letter to your Governor asking them to support the application.  Their opinion carries a lot of weight! Email a letter today.   A copy of your email will go to Secretary LaHood.

PA/NJ/DE Trails submitted for TIGER II

On July 26th, Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR) submitted a TIGER II pre-application to the U.S. DOT for planning and construction of 30 trail segments in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey.  Pennsylvania Environmental Council and the Bicycle Coalition helped prepare the pre-application.  Some of the segments include those submitted in the 2009 TIGER I application, but which did not receive funding.

This TIGER II pre-application is called Generating Recovery by Enhancing Active Transportation in the Mid-Atlantic (GREAT Mid-Atlantic) and includes urban and rural trail segments on seven different major trail systems in seventeen counties in three states (PA, NJ and DE).  The final application will be submitted in late August and US DOT is expected to make its decision by September 15, 2010.

• Delaware & Lehigh Natl. Heritage Corridor (5 segments)
• Erie to Pittsburgh Trail (3)
• Greater Allegheny Passage (5)
• Schuylkill River Trail (4)
• East Coast Greenway (9)
• Delaware & Hudson Trail (1)
• Camden Greenways (3)

For more detail on the project segments and sponsoring organizations, see the GREAT Mid-Atlantic project list.