Bikes, Food, and Music This Thursday on the Camden Waterfront

Correction - DRPA has announced that only the north walkway will be open on Thursday, from 5AM to midnight. The south walkway will be closed all day.

The combination of bikes, trails, live music, food trucks, and site-specific art installations typically makes us think of Philadelphia (woot woot!). But now Camden is getting into the act, with the Camden Night Gardens this Thursday.

The Camden Night Gardens is a free night time art and bike festival on the Camden Waterfront that will take place on Thursday, April 17th from 7:00PM-11:00PM. It will feature local artist performances (music and dance), digital and physically produced projections, site-specific art installations, an illuminated BMX performance, a water-based light production, the presentation of historic record players and recordings, a bike tune-up station and a bike parade.

The Riverfront State Prison used to loom over the Camden neighborhood north of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Now it's an empty lot and its perimeter road, known informally as the Jail Trail, offers unique views of the bridge and Philly skyline. This event is a community-oriented repurposing of that trail and land.

For the convenience of event goers both the north and south walkways of the Ben Franklin Bridge will be open until midnight.  For more information on the Camden Night Gardens visit the event's Facebook Page

Ben Franklin Bridge Walkway Resumes Winter Hours On October 1st

Beginning October 1st, the Ben Franklin Bridge walkway will be open 6AM to 8PM for the fall/winter seasons. Summer hours (6AM to 9PM) will resume on May 1, 2014.

Ben Franklin Bridge Update: Longer Hours, Public Meeting On New Ramp

The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) has announced that beginning today, May 1st, Ben Franklin Walkway hours will be extended to 9pm. This schedule will remain in effect until September 30th. On Oct. 1st, the schedule reverts back to an 8pm closure.

Concurrently the DRPA has announced a public meeting for comment on the design alternatives for the Camden-side walkway ramp. Participants will be able to examine several conceptual design options. DRPA engineers and design consultants will be on hand to explain the design concepts, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each and answer questions or address concerns.

May 14th
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
DRPA conference room, 11th floor
One Port Center / 2 Riverside Drive, Camden NJ (across from Adventure Aquarium)

Credit: Philly.com

Stakeholder feedback will be conveyed to the DRPA Board of Commissioners, which will make the final decision about which design to accept. If you cannot make the meeting public, inquiries or comments about the project can be emailed to the DRPA at bikeramp@drpa.org.

DRPA Rebuilding Camden 5th Street Tunnel Without ADA Ramps

As we have reported before, the 5th Street tunnel in Camden has been indefinitely closed for construction since the summer. The construction includes a new sidewalk adjacent to the tunnel and it was hoped that the DRPA would make the tunnel wheelchair accessible. A glance at the progress from the North Walkway entrance shows no ramp access to the tunnel and no curb cuts in the new sidewalks.

A high curb and no curb cuts to facilitate wheelchair access.

And Now the Second Cheapest Way to Cross the Ben Franklin Bridge

The South Jersey Transportation Authority is providing the "Waterfront Connection" shuttle bus between the Independence Visitor Center the Adventure Aquarium and the Battleship New Jersey.















KYW1060.com


At just two dollars round trip only the Ben Franklin Bridge walkway will offer a less expensive option. That's $4 less than the ferry and less than half the price of a round trip PATCO/RiverLINE ride, which requires two separate fares each way. Buy your tickets at the Independence Visitor Center, Battleship New Jersey box office or Adventure Aquarium box office. Tickets will not be sold on the bus.

Service runs every half hour between 10:30 and 6. Sorry no bike rack.

Camden GreenWay To Connect City with Subs and Philly

The Camden GreenWay Trail network will be the eastern component of a larger trail network that will spread across much of the region. The network will connect to Philadelphia via the Ben Franklin Bridge.

The Bicycle Coalition is on the steering committee led by the Cooper's Ferry Development Association. The committee will plans to hold public meetings, conduct neighborhood marketing campaigns and seek corporate and legislative support for the trails.

Sections of the GreenWay network have already been constructed but they are mostly short and disconnected. Because of this many of the older segments are in need of rehabilitation.


View Larger Map

Camden Trails Planning In Today's Inquirer

Biking, walking trails planned for Camden

By Paul Nussbaum

Inquirer Staff Writer

Local planners and government officials yesterday launched an ambitious plan to create about 25 miles of biking and walking trails in Camden. The six trails are envisioned to be part of an eventual network in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties that would use old railbeds, existing rail corridors and local roads. The Camden County trails would run along the Delaware and Cooper Rivers and to Philadelphia via the existing sidewalk on the Ben Franklin Bridge. There would be a path looping downtown Camden and a path from the Cramer Hill section of Camden to the existing Merchantville bike path...


Read the Full Article Here