Trail Planning
As a leader in the Circuit Trails Coalition pushing the development of the trail network, PEC is involved in a variety of trail planning and development projects across the region. While these trail projects are located in vastly different locales – from dense, urban cores to rail corridors in the countryside – PEC’s focus is on trails that will have the biggest impact both on their local communities and on the Circuit Trails overall. In fact, several of the trails detailed on this page, including the Liberty Bell Trail Southern Connection and Newtown Square Branch Trail in Upper Darby, rank near the top of PEC’s Gap Analysis of the Circuit Trails network in terms of overall equity impact.
Current Projects
River Road Trail in Bristol Township, PA
The Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the Heritage Conservancy, the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and consultant Michael Baker International are working to develop a safe, family-friendly public trail for walking, biking, and rolling along River Road from Cedar Avenue to just past the Wawa near Old Route 13 (see map). The River Road Trail is a portion of the East Coast Greenway and will one day connect residents and visitors alike to Bristol Borough, Bensalem, Philadelphia, and all the way from Maine to Florida!
We just closed a public survey on the River Road Trail – view the results here.
Newtown Square Branch Trail
PEC is working with Upper Darby Township, the Friends of Upper Darby Trails, and local community advocates to further the development of the Newtown Square Branch Trail, an important local connector trail within the Circuit Trails that will ultimately link into Philadelphia via the Cobbs Creek Connector Trail.
In 2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – through its Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) – awarded Upper Darby $175,000 for final design and engineering of Section 6 of the Newtown Square Branch Trail (see drawing). PEC assisted with the grant application and is working closely with Upper Darby elected officials, staff, and engineer to move this project forward. PEC is also helping Upper Darby secure funding to move the entirety of the Newtown Square Branch Trail closer to completion.
Tookany Creek Trail
Since early 2019, PEC has been working closely with Cheltenham elected officials, staff, Environmental Advisory Committee members, and the Friends of the Tookany Creek Trail (which we created alongside community advocates from the ongoing planning process) to upgrade and expand existing sections of the Tookany Creek Trail to link into Philadelphia via the Cresheim Trail in Chestnut Hill and the Tacony Creek Trail in Tacony, Philadelphia. In early 2021, consultant Campbell Thomas & Co. completed a feasibility study for the Tookany Creek Trail in Cheltenham, which was later adopted by the Township. You can view that feasibility study here, and an Executive Summary here.
In 2022, PEC helped sponsor and operate the Tookany Creek Trail Fest hosted by the Friends of the Tookany Creek Trail on Opening Day for Trails over Earth Day Weekend, which resulted in nearly 100 postcards in support of the Tookany Creek Trail being signed and delivered to Cheltenham Commissioners. PEC and the Friends of the Tookany Creek Trail are planning a similar event and outreach to Commissioners this year. Follow along for updates here!
