It’s an exciting time for outdoor recreation in Pennsylvania — and the organizations and agencies that advocate for it. Early fall was packed with events to plan and celebrate new developments to improve access to safer, more equitable transportation and outdoor recreation options around the state.
Highlights from September:
Attendees at Summit Hose Fall Festival had the opportunity to vote on plans for Tarentum’s new trail along the Allegheny River. The trail will be part of the 33-mile Three Rivers Heritage Trail, connecting Tarentum trail users to other riverfront boroughs and some of Pittsburgh’s biggest attractions. A study informing the trail design was conducted by PEC, Friends of the Riverfront and Allegheny County in 2011.
The Trail Association of the McKean and Elk Divide (TAMED) announced a grant from PEC and the Appalachian Regional Commission to design and build a section of the Knox and Kane Trail from the Country Club on U.S. Route 6 to Lantz Corners. Once completed, the Knox and Kane Trail will span 73.8 miles from Kinzua Bridge State Park to the Clarion Junction.
Delaware County received funding this month from the Transportation and Community Development Initiative to study safety issues along Route 291. The route is a key connector within the greater Philadelphia region and runs through some neighborhoods where close to 40% of people don’t have access to transportation by car. In addition to the safety improvements, the study would assess how to better facilitate the corridor’s connection to the East Coast Greenway.
Finally, PA DCNR officials announced the newly formed Recreation Engagement Coalition in September. The coalition will promote the extensive outdoor recreation options available in Pennsylvania and seek to boost the state’s outdoor economy, which contributes billions of dollars to Pennsylvania every year.
For more outdoor recreation and transportation updates, check out our most recent news.