Editor’s note: This blog was originally published by The Circuit Trails
Earlier this month, a packed house of coalition members attended the Circuit Trails Coalition semi-annual meeting. It is always a pleasure to have so many of the Circuit Trails coalition members in one place! November’s meeting was one of the most highly-attended to date, and those present were able to discuss the past, present and future of the Circuit Trails. The event was hosted in the beautiful offices of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission – thank you, DVRPC, for hosting us! Below is a recap of just some of the exciting information shared at our semi-annual Circuit Trails Coalition Meeting.
We’re Growing! Miles and Miles of New Trails
Chris Linn of the DVRPC shared an overview of the Circuit Trails’ growth over the last 12 months. Since November 2015, the Circuit has welcomed 12.5 miles of new, completed trails to the network. The Chester Creek Trail, Pencoyd Trail and the highly-anticipated opening of Sullivan’s Bridge are just a few examples of major projects completed on the Circuit. In total, the Circuit Trails now features 320 completed miles, and 70 miles in progress.
Even more exciting was the news that 17 miles of additional trails are expected to be completed by December 2017. Projects like the K&T Trail, Bartram’s Mile, and the Baxter Trail will be among the additional mileage to open on the Circuit. Each mile completed will bring the Circuit Trails nearer to the end goal of 750 miles of trails by 2040, and we couldn’t be more thrilled by the projected growth of the Circuit Trails next year!
Playing Host to Millions
Sean Legendre, also of DVRPC, provided insights from trail counters placed along the Circuit, which help to determine the usage of each trail by pedestrians and cyclists. One of the most impressive statistics? The Schuylkill River Trail (Schuylkill Banks section) has accommodated more than 1.5 million trips since January 1, 2015! If you’re fascinated by this type of data as much as we are, you can check these numbers out on DVRPC’s website.
The Power of Partnerships (And Granola!)
The meeting also gave us a chance to hear from a few successful partners about their recent victories, including a wonderful presentation from Eleanor Horne on behalf of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail about their success leveraging corporate partnerships. Everyone enjoyed her thoughtful recommendations, especially as she showed off the trail’s very own granola as an example of the power of corporate partnerships.
Thanks to the hard work of our Coalition partners, we concluded a successful semi-annual meeting with excitement, energy and renewed fervor towards our collective goals. There is no doubt that 2017 will be another eventful and productive year for the Circuit Trails!
To view the full set of presentation slides from the semi-annual meeting, click here. For more information about the members Circuit Trails Coalition, visit our member page.